Linen is one of those fabrics that is truly hit or miss. Some linen can not only be itchy but can be a wrinkly mess, too. Linen is a natural fiber made from the flax plant. There is certainly a lot of variation from brand to brand, so quality is so important with this fabric!
Linen is popular in summer and warmer climates because linen has a looser weave than most fabrics making it more breathable. It also dries quickly. The more you wear it, the softer it gets. It is a fabric that has been around for a very long time... it may be one of the oldest fabrics ever!
I absolutely love linen in the summer. It can look so effortless and casually chic. The main thing when shopping for linen is to make sure you are buying quality. Quality linen is the difference between looking like a wrinkled mess and looking like your clothes have that naturally worn-in character. Linen can drape beautifully and wrinkle subtly in all the right places if you find good quality!
J.Crew has nailed it with their Baird McNutt pieces (not sponsored) but even the non-BM linen pieces are pretty nice!
Baird McNutt is an Irish Linen mill. Ireland has long been known for linen, and one thing about this particular mill is that they have been in production for a very long time, so they have perfected their craft. If you feel the Baird McNutt pieces compared to more average linen pieces, you will be blown away. This linen is SO soft, and the wrinkles aren't really even wrinkles; the fabric just kind of drapes perfectly over your body. I have washed these pieces (hang dry- it's similar to cotton in that you should not use high heat, or it will shrink!) and then just use a steamer to touch them up before wearing them. The wrinkles quickly fall out when hit with steam. The fabric is incredibly soft, and you'll notice fewer 'slubs'. Slubs are those little tiny 'balls' that almost look like the fabric is pilling, but it's actually imperfections in the fabric due to the nature of linen! The fewer slubs, the more polished the linen looks and the softer it feels! But I think those slubs add some pretty texture and character to the fabric in certain things. Sometimes slubs will even be purposefully added to the fabric to make it look more relaxed. I prefer fewer slubs, but that's just a personal preference. I think fewer slubs look more polished.
All that to say that you should snag the Baird McNutt pieces at J.Crew while you can. Right now, some pieces are 40% off with code SPRING, making them very affordable!
This is the short-sleeved Baird McNutt shirt that was a favorite of mine last summer. I have both white and blue and wear them both equally as much!
I wear a size small. This style runs big, but I still get my true size as I like the oversized fit. When I tie it up at my waist like you see above, it makes the shirt more fitted, which is nice! If you want something more form-fitting, size down at least one, if not two, sizes!
I just ordered the long sleeve version of this shirt in white and ordered the shirtdress in navy.
One thing I also love about these linen pants is that if you live in a climate that takes a while to warm up, ahem, Pittsburgh, then these linen pants can be great for late April, May, or early June when it can still be chilly but you want to be dressing for spring/summer! I wouldn't necessarily wear the white linen until late May/June, but the other colors, but I will start to wear it in a few weeks with a sweater like this one!
1 comment:
Wearing the J. Crew linen pants (and target striped long sleeve tee you recommended) as I read this! Thank you for always recommending the best items!
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