Linen: from Plant to Fabric

Linen is an ancient plant, used today just as in the past for many different purposes. Traces have been found going back to the Neolithic era, the period in human history when farming and herding began.

The most common use of linen is in textiles, creating breathable fabrics that are especially effective at absorbing moisture—cool, soft, and gentle against the skin. A true safe bet for anyone seeking maximum comfort and all-around well-being.

1stAmerican pieces featuring linen are designed for women and men. They offer all the qualities this plant is known for, delivering unmatched tactile and visual appeal.

Add the fact that it has a relatively low environmental impact—it’s considered eco-friendly—and linen becomes a truly compelling fabric. Even more so in today’s textile industry, which is increasingly seeking natural, eco-friendly materials without giving up aesthetic appeal.

An age-old tradition, and in this deep dive we’ll share more—taking you through the processes behind working with linen, from the plant all the way to producing the precious fabric.

The Linen Plant

Under the term “Linum” there are over 200 different species. Only one, however, is cultivated and used on an industrial scale: “Linum usitatissimum”. The others grow wild, hold great botanical significance, and showcase nature’s ability to renew itself in countless interesting, intelligent forms—true biodiversity.

Common linen—“Linum usitatissimum”—is an annual herbaceous plant from the Linaceae family, known as the oldest and most valued of plant fibers thanks to the versatility of its fabrics and the properties of its seeds and the oil derived from them. It’s used not only in textiles but also in food and cosmetics as an oilseed plant.

Linen has a single, slender stem, barely branched at the top. It usually grows under one meter tall, with a base thickness of 1–2 mm; in low-density crops it often reaches 3–4 mm.

The main parts of the plant are:

• Root. The main part of the plant. It’s not particularly extensive or branched.

• Leaves. They are stemless (sessile), entire, and narrow. They have just three veins, arranged along the stem in a spiral, totaling about 80 to 100.

• Flowers. They’re uniform and end at the same height. Their color ranges from white to light blue. The shape of the flowers—and the leaves—is highly distinctive. Blooming lasts 10 to 20 days.

• Seeds. The seeds are small, smooth, shiny, flat, and extremely light—just think that a thousand seeds weigh between 4 and 10 grams depending on the variety. Their color is reddish brown.

• Stem. It features closely packed fiber bundles, usually between 20 and 35.

The linen plant has a fairly upright habit, more or less stately depending on the cultivar. Its growing cycle ranges from 80 to 120 days.

Where Linen is Grown

Linen is found worldwide, across a variety of climates, as the many varieties show, adapting to very different environmental needs. It’s common especially in areas spanning Scandinavia to Siberia, Canada to Mexico, Italy to Africa.

For growth and cultivation, climate is key, strongly affecting which varieties thrive. In humid, temperate climates with stable temperatures and regular rainfall, fiber linen dominates—plants are long and elastic. In hotter, drier climates, where temperatures run higher, seed linen is more common.

The growing season also varies with climate: in Europe it’s in autumn and spring; in Nordic countries, spring; and in places with very hot weather, linen is cultivated in autumn.

A factor that causes stress in linen—true for all varieties—is a lack of water during its development. For the plant to complete its life cycle optimally, water and humidity need the right balance to ensure the fiber forms and lengthens.

If water is scarce during flowering, seed production drops. Excessive rainfall is also unfavorable because it hinders plant development. In drought-prone areas, linen is grown in highly resistant varieties. Linen is highly adaptable—to both soil and climate.

Sowing

Linen prefers organically rich soil, which requires careful preparation starting with deep plowing, in summer or autumn, to a depth of about 40 cm.

For autumn sowing, green manuring is usually performed, followed by deep plowing and the addition of organic fertilizers. Harrowing is then carried out. Seeds are sown 2 to 4 cm deep.

The sowing stage is crucial for an optimal crop and is tailored to the specific cultivar, with appropriate fertilization.

Harvesting Linen

Harvest operations vary depending on whether the plant is grown for fiber or for seed. Here, we’re focusing mainly on varieties intended for textile use.

Plants grown for textile use are harvested when they show the following traits:

• Seeds are still green and milky.
• The stem starts turning yellow-green.
• The basal leaves are completely dry or already detached from the stem.
• The plant has long, strong, soft fibers—much like the fabric produced from it.

