Linen, Naturally

Linen, Naturally

Why We Love Linen, and How to Wear it

Easy, breezy linen. What’s not to love? From keeping you cool in the heat to giving your look that effortlessly debonair feel, it's durable, comfortable, and ticks quite a few sustainability boxes. Figuring out what to wear with a linen shirt isn’t all that daunting; with the right styling (read on for our expert styling tips) you can wear the fabric just about everywhere, from work to weddings.

If you're looking to make greener style choices, linen clothing is a good place to start. This all-natural fabric is woven from the fibres of Linum usitatissimum, more commonly known as flax. A robust and low-maintenance plant, flax doesn't need particularly good soil or even much water and can be grown organically without pesticides.

Fun fact: it also produces linseed oil and omega-3 oil via its seeds, so there's very little waste from the crop.

All our men’s linen shirts use fibres grown and sourced from Western Europe where no irrigation is in place (rainfall is all you need), plus, the plants are all free of genetic modification. The fibres hold dyes well (far better than most) and because of this they don't usually need any other treatments, meaning they keep that brand-new look for longer.

Linen is also naturally antibacterial and resistant to moths. We love using this hard-wearing fabric because you won’t need to replace your favourite pieces as often. When it comes to washing and drying, it prefers cold water on a cool cycle and to be line-dried, making it an eco-friendly option.

Nature’s Technical Fabric

Linen has been worn for over 6,000 years, and with good reason. Here's a few qualities that come naturally to linen:

Beat the Heat

Linen is breathable and porous, so it’s quick-drying and wicks moisture away from the body. No sweat.

Strength in Fibres

Robust, durable and antibacterial, linen gets softer with each wash, so you won’t need to keep buying new.

All-Natural

All our linen is grown in Europe without irrigation (rainfall is all you need) or genetic modification.

Machine Washable

Our shirts can be easily washed at home to save you the trip to the dry cleaners.

Summer Drinks

Our men’s casual linen shirts are designed to give your warm-weather wardrobe a relaxed-but-refined look. Team a short-sleeved linen shirt with your favourite chinos and boat shoes. Heading out for dinner and drinks? Slip on a linen jacket for a touch of formality without the fuss.

At the Office

Our linen-blend shirts have a dash of cotton to help keep you crease-free when you're heading somewhere more formal. Speaking of smart, can you wear a tie with a linen shirt? Absolutely. We even have a collection of linen-blend ties to complement your suit jacket.

Keep it Casual

We love the stuff, but we’re not linen purists at Tyrwhitt – we know there’s an art to creating a perfect blend. Take our linen-mix shirts; a refined take on a classic that you can wear with shorts on the weekend, or chinos for relaxed office days.

The Destination Wedding

Can you wear a linen shirt with a suit? The short answer is yes. Our advice for perfecting this simple-yet-sharp ensemble is to pair a classic blue or white linen shirt with a stone suit and Oxfords. A timeless look for that balmy destination wedding.