Ichi Antiquities Linen dress
I have to admit, I'm quite a bit late to the linen game. I've avoided the material for most of my life because I never liked the look of wrinkles and yet couldn't be bothered with an iron. So even though I've grown up in hot climates all my life (Hawaii and then California), I've pretty much stuck with cotton. But with the purchase of my handy dandy travel steamer and my further progression into slow fashion (where linen is the superstar material), I've begun to see the light. And this year I've finally come fully around and now I absolutely love linen. I can't get enough linen! I've purchased linen items from several ethical/slow fashion brands in the last six months so I thought I would let you all know how they all stacked up against each other. {P.S. If you're interested I've also done this before with silk here.}
ES linen petra crop and linen clyde skirt
First, why is linen such an amazing material? My (internet) research has pointed me to these facts about linen that make it quite possibly the most best cloth on earth:
Why Linen Is So Awesome
- Everybody knows linen is the best material for hot weather. Since linen has a high moisture absorbency but doesn't retain moisture, it doesn't get weighed down with sweat (unlike cotton) and essentially wicks away sweat. Linen also dries quick to inhibit bacteria growth to prevent smelly odors. The hollow linen fibers also allow for air permeability keeping you cool in the summer heat.
- It's hypoallergenic (great for those with sensitive skin like myself) and it's moth resistant.
- Linen is uber durable (just look to the Ancient Egyptians who used it for their mummies). It's 30% more durable than cotton and doesn't pill. In fact linen just keeps getting better with washings and age.
- Linen is made from the flax plant which is a fairly hardy plant, especially when compared to cotton, and doesn't need nearly as much water or pesticides as cotton. And that's because flax plant can grow in quite poor soil conditions. Flax growing practices in China tends to be more agro-industrial while European linen tends to be grown more naturally since their climate is suited to the plant.
- Nothing in the flax plant is wasted with other parts of the plant making linseed oil or consumable flax seeds (high in fiber and omega-3 and considered a superfood).
- Linen is fully biodegradable (when undyed).
So why don't people just wear linen all the time? Well linen is expensive to produce because of the laborious process to harvest the plant and weave the material. It's a luxury fabric. But if you're going for quality and not quantity, you can't go wrong with linen! You know it's going to last and it'll only get better with more washings. Also if you splurge on the best linen, you also won't need to be steaming/ironing it much either.
So here's what you guys really want to know, right? Which brands use the best linen material? {Note: I use oz/yd^2 to indicate the weight of the linen with a higher number meaning a heavier cloth weight and thus a more premium product. Also I only include 100% linen items and no linen blends} . Here's how the brands linen material stacks up from best to worst (also thickest to thinnest):
1) Two Days Off
{Added Jan 2021. I think it qualifies for the top position because of the all reasons listed below but especially because they prioritize deadstock material}
Weight: 5.90 oz/yd^2 (200 gsm)
Source: Deadstock for the colors clay, cactus, and soy; Canada for the colors black, moss, mushroom, bright navy
I love the fact that TDO prioritizes using deadstock first thus “recycling” in a sense. And of course Gina (the founder) would because she is a climate scientist. Plus they are a plastic-free company (only biodegradable garment bags) and she takes the extra step to be Climate Neutral certified (by offsetting the carbon footprint of manufacturing and shipping). Also this slow fashion brand makes all their clothes in LA in limited or made-to-order quantities. These are just some of the reasons why I love this BIPOC-owned, women-owned, California brand, and on top of all this Gina is a kind and warm human being who takes the time to connect with all her customers. Review of the linen Kaneko dress coming soon!
2) Only Child Clothing (no longer produced)
Weight: 7.5 oz/yd^2 (or 254 gsm) for 2018
2019 Update: This year I purchased the Cove Pants (reviewed here) and I don’t know the exact numbers on flax linen (which I read through their stories that they source from a different producer than all their other linen colors), but I have to say based on feel alone seems slightly thinner to Elizabeth Suzann’s flax linen. The OC flax linen seems slightly thinner, lighter and rougher than the ES material. Based on this I would actually rate ES linen to be number one in terms of thickness.
