Linen

It was a household item being used for intimate apparel, shirts, chemises,anddresses,aswellas bed,bathroom,table,andkitchen cloths,makingitthereasonforthe termlinencloset.DuringWorldWar I,itwasusedfortents,ropes,and canvases for airplanes. Linen, however, could not keep up with the demand of the war and was surpassed by cotton. After World War II, it was replaced by easycare synthetic fabrics because of the upkeep of linen fabric. It was still enjoyed in the Mediterranean in South American countries because of its comfort and coolness in hot temperatures. In the 90s linen gained popularity when it was combined with pretreatments, enzymes, and ammoniatomakeitwrinklefree.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS:

Flaxisenvironmentallyfriendly and fully biodegradable. With croprotation,itdoesn'trequire chemicalsorpesticides,unlike cotton. It is also stronger than cotton meaning it doesn't needtobereplacedasmuch.

Pure Strong Cooling

Technical Properties

Linen is made from a flax/linseed plant. It takes 100 days for the planted flax to grow enough to be harvested when they are 24 to 48 inches tall. Flax fibers are the strongest of all plant fibers, it is two to three times stronger than cotton. It is stronger wet than dry and dries faster than cotton. The cross-section of the fiber looks like an irregular Polygon shape, which gives it a course crisp appearance. Natural flax looks like various shades of ivory, tan, or Gray. Linen isn't insulating or traps air, which makes it feel cool in warm climates. Because it is so stiff linen pulls away from the body which drives and eliminates perspiration. Linen has a longer staple then cotton And can range from 6 to 20 inches.

It is lint-free, doesn't pill, will last for a long time and it's stain resistant. The more it is worn and washed, the softer and smoother it becomes. It presses as well and resists humidity. It has no natural stretch but can resist damage from abrasion. It can absorb color well and remains colorfast for a long time. It deteriorates in acid and it's flammable. It does not build static electricity. It will not be eaten by bugs if it is unstarched.

FUNTIONS/ END USES

70% of linen is used for clothing while 30% is used for household textiles. It is used for summer clothing, tablecloths, napkins, placemats, draperies, wall coverings, and handbags. As well as making paper, binding books, and painting canvases.