The plant is uprooted in its entirety to obtain the maximum fiber length. Before machines were introduced, this was done entirely by hand: plants were pulled up in small bundles and left to dry right in the field under the sun, for about two to three weeks up to a few months, depending on the climate.

Today, linen is harvested with specialized machines—puller-windrowers—which leave the uprooted plants on the ground arranged in windrows (rows).

On the ground, the maceration phase is carried out, after which the plants take on a gray-silver color. Each hectare produces between 4.6 and 6.5 tons. After maceration, they are arranged in round bales or large bales, transported directly to spinning centers where the individual fibers are separated from the woody components.

Fiber Extraction

The fiber forms in the stem throughout the plant’s entire vegetative cycle, depending on the quality of the soil, climate, and agronomic techniques used. It consists of 70% cellulose and has an average length ranging from 20 to 30 mm.

It begins to be effectively processed starting from maceration on the ground, followed by drying of the stems and crushing, carried out using hammers called gramole that cause the fine fragmentation of the stems.

At this point, the scutching of the fibers located in the inner part of the stem is performed, an operation that allows the fibers to be freed from the other components of the plant. This is a delicate phase from which the following elements are obtained:

• Linen or long fibers. These are the functional components for the production of fabrics.

• Tow or short fibers. Of lower quality than long fibers, they are used to make twine, ropes, tarred paper, and many other products.

• Chips. The woody part, used, for example, to produce panels or as fuel.

• Straw. Smaller woody parts, used as bedding for horses. It has various qualities.

• Powders. They are used as plant fertilizers.

The combination of long and short fibers constitutes 25% to 35% of the total raw fiber.

Combing and Spinning

Once scutching is completed and the fiber extraction process is finished, the combing phase is carried out, during which the separation of long fibers from short ones takes place.

Combing is followed by the spinning process, during which a twist is achieved to bind the fibers together. The result is the production of a skein that, after being boiled, becomes ready for weaving.

In this way, the raw linen is transformed into a yarn that is homogeneous and of good quality. The color is shiny and uniform, the fabric gains strength, elasticity, and hygroscopicity, meaning the ability to absorb water molecules present in the environment.

Thanks to this property, linen is a material that has an optimal relationship with humidity levels, both in the environment and with the skin it comes into direct contact with, and therefore with sweat. Consequently, the maximum percentage that linen can absorb is 12-15%.

Weaving: the Final Stage of Linen Processing

We have reached the final stage of linen processing: weaving. A process that allows for the creation of a fabric that is then used for various purposes and applications, from clothing to products intended for home decor.

Once it was done by hand according to the art of weaving, a practice mainly carried out by women. With the advent of industrialization, it has increasingly been achieved through the use of mechanical looms.

Once weaving is completed, one of the oldest arts in the world, the linen fabric is bleached to remove dirt and impurities. It is essential to emphasize that, to carry out this operation, it is necessary to acquire a high receptivity in dyeing through various finishing treatments.

The Main Uses of Linen Fabrics

At the end of processing, linen fabric appears soft, delicate, and durable, as evidenced by the fact that it has reached us almost intact from the tombs of Ancient Egypt.

Moreover, it is highly breathable, thanks to the fact that it is essentially non-insulating, and consequently cool. Its strong ability to absorb moisture, up to 15% of its weight, makes it perfect for clothing, especially during the hotter and more humid periods of the year. It does not cause allergies and, once worn, provides a deep sense of well-being.

For all these reasons, 1stAmerican has chosen to include it as a key material for its collections dedicated to both men and women, where linen finds its place in the creation of shirts and blouses, sweaters, pants, and bermuda shorts, perfect garments for the spring-summer season.

Linen is easy to wash and quick to dry. Refined, elegant, ideal for leisure time but also during hours dedicated to work or study. A true staple, in short, that you won’t want to part with.

In addition to clothing, linen is used for the production of household linen products, such as napkins, tea towels, bags, as well as furnishings, from wall coverings to sofa fabrics, to curtains and ceilings.

Moreover, linen, through the use of short fibers, is employed in the production of items known as cordage, such as ropes, cords, waxed threads, twine, and many others. Linen proves to be a precious fabric like never before, versatile and durable.

Finally, in its seed variety, it is equally valuable and allows for the production of products such as flour and oil, the latter more present than one might usually imagine, not only in the cosmetic and food sectors but also, for example, in paints. Linen confirms itself as a plant that one never stops discovering, appreciating, and loving.