Source: Japan
Does this surprise you guys? It totally surprised me since I for sure thought Elizabeth Suzann had the best linen out there. But I have to qualify this rating by saying it only applies to linen items produced by Only Child this season. Last year's linen is of a lower quality and is not the same as this year's linen. So be careful when buying Only Child linen items on the secondhand market since this rating doesn't apply. But it does mean that if you've been eyeing something linen from Only Child, this is the year to get it. Having the linen Dune pants myself (along with a lot of other Elizabeth Suzann linen items) I can attest that the OC linen is of equal calibre (though slightly better according to the numbers. But in an actual blind feel test I can't tell the difference between the two).
3) Elizabeth Suzann (no longer produced)
Weight: 7.08 oz/yd^2 (or 241 gsm)
Source: Japan
In a very close second is ES and like I mentioned above, it feels exactly the same to the OC linen to me. You will not be able to feel the difference of 0.42oz/yd^2. If you've been reading my blog, you know that I have a ton of ES linen items that I wear constantly. These include the Petra Crop, Clyde Linen Work Pants, Clyde Linen Billow Skirt, and the linen Georgia tee (all links are to the reviews on this site). I love love love ES linen and cannot get enough. But with just those 4 linen items alone (2 tops and 2 bottoms) I'm really set for almost a week's wear of linen (okay with lots of outfit repeating). Also while doing research for this post I came across this interesting article about Japanese linen from the NYT. From my experience with Japanese made items, I’m pretty sure those weaving the linen in Japan are highly unlikely to be slave labor or paid poorly.
4) Pyne & Smith
{Added in 2019}
Weight: 5.90 oz/yd^2 (200 gsm)
Source: Flax grown in Belgium and France, fabric milled in Lithuania
The linen from Pyne & Smith is a great midweight linen that’s slightly thicker than the fabric from the Lithuanian producers below yet thinner and less heavy than the linen from ES and OC. If you want to support a domestic company and linen dresses are your thing, then Pyne & Smith might be your go-to. I love my no.12 dress (reviewed here) for both the simplicity and ease of wear.
5A) LinenFox
{Added in 2019}
Weight: 5.46 oz/yd^2 (185 gsm)
Source: Lithuania (Oeko-Tex certified)
I love my Linenfox Kimono Top (reviewed here) since it’s basically a dupe of the ES Georgia tee. LinenFox items are of the same quality as nPL with a linen weight of 185gsm (and I suspect they might be sourcing their linen from the same local Lithuanian linen producer though I don't have any real evidence of this--but how many Oeko-tex certified linen producers are there in Lithuania?). I’ve also ordered their linen pants and plan to see if it’s similar to my OC Cove pants. I seriously love the styles they produce at LinenFox and their items are a great value (true midweight linen, made ethically, and at a great price). If you’ve been wanting to get some great ethical linen pieces, I would start with them (and even though the linen quality is the same with nPL, I slightly prefer LinenFox’s styling). The only drawback when comparing them to domestic brands is that 1) you’re not buying in the USA and 2) the lead times+shipping times are much longer so you’re going to have to wait longer for your item.
Linenfox Heavyweight Linen
{Added in 2020}
Weight: 340 gsm
Source: Lithuania (Oeko-Tex certified)
Released at the end of 2019, the heavy linen is a great option in cold weather for those who live in milder climates. Or a great transition piece. It truly is the heaviest linen of this bunch. This linen isn’t really suitable for summer. My review of their heavy linen jacket is here.
5B) notPerfectLinen
Weight: 5.46 oz/yd^2 (shown as 185 gsm on their site and converted with this calculator)
Source: Lithuania (Oeko-Tex certified)
When I felt the nPL linen (when I purchased this Marseille skirt--reviewed here) I knew it was good but not quite as thick and durable as the ES linen. With a little bit of digging I was able to come up with numbers to prove my suspicions. In a blind feel test you will for sure be able to tell the difference between nPL and ES/OC, but that doesn't mean that nPL is inferior. The linen from nPL is still quite thick, opaque and durable and it has the added benefit of being Oeko-tex certified (meaning the linen was processed without harmful chemicals). And though it doesn't have the same quality as ES or OC linen, I think nPL linen items are the best value out there since their stuff costs significantly less than either ES or OC (both of which are American-made brands).
