Modern Linen

I'm about to set the scene: it's early August, the sun is shining, you have a huge event mid-day that you need to look fabulous for. Except it is so hot outside that the minuet you leave the air conditioned nirvana that is your car- your makeup melts off your face. You know- the kind of blistering, humid, sticky day that mimics the inside of your favourite infrared sauna, except....it's not.

So what do you wear to look professional, effortless and chic? Linen. 

Linen is one of the few textiles thats ultra breathable while still looking polished and luxurious. In fact the material is so luxurious that the ancient Egyptians actually used it as a currency. It's incredibly strong and can absorb moisture without holding onto bacteria. Making it a perfect choice for hot summer days. 

On top of being chic and cool, linen is incredibly eco friendly. It comes from the flax plant, and during manufacturing no part of the plant is wasted. Flax is an extremely resilient plant and can grow in poor soil using much less water than the traditional cotton plants. 

So basically what I'm saying is that linen is pretty much the holy grail of summer textiles, and if the only form of linen you have is your bed sheets then you need to promptly go out and treat yourself because you are doing life wrong.

But then comes the question: isn't linen dated? I can swear linen is what my grandmother wore. 

First of all- grandmother had absolutely great taste. Good on her. However, chances are she was wearing starched, structured linens. This style of linen is great if you are going for a more sophisticated and debonair look.

But I'm about to tell you how to bring linen into your modern wardrobe. And trust me- this ain't your grandmamas linen. 

Let's start with a fundamental basic- the linen palazzo. If you don't have one in your wardrobe then go out and invest in a good pair. You can style them with a blazer to dress it up, a silk cami for nights out on the town or a white t-shirt for casual events.  

What about wrinkles? Dosen't linen wrinkle like crazy? Well, yeah. It does - but thats apart of its charm. Think of a good linen like George Clooney, it actually gets better with age and happens to look its best with a glass of wine in the south of Italy. We purposely use cold water dyed linen in our collection because it wrinkles beautifully and gives the garment a melange softer tonality which looks gorgeous with a slight wrinkle. 

So instead of constantly trying to iron out your linens, make like Clooney and embrace the wrinkles. 

A white linen boyfriend shirt. The unisex closet staple. Quite possible one of the most iconic fashion pieces of all time. Like EVER. Incredibly easy to style and effortlessly sexy- the linen boyfriend shirt may have more iconic moments in fashion history than Carrie Bradshaw.

Think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys, Jennifer Grey rolling around with Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing and Julia Roberts in Pretty Women. 

So go ahead and steal your mans shirt, or better yet- treat yourself to your own boyfriend blouse.

So there you have it- a few tips to keep things fresh when it comes to linen. Believe me, when those hot sticky days hit, you'll be thanking me. 

If you happen to style our linen and feel extra fabulous then snap a pic and take us on the gram @vivianshyu!

Until next time, stay fabulous 

xx

Aysha