Linen instead of cotton as basic shirting

[T.K.]

Are there members who have their 'business shirts' made out of linen instead of cotton? I can imagine this working better for white shirts than for blue ones, because blue seems to accentuate the rougher texture of linen more than white does. I ask because I am getting tired of cuff edges fraying so easily on my cotton shirts (a problem less prevalent with my linen shirts) and because I simply enjoy wearing linen more than cotton. I particularly wonder whether linen will work in the colder months and with more refined suitings like nailheads etc. Any experiences?

[Man at C&A]

The Decline of Western Civilisation hasn't reached the point (yet) where I could get away with wearing a linen shirt in The City. Brown shoes yes, linen blazer maybe, no tie on a hot day certainly, but a non cotton shirt? A bridge too far thank goodness.

[T.K.]

I see, Decline. The assumption behind my thought was that in fact it was once more common to wear a linen shirt than a cotton shirt when dressing properly. But maybe I'm completely wrong! I certainly didn't mean it as casual move for city dressing. Quite the opposite. Thanks.

[cathach]

At one time linen was highly prized and used for all clothing that touched the skin hence the terms bedlinen, lingerie etc. Brummel for instance tied his neckcloths/cravats from starched linen. It was the rise of cheaper cotton, easycare polycotton blends and synthetics that ended that.

Given the awful wrinkling of super numbers in shirtings and suitings I do not see why the more genteel and classic linen variant should be shunned.

[Concordia]

It depends on the design of the pattern. Some all-linens are very much intended for the seashore. NSM's collection was of that ilk last time they rolled through town. Other suppliers will come up with something that looks much more urban.

I just requested a batch of samples from Ascot Chang and turned it into an order of business shirts-- some with double cuffs, no less. Part of my motivation was to be ready for the abusive humidity during a trip to HK; the tendency of linen shirts to stretch and not shrink in hotel laundries added to the interest. But come October back home I expect to be able to wear a good many of them to the office.

Also don't forget linen-cotton blends. Offers much of the best of both.

[alden]

TK

As part of the LL Linen book there will be two linen shirtings. One is a quality for casual chic wear and one is destined for more formal wear.

Having converted to wearing only linen shirts (life is too short to wear anything else), I wanted a quality of shirting that would pass muster in the business environment or more formal wear. So I commissioned a very tightly woven, specially treated linen that looks like cotton but is 100% linen. I have asked for it in white, ecru, two shades of blue, pink and yellow to start out. Stay tuned.



Cheers

[T.K.]

(...) I do not see why the more genteel and classic linen variant should be shunned.

My intuition exactly. It would be exciting to combine the sophistication and comfort of linen with the office as Concordia describes. To pull it off the trick might indeed be to have a linen looking like a cotton. Alden, with a linen woven in this manner, would it be possible to have a fine stripe in the cloth whilst maintaining the dressy appearance?

[alden]

TK

I do not see why not.

The first examples will be plains including a perfect shade of blue taken from a 70s era Brooks Bros shirt. I have never found this perfect shade of blue in any shirtings books so I decided to make it in linen. From that I could make blue and white stripes using that blue. One step at a time...

cheers

[Russell]

I was looking forward to the linen suitings being available but the linen shirtings will be if anything even more welcome.

Regards,
Russell

[T.K.]

TK

I do not see why not.

The first examples will be plains including a perfect shade of blue taken from a 70s era Brooks Bros shirt. I have never found this perfect shade of blue in any shirtings books so I decided to make it in linen. From that I could make blue and white stripes using that blue. One step at a time...

cheers

But of course, I was just having fun in the sphere of the possible since I'm not that fond of plain white. A soft toned pink and most likely "LL blue" on the other hand...

[ismailalmurtadza]

Mr.Alden
Looking forward.From the sample above it could be like the cotton linen.

murtadza

[J.S. Groot]

I am very intrigued by the news that the LL linen book will contain shirtings as well. I have a tendency to be sensitive to heat so I have been pondering going for linen shirtings as the basic stable of my shirt wardrobe.

Acorn produces a 50/50 bamboo/linen shirting. They say it has the coolness of linen but doesn't wrinkle as much. Maybe this could be a solution for those that doubt the business suitability of pure linen. Does anyone have any experience with this or similar shirting?

[alden]

They say it has the coolness of linen but doesn't wrinkle as much. Maybe this could be a solution for those that doubt the business suitability of pure linen.

If your linen shirts wrinkle, you are not using an adequate quality of linen. Almost all of the stuff sold as linen today is questionable at best. Be careful to choose top quality traditional goods.

My shirts do not wrinkle when I wear them. When they come out of the washing machine they are wrinkled and that is to be expected. You just need a good hot iron just like youdo for cotton.

Cheers

[NJS]

I used to have just white and sky blue linen day shirts from Budd and they were all made as tunics. I recall that they certainly creased at the elbow but they did not wrinkle at all.
I also recall that they needed several washes before they were 'run in'.
NJS

[J.S. Groot]

If your linen shirts wrinkle, you are not using an adequate quality of linen. Almost all of the stuff sold as linen today is questionable at best. Be careful to choose top quality traditional goods.

My linen shirts do not wrinkle. But that is primarily because I don't have any - yet

With regards to my question, I interpret your answer as: If an adequate quality of linen is used all the various permutations of linen + some or another substance are redundant.