6) Quince (One Quince)
{Added in 2020}
Weight: 160gsm
Source: China, but it's 100% organic linen dyed without hazardous chemicals in a dyeing mill that meets bluesign® standards
I love my organic linen tank (Quince organic linen tank review here) and linen shorts. Quince’s linen feels like the best of the thinner, lightweight linen items (all those above are considered midweight to heavyweight linens). This linen is smooth to the touch and heftier than even the (very expensive) Ichi Antiquities linen listed below. The fact that this top is made of 100% organic linen and costs only $30 seems to good to be true (but it’s possible because of their shipping model detailed here). Also I really like that even though this is light colored linen (my tank is in the color “driftwood”) that it’s completely opaque—can’t see my bra at all. This is the perfect linen tank for hot and humid weather!
7) Ilana Kohn
{Added 2021}
Weight: Unknown
Source: Unknown
I am basing this on feel alone so it’s not the most scientific observation, but I would say the linen of my Eleanor top from Ilana Kohn (review coming soon) is about the same as the Quince linen and a tad thinner than the linen from Lithuania. It’s still an excellent weight and textured fabric though and items from Ilana Kohn have the added benefit from being made in the US (NYC).
8) Ichi Antiquities
{Added August 2020}
Weight: unknown/can’t find (so basing the rating on feel)
Source: I can’t find where the linen is sourced from but the garments are all made in Japan.
As much as I love the dress I got from Ichi Antiquities (reviewed here), I have to say the linen is definitely on the light-weight side. It definitely feels lighter than my Lithuanian linen items so I’ve placed it on the list here. It’s also too bad I can’t find where they source their linen from. Price-wise, Ichi is definitely up there (with ES and OC) but value-wise it’s not really there. This is a cult favorite, and I appreciate their silhouettes but I don’t think I’ll be purchasing from them again.
9) Everlane
Weight: 4.87 oz/yd^2 (165gsm)
Source: The linen is from China from a mill called HLC - it’s one of or the largest linen supplier in China
I love my linen collarless shirt, and still wear it 4 years later. This linen quality is the same as Quince’s which is a good lightweight linen.
10) Grana
Weight: 4.13 oz/yd^2 (converted from 140gsm)
Source: Linen fibre is sourced from flax growers in Northern France and the fabric is woven and knitted in two separate mills in China. The final garment production process is also completed in China.
The linen from Grana this season is much softer and more sheer than any of the linen from the brands above, but Grana also does line their linen items (usually with a cotton lining). The white linen items are especially sheer. Grana's linen is definitely the softest and the least stiff of the bunch though it still wrinkles quite a bit. Grana's Irish linen from 3 years ago was the best but every subsequent year has seen a decline in their quality. I don't know if Grana's going to make it at the rate they're going.
11) Tradlands
Weight: Unknown
Source: Unknown
So in all honesty, this is based on one linen item I received from them last year but Tradlands no longer makes 100% linen items (they're all currently 70% cotton 30% linen). So it must mean they stopped sourcing material from the producer they used last year. And good thing too since based on the quality of that linen top, I have to rate them down here. It was the only linen piece in my life that came out stiff as a board after washing and horrible to wear. I can't figure out why since I washed it the same as I do all my other linen items. Before washing it though I would say it had the same quality as Everlane's (on the thin side but decent). {Feb 2021 update: So I purchased the linen tencel blend Nico dress last year and love the material, though that is also not 100% linen.}
Grana on the left and Elizabeth Suzann on the right, both are washed and hung dry without any steam pressing. As you can see, the heavier weight linen doesn't need any steaming while the lighter weight linen piece could use a good press.
Anyway I hope this little guide about linen has got you thinking about adding linen into your life (if you haven't yet and if you have I hope it makes you appreciate your linen items more). Seriously a high quality linen piece can be life changing! We still have a couple more months of hot weather and with global warming and more record high temperatures in our future, investing in good linen is not a bad idea!