There’s a beautiful tradition in European families to pass home linen on to younger generations, especially daughters as they get married. After all, linen is believed to be one of the oldest fabrics in the world. Thousands of years ago, Egyptians wrapped mummies in it, ancient Romans had given it the poetic name of textus ventilus, which meant “woven wind” and in Europe, when making the robe of a king, only purple dyed linen was used in order to represent class, wealth and royalty.
So what are the properties of linen that make it so valuable you’ll want to keep it in your family for years?
Linen is strong
Linen is one of the strongest, most durable fabrics there is. It’s about three times as strong as cotton and it actually gets stronger when wet. This means, that even when used daily, linen is resistant to wearing off. In addition, as it gets softer with each wash, the quality of linen actually increases over time. When cared for properly, linen bedding can last for decades.
Linen is sustainable
Sure, there are synthetic fabrics that will most likey outlive many generations. But that’s not necessarily the goal. Linen is many times stronger than cotton, which means bedding made from linen is made to last rather than wind up in a landfill. In the current disposable consumer culture, this can make a great difference. Linen bedding is also very easy to take care of. It resists dirt and stains, which means less washing, less of chemical usage and less water wasting.
Linen is versatile
Even though linen is one of the world’s oldest fabrics, it is getting more and more popular every day. There are a few reasons why linen bedding never goes out of style. The relaxed texture of linen goes well with everything from cozy to rustic bedrooms to minimalistic urban lofts. And if you choose the neutral pastel shades that linen usually comes in, it will match your bedroom even if the walls change colour.
