Linnen stof Blue Industry

The fabric absorbs moisture well.

Linen would not have come close to becoming the standard fabric for shirts or men's blouses. It was discovered as early as 36,000 years ago. This has been proven by excavations. So Stone Age people were already using linen or flax to produce clothing. During the "MesopetainIe" era, linen became popular. In fact, it was the standard in clothing. In Egypt, it was used as clothing for everyday use.

The production of linen

The fabric linen (or flax / flax) is mostly produced in Europe. Ireland and French Normandy have traditionally been known as major linen producers. During the 17th and 18th centuries, linen was widely used in Europe for garments. This was in the form of linen shirts or linen blouses. Linen is very labor intensive to produce. The linen threads must remain neatly straight. They can be quickly destroyed by a machine. This is also the reason that linen eventually lost out to cotton. The production of cotton was easier in large runs.

The structure of flax

Flax is a bast fiber. These fibers have a longer fiber length than cotton. For example, linen is between 25 and 150 mm long. When it comes to the fabric, roughly 2 types can be distinguished. Thin fibers and long fibers. The thin fibers are suitable for making high quality linen shirts. The thicker fibers can be seen in tablecloths and bed linen. The flax fiber or linen fiber is characterized by many irregularities on the surface. Many polygonal shapes can be recognized. These contribute to the coarse structure of the fabric. A linen blouse therefore looks a bit more playful and informal.

Linen shirts: the characteristics

A shirt made of linen feels wonderfully cool. This is because the fabric has a high conductivity of heat. It is a bit like the "cold" feeling that metal gives. Flax does not attract dust. This means that no lint sticks to the shirt. Therefore, the fabric has a smooth texture. Linen shirts become softer the more they are washed. The "linen shirt" does require a little more labor when ironing. The structure of vlax causes it to have poor elasticity. Springing back is not easy.

Production method of the shirts

The quality depends on the production method used and the growing conditions. When producing linen, the aim is to produce the longest possible fibers. Therefore, flax must be cut by hand, as close to the root as possible. This is done to ensure that the longest possible fiber length is achieved. After harvesting, the plant is dried. The seeds are also removed. This process is called threshing. After this, the fibers must be separated from the stem. This used to be done with chemicals; today this is prohibited. Then the linen fibers are passed through a combing machine. These create a soft flax thread. After this they are woven or knitted into linen textiles. This fabric can be used, for example, to make a linen shirt.

Where is linen produced?

The weave is mostly produced and grown in China and Europe. Especially in Normandy and Ireland a lot of linen is grown. This is still done in a very labor-intensive way.