17 lightweight linen pieces we’re buying for summer

From the catwalk to your closet.

It looks like linen is finally having its moment – and we couldn’t be happier.

The fabric is one of the most sustainable out there, even more so than organic cotton. This is because it’s made from flax, which is a regenerative crop that enriches soil, and it requires less water too. According to the European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (EFCL), it only takes 6.4 litres of water to produce a linen shirt, whereas it takes 26 to produce one in cotton.

There’s more. Linen garments contain no plastic, which means no microplastics released through washing, and the fabric is longer-lasting than many others – including cotton – so will last in your wardrobe for years.

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We could go on. If that isn’t enough to sway you that linen is a great choice, perhaps the plethora of designers who used it in their SS21 collections will. The use of linen jumped 102% on the SS21 runways compared to to SS20, with Fendi, Dior, Louise Vuitton, Jacquemus and Maison Margiela all embracing it for the season.

However it’s actually been on the rise for some time. In a study by the EFCL, it was found that 25 percent more linen was used in 2020 compared to 2019 and this year, we’ve started noticing it in every high street shop.

Mango, H&M, Arket and Zara are just a handful of the brands diving head-first into linen this summer, and while many items offer the minimalist aesthetic, there are plenty that don’t. From colourful, to classic oatmeal, here are our favourite buys.