Moisture Is No Match For It

As a general rule of thumb, natural fibres fare well with water (which stands to reason as they, you know, grow outdoors).

Linen’s especially good in this respect; its hollow fibres are able to absorb a fifth of their weight in water before starting to feel damp. So even if you’re sweating profusely, you won’t get soaked.

It’s Like A Fine Wine

Although linen’s handfeel might be a touch sandpapery at first, give it time and it’ll reveal itself to be strokably soft.

Unlike cotton (which actually gets coarser over time), washing and drying linen makes it softer by gradually breaking down its tough fibres. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

The Cons

Creases. So Many Creases.

The rumours are true. If you’re looking for all-day, everyday crispness, linen’s only going to give you one very epic headache. Its poor elasticity means it doesn’t spring back easily after being folded over itself, which causes all that wrinkling.

There’s a workaround though. Linen’s often blended with less crumple-prone fibres like cotton to make clothes that’ll appease the wrinkle-averse.

Recommended Piece: The Linen Blazer

Current Styles

Tropical Weight Wool

Double taking? Stay with us. Because wool – as counterintuitive as it might sound – actually deserves a place in your fair-weather wardrobe.

Several spools away from an itchy tartan blanket, tropical weight wool isn’t dense and heavy. It’s still sheared straight off a sheep’s back, but unlike other wools, it’s sourced for its lightness.

A wool’s weight is measured by the yard, with heavy-duty winter wools tipping the scales at 18oz and three-season wools clocking up a lighter 10-12oz. Tropical wools weigh in even lighter – sometimes as low as 6oz – and are ideal for looking smart when the sun’s beating down.

The Pros

It Means Business

One of wool’s main draws is the sense of structure it gives your silhouette. Sure, your linen suit is going to look just as cool as it feels zipping round the Riviera, but it doesn’t carry much clout in the boardroom.