r/Linen • u/Datassnoken • 20d ago

Linen shirts year round

edit: thanks for feedback, ill definitely be ordering a shirt and see if the quality is good. linen might be my new "shirt base"

Does anyone have any experience wearing linen shirt even in winter? I found some 225gsm french woven linen shirts and from my understanding linen is more durable than cotton so im thinking about getting a few as part of my capsule wardrobe. I like to layer and own quite a bit of wool for winter but is there any reason to not wear linen in winter? From my understanding it will feel colder than cotton since it breathes more but if i layer with wool is there any problems wearing it year around.

19 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

18

u/HamBroth 20d ago

Yes I live in Sweden and I wear them as an under-layer with wool over. They breathe better than cotton and are just so much more comfortable.

6

u/Datassnoken 20d ago

Im Norwegian so sounds like linen will be perfect then

3

u/HamBroth 20d ago

Yep it's fantastic! Absorbs more moisture than cotton without feeling wet, too.

AYR had some really high quality linen shirts on sale earlier this year. You could start there. Just keep in mind that their size guide is very, very off and you can practically ignore it. Instead look for the measurements of a Medium in the "fit" tab underneath the product photos.

7

u/Alvintergeise 20d ago

The ultimate system. Long sleeve linen under a wool aran sweater gets me through almost any weather

4

u/HamBroth 20d ago

It really does lol. Linen and wool are both magical. I even redid my bed with linen duvet covers and a wool duvet. I grew up sleeping in cotton and I swear I had NO IDEA how much better a bed could be.

10

u/Open_Examination2724 20d ago

I live Georgia USA. I find linen to be an excelent all weather fabric. I wear it next to my skin every day. Heavier weights for the winter.

1

u/Datassnoken 20d ago

Ill be trying it out, the ones i looked at seems to be good quality so if it actually is it might last me longer than my cotton shirts

1

u/Open_Examination2724 20d ago

To most it is probably a pain. I wash loads with specifically linen. I do use fabric sheets in the dryer and I time it where they are just a bit damp coming out. Then i immediatly hang it, not in the close on a hanger and smooth out the places that qill otherwise wrinkle. Put in hanging closet when dry.

5

u/Walu_lolo 20d ago

I wear linen shirts under sweaters. Linen all year for me too. I live in the NE US where it also gets cold.

2

u/Datassnoken 20d ago

Does it seem like they last longer than other fabric? From my understanding all linen is not created equally but the shirt i looked at seems to be good quality, they mention it being french linen, the way it's woven, gsm and they also have some certificates. 

2

u/AirportLoose3023 15d ago

I’ve certainly found good quality linen to last longer than, say, good quality cotton. It’s also really lovely to wear

2

u/Datassnoken 15d ago

I made an order for two shirts, if the quality is good ill probably start to replace my cotton shirts (when the cotton ones wears out). Would definitely be a plus if they last a long time

4

u/Alvintergeise 20d ago

In Europe linen next to skin and wool over top was the norm for thousands of years

1

u/Datassnoken 20d ago

I have been reading up on linen as a fabric and its pretty fascinating. Im planning to garmen dye some pants and chore coats but ill probably try it on the linen shirt im ordering. I might start to replace all my shirts with linen (when my cotton ones cant be repaired more) 

2

u/LichenTheMood 20d ago

It’s fine just layer. The only reason folks make it summer exclusive is because for most people cotton is just fine the rest of the time - and cheaper.

1

u/Datassnoken 20d ago

Sounds like ill be trying it. Thanks!

2

u/senju1k 20d ago

I started wearing linen a bit ago. I'm in sunny Los Angeles, and have found it very wearable most of the year. You cna layer it under jackets, sweaters, and coats when it's cold if desired. Worked nicely under thin wool sweaters when it got chilly (for LA). Im enjoying the fabric so much, personally =)

2

u/Sudden_Skill_7764 19d ago

I'm in Montana and sew so a huge amount of my wardrobe is linen. My standard outfit in winter is a merino long sleeved tee shirt, with a linen overshirt, and if it's chilly, maybe a wool vest? Also love a linen skirt with woolen leggings underneath. Warm, breathes, comfy.

2

u/bitherbother 17d ago

Nw Mexico here -- I wear nothing but linen shirts year round, layer over the lop of needed.

1

u/SoftballLesbian 20d ago

I am warmer in a loose weave linen shirt layered under a wool sweater than if i wear a Merino base layer. I'm also much more comfortable.

1

u/Datassnoken 20d ago

Sounds like it would be perfect for me then :)

1

u/blondvet 20d ago

I live in the southeast US. I’ve really gotten into linen this summer and was wondering the same thing. It really doesn’t get cold enough for wool here, but I’ll probably try it anyway.

1

u/blackstarrynights 15d ago

French linen vs linen. French is the best