Is there some sort of secret 2 keeping the material linen from NOT looking wrinkled?

I don't know but if you find out let me know.


It's the worst!

Apparently you iron it wet

but it still looks fucked up 10 minutes after you put it on

Oh and if you want any knitting patterns i am your man

Hang dry outside on a nice warm day or throw it in the dryer.

endymion said:

hokie said:

err did that joke not translate

endymion said:

hokie said:

shucks good job i look hot cos i would never have got laid relying on humour

luv4u said:

U wash linen? All of mine says dry clean only.

endymion said:

endymion said:

well I thought it was funny

MrsGoodnight said:

well Hokie is a bit slow

endymion said:

I never wear it for that reason. I despise ironing!

Graycap23 said:

I do ZERO ironing

I LOVE linen pants

I hand wash them - then put a touch of fabric softener in the rinse

I then spin them out in the washer - toss in a warm dryer for 2-4 minutes

The I lay them flat and hand press them out, hang them and let them dry

Graycap23 said:

And you have a big bank account to afford dry cleaning?

luv4u said:

lol.....I talking about these wrinkles. I realize it is a natural element of the fabric but there has 2 be a way 2 control these wrinkles.

Graycap23 said:

The natural nap of the fabric will always make it look like its crinkled a bit.
so wear your wrinkles with pride

paintedlady said:

I try but.....

Graycap23 said:

its better to take lines to a french cleaner... but too much starch will make the fabric too brittle and cause fraying (holes n stuff) You can hand wash linen tops in order to remove the armpit stains caused by anti-perspirants. Love Woolite for that... dry cleaners set in those stains.

Gray, ask your dry cleaners for sizing on your linen pieces.

Honey said:

"Sizing"? What is that?

Graycap23 said:

Starch... too much breaks your linen down.

The put starch in your clothing anyways... ask for sizing.. its too much it'll prematurely mess up the fabric.

Sizing is used mostly to stiffen the collars of men's shirts.

paintedlady said:

Ok. I've never heard it called sizing.....Thanks.

Graycap23 said:

paintedlady said:

They use light starch now. Maybe I should stick with 120 plus wool.

Graycap23 said:

No... fabrics like linen have a certain look. If the fabric stayed perfectly pressed... it would look like polyester. So when I see a man with "wrinkly" pants I know its linen... a natural fabric and certain cottons ( like a seer sucker jacket, or a fine Sea Island cotton shirt) will wear loosely and not look "creased". Its that certain look that gives the fabric a certain drape that I love to look at. Give me a natural nap of linen pants over a shiny sharkskin polyester pant any day.
[Edited 5/12/09 11:45am]

Not starch, sizing. When starch is applied in place of sizing, the garment can become overly stiff, crease easily and wrinkle before and during wear. Because sizing adds body to fabric, it makes garments easier to finish, reduces wrinkling during wear, and keeps pleats and creases sharp.

The only way to cut wrinkles in linen is to blend it with another fiber - cotton, rayon, wool, spandex, etc. If you want to wear pure linen, you have to accept the wrinkles as part of its charm. As I once wrote about a linen garment (for my job) - they aren't wrinkles, they're smile lines.

Linen is a washable fiber. The garments you have say "dry clean only" because of something else - lining, interfacing, shoulder pads (if you're talking about a jacket). It is those elements that will be damaged or lose their shape through laundering. Linen is hydrophilic - it absorbs water like a champ. This is why linen clothing and sheets always feel comfortable and dry to the touch, even in high humidity.

On the fabric wear issue...

Because linen has such long fibers (the longest fibers of any cellulosic fabric), it wants to stay flat. When linen is made into garments, creases are created along seams, pocket edges, etc. Because the natural inclination of the fiber is to try to straighten out, it creates stress along the creases and you get wear and fading at those points, especially. This wear is called "flex abrasion." There is no way to avoid this, short of blending the linen with a shorter-fibered partner. For this reason, if you're buying a pure linen garment and want it to last a long time, choose one that has as few details and as little ornamentation as possible.

Super 120s wool is amazing fabric - lightweight, smooth, fluid, and naturally wrinkle-resistant. It, too, must be dry cleaned. But since wool is naturally hygienic (like all protein fibers, it literally resists soil), it does not need cleaning unless you actually spill something on it or sweat it out. Just give it a good brushing and airing from time to time.

Oh - and one other thing with wool. Moths are not attracted to wool, itself. They are attracted to food particles and spills on the wool. Keep the wool clean and you minimize the chances of damage to your wool garments.

Genesia said:

Nice. Thanks.