Why Linen Is The Key Fashion Trend of 2021

Linen is the most sustainable of fabrics, and it has finally found its moment in the sun as ethical fashion designers and traditional designer brands embrace its versatility, as seen in some of the latest fashion shows.

The pandemic has shaped many aspects of fashion, from the rejection of suits for work in favour of loungewear, and a growing awareness of sustainability within the fashion industry. Linen has seen a 102 per cent increase in the products being used at fashion houses like Fendi, Jacquemus, Maison Margiela, Dior in their SS21 collections.

Linen has been a slow-burning trend in the fickle fashion industry, but fashion search engine TAGWALK has revealed that more and more labels have been using the material, and that:

•   64 per cent of brands used linen to a great extent for the first time - Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton

•   28 per cent were large brands - Fendi, Stella McCartney, Maison Margiela, etc.

•   49 per cent of designers showcased at least one linen look in their collection (i.e. 18.6 per cent of designers vs. 12.5 per cent in 2020)

Why is linen sustainable?

Linen is far more sustainable than cotton, even organic cotton, for several reasons.

Linen is made from flax, which is a regenerative crop that enriches the soil. It also uses a lot less water than cotton. A linen shirt uses 6.4 litres of water, for instance, it takes 26 litres for a cotton shirt, according to the CELC (European Confederation of Flax and Hemp).

Most flax is grown in northern Europe, with France, Belgium and The Netherlands accounting for 85 per cent of world production - which cuts down the air miles for the European fashion industry.

Thanks to its temperature-regulating properties, it can be worn comfortably all year round. Linen's fibres are much longer-lasting than cotton, which makes it more expensive to produce but it will last much longer in your wardrobe. It is an anti-bacterial fabric which means you don't need to wash it as often.

There is also no plastic in this natural material, so no microplastics will be washed into the sea when you wash it.

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