Contents
Egyptian, Pima, Supima, organic – and what long staple really means.
From the flax stem to Belgian, French and Irish linen.
Percale, sateen, twill, jacquard, muslin – drawn thread by thread.
Thread count, fabric weight, staple length and other terms, minus the marketing.
Washing, drying, ironing, stains, storage.
Egypt, Belgium, France, Ireland, India, Portugal, Italy.
Egyptian clothing and textiles: cotton, linen, weaving and traditional dress.
An interactive comparison of eight materials.
A one-page profile of each main fabric.
Every article, in the order it was written.
Section
Fibre from the stem of the flax plant. Strong, cool, with a character that changes as it is washed – and an origin that is easy to trace.
Linum usitatissimum
An annual plant whose bast fibre separates from the woody part of the stem after the flax has been pulled and retted in the field. The long fibres are wet-spun into fine yarn; the shorter tow is dry-spun into coarser yarn. The same plant also gives us linseed.
Belgian Linen™
A mark of the Belgian Flax & Linen Association: the fabric must be woven in Belgium and at least 85% of its weight must be flax grown in the EU. For centuries the Flemish towns on the River Leie (Lys) were centres of flax processing.
85–90% of the European area
According to the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, France has 85 to 90% of Europe’s flax acreage. “French linen” usually describes where the fibre comes from; the fabric may be woven elsewhere. Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certification verifies the origin.
Irish Linen Guild
According to the Irish Linen Guild, this means yarn spun in Ireland from 100% flax, with Irish weaving and design. For decades the fibre has been imported mainly from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The Huguenot Louis Crommelin, who arrived in Lisburn in 1698, did much to develop the linen industry there.
pre-washed
Linen that the manufacturer has pre-washed mechanically or with enzymes before sale. It is soft from day one, has a “crumpled” look and shrinks less. Washing slightly reduces the fibre’s strength – just as when linen softens with use.
Last checked 12 October 2026. How we correct errors