Linen

Linen

Give it a thought about our earliest attire. Did it anyway come close to today's clothing? It was gross and heavy in the beginning. Could we call it a fabric at all? No. We just threw on animal pelts and went along. Dress material has been through a long journey. The amazing inventor man slowly came up with the fibre that has become today's fine fabric after centuries of experiments. But what was the first fabric that had been used for attire? We traced back to 36000 years back in a cave in Georgia, the material we found is brightly dyed flax-fibre. Learning to grow, was a turning point not only for civilisation but also in the history of clothing. When humans settled down and learnt agriculture, they produced flax plants. After harvesting, there was a rigorous process to manufacture this natural fibre, that continued till date. Slowly the linen came into shape and civilised man shed their animal pelts and opted for this comfy, prestigious raw material.

Incidentally, flax plants grow almost everywhere throughout the world from northern Africa, west Europe to India. Thus wherever the early civilisation bloomed, flax-fibre was rooted in their history of culture. The time consuming, arduous process of manufacturing linen made this fabric more valuable.

Thus, In Mesopotamia it was restricted to royalty, religious leaders and priests could wear it or buy it.

In ancient Egypt, has elevated linen to the level of purity. They appreciated its anti-microbial property, which is conducive to their culture of hygiene. its smooth texture and dazzling white color even earned it its name "Woven Moonlight"

But when Romans invaded Egypt during 4th Century BC and took Linen with them to Europe. But their approach was altogether different than Egyptians. They heavily dyed the fabric with bright colors. After the 18th-century linen industry has been important for the economies of Europe and American colonies. Other textiles like hemp, cotton or various non-flax textiles, with a particular texture are roughly called Linen.

The usage of linen expands from clothing to upholstery, handkerchief to table mat.

Following are the qualities for its high desirability:

• Lustre or radiance
• Soil resistance
• Moisture wicking
• Bleaches and disinfects in sunshine
• Long-wearing
• Lint-free
• Non-irritatant
• Non-allergenic
• Generally chemical-free
• Nontoxic when burnt

The fashion industry in the modern world, experimenting with linen for a variety of reasons. This natural fibre with zero non-toxic features makes it environment friendly, and it is a fantastic alternative to cotton, yet costlier.

Further, its quality and performance give it a feel of luxury, even if it is used in casual garments. Many high-profile labels use linen.