GO GREEN IN LINEN

We have Beau Brummell to thank for setting men on the road to cleanliness – though few have managed to maintain his high standards, then or now.

His habits of daily bathing, teeth cleaning and
shaving are sure to have aroused some ribaldry among other young bucks of his time – early in the 19th century – when gentlemen didn’t go in for too much of such niceties that might weaken them. But with the patronage of the Prince Regent, and Brummell’s establishment as the court style leader, his fresh habits certainly set a trend.

Much of his style lead may be attributed to a fastidious attention to detail, in tailoring, and in fresh linens. Linens included his shirts, separate collars, undergarments and handkerchieves, all of which had to be newly washed and immaculately ironed.

Today, linens are widely associated with tableware, but linen for clothing, as in shirts, jackets and suits, has been somewhat neglected, though top designers have continued to sing its praises. But its inherent creasing characteristic has tended to make it less favoured in an age where easy care qualities are taken for granted.

The Row’s tailors have always made some summer jackets and suits in linen cloths, particularly for Our Man in Havana types, but the European Linen body, which represents European linen production, is intent upon seeing it more widely appreciated once more. And this saw a major promotion staged in Savile Row this summer, featuring jackets and suits in the latest linens.

Made from a flax crop that is grown mainly in Northern Europe, linen is the ultimate eco-friendly plant.  It requires no irrigation, fertiliser, pesticides, defoliants And as anyone knows who has worn it, the final fabric is light and comfortable to wear.

With these environmentally-sound and natural-comfort qualifications, it is clearly a green choice for the man about warming towns as well as for casual hot spots. And with the European Linen organisation singing its praises in a marketing campaign, more men should be looking at linen options from their tailors.

From the top: linen two-button suit by Norton & Sons; three-button suit from Hardy Amies; double breasted suit from Gieves & Hawkes; and checked two-button suit by Meyer & Mortimer. See linen and linen blend bunches at tailors.