To sleep well, you need a good bed, a comfortable mattress and quality linens.
What are the best materials for linens? Natural materials are always to be preferred, cotton and linen on top.
And today, given the arrival of summer, I want to talk to you about linen and why its characteristics make it the best fabric for sheets.
First of all, I’ll tell you a bit of the history of this much-loved fiber. Linen is a natural fiber obtained from the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen has been used for more than 10,000 years and its uses are varied, from clothes to sheets, from canvases to wallpapers. The ancient Egyptians for example used linen to wrap the mummies of the pharaohs and medieval knights instead wore linen shirts and trousers under their armor.
A curiosity: some terms derive from the word linen, such as the term lingerie. In English, the word linen has become synonymous with household linen and is commonly used to refer to bed linen, tablecloths, towels etc.
There are four main characteristics that make linen such a popular and perfect material for sheets.
Linen is highly absorbent: flax fiber is hollow and absorbs moisture very well – it can absorb up to 20% of its own weight in water before feeling wet. This is why, for example, it is recommended for summer clothes, for sheets and because it is also used for bathroom linen.
Linen is breathable: in addition to absorbing moisture well, linen fibers are also able to release it quickly. The flax plant is hollow and allows a greater passage of air, so the linen fabric dries quickly and does not stick to the body.
Linen is a natural insulator: which means it keeps you cool in the summer and retains heat from your body in the colder months, making it ideal for bedding.
Linen is hypoallergenic: some claim flax would heal wounds faster and help cure certain skin conditions such as eczema. It is certain, however, that linen is hypoallergenic and therefore suitable for those with sensitive skin or allergies.
Of course, linen bed sets has a rather high cost, especially when compared to other materials such as cotton. The price is given by the quality of the material but also because the linen fiber manufacturing process is complicated and very laborious. But it is also true that linen sheets will last you for years and therefore can certainly be a good investment.
And then we want to talk about that fresh and natural look of a bed with a set of linen sheets? It immediately makes me think of a house on a Mediterranean island. And I also love the wrinkled and imperfect effect of linen sheets!
If you feel like a set of linen sheets, I suggest you take a look at the Magic Linen products! These are the products that I enjoyed photographing and that you see in these images!
Concept, styling and photography by Mariana Bettinelli
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