Don’t be afraid of linen.
I have heard over and over that people don’t like linen because it wrinkles. Well guess what? A little rumple in your linen is OK. It’s actually how it is supposed to look. I did a quick Google search to legitimize my belief and I was validated when this came up:
“It is completely okay to wear wrinkled linen. In fact, casual clothing pieces made from linen may even look slightly better if they are a bit wrinkled. These wrinkles add a bit of character to outfits and make them look more three-dimensional.”
Let me first make a distinction between a completely rumpled up item of clothing that looks like it was shoved into a ball shape and just emerged from the bottom of a closet, versus a shirt with some creases or a little wrinkling along the button placket.
Linen is a beautiful, natural, sustainable, hypoallergenic, durable fabric and the fact that it shows wrinkles so easily reminds us of this. It’s incredibly strong and delicate at the same time. Like some of my favorite people. The creases in the elbows of a linen jacket and the upper thigh of a pair of linen pants are like beautiful laugh lines to me. They are real-life, lived in, natural texture and depth. I love that look.
Ernest Hemingway wearing his classic linen button down. My favorite Hemingway quote? “I drink to make people more interesting”.
Linen is timeless, classic and historic. Maybe it’s because it is one of the longest-produced textiles, and it’s history may stretch back even farther than the most ancient evidence that modern archaeology has uncovered.
European heirloom hand-stitched yellow table cloth passed down from my great grandmother.
Personally, I like to take some of my finer linen items to the drycleaner and start out fresh and crisp. No starch, but a nice, pressed look. I’ll wear my newly pressed linen dress, pants, shirt or blazer for work or a social event, or even around the house. I love the rebellious feeling of rolling up the sleeves or sitting down, knowing I am creating an imprint of casualness into this otherwise pristine fabric.
J. Crew wide leg trousers in Italian linen. I love the gold button and buckle details. Athleta linen navy tank.
I also feel like the longer I own a linen piece of clothing the more I love it. Linen doesn’t seem to wear out like other fabrics, it gets better with age. I have a few older, more casual items like beachy draw string pants that I try to take straight out of the warm dryer and hang up before they get too wrinkled. If needed, I might run a quick iron over them, but usually not. They have a more bumpy texture and I like that for these casual items.
Then there are the more tailored items like these trousers or a blazer. I take these to the dry cleaner and usually get several wears out of them in between.
Linen is like a rebellious aristocrat. There’s an expectation of polished properness but it can never live up to that for very long. It immediately gravitates towards comfort and ease. It just wants to be relaxed and lived in. But even when it is, it still exudes a rich, luxurious presence. When you wear your linen with some wrinkles just know, you still look polished because the fabric simply is mature and lux. The wrinkles aren’t “wrong”, they come with the territory, and they are as heartfelt as our beautiful laugh lines.
I always think of Meryl Streep in Out of Africa when I think of beautiful linen outfits.
I’ve tried many linen button-down shirts and here are my favorites:
J. Mclaughlin. The “Britt” Linen shirt (above) is a great fit and there are so many pretty colors to choose from. Boden also has a really a classic, linen button-down shirt that is a little boxier with fun front pockets. I have this one in white and love it. It also comes in some fun patterns, but they sell out quickly. And J. Crew is also a great choice with their Baird McNutt Irish linen button down. Great for petites and talls as well.
I recently broke down and purchased this gorgeous Veronica Beard blazer. I receive so many compliments when I wear it. I usually pair it with a simple white t-shirt and jeans.