Linen

We love linen.  In fact, it may just be our favorite fabric at the moment.  Linen has great texture, holds its shape, and is often the perfect weight for neckties and bow ties.    So we got to thinking about where linen came from….

Linen is made from the flax plant and is named after the latin name of the plant – “linum.”    

Yup, that's really what Flax looks like!

The word "line" comes from linen after its stiff, straight threads.  The word "lining" also comes from linen because garment linings were traditionally made from the fabric.

Linen has been around for a very long time… and may just be the oldest textile in the world.  Linen has been used for all sorts of things, including wrapping mummies and decorating mummies’ tombs.   When the tomb of Tutankhamen was opened, the linen curtains were found to be intact.

The features that make linen so great for ties – its texture and inelasticity – arise from the fact it is made from flax.  Flax thread is not stretchy, and also often has “slubs,” or small knots which occur randomly along the length of the thread.

Linen is also used for many, more surprising uses.  Linen is a favorite textile for oil paint canvases.  It’s also used by bakers, who use the cloth to hold dough in place during rising.  In the middle ages, it was used for shields and body armor because of its strength.   And for this same reason, it is still used for printing money – American paper currency is printed on paper that is 25 percent linen.

(Good for that kinda dough, too!)

Here’s how we’re using linen these days!