I also look at textiles because secretly I am an 95 year old woman from the 1930’s. I have always loved tactile arts. I have been sewing clothes and quilts for as long as I can remember and have added needlepoint, felting, knitting, crochet, and weaving through the years. Visiting the local yarn and fabric shops was on my short list of things to do in France when we don’t have class, so of course I pay attention to the literal fabric of Paris.
My favorite materials are always the natural fibers, both animal and plant. There is a perception that high quality yarns and fabrics made from natural fibers, is more expensive than synthetic materials, which is (partly) true. One of the most expensive fabrics? Linen. One linen bath towel can cost as much as $115. EACH.
Knowing how expensive it is, it is surprising that just about everywhere I look in Paris I see a sea of linen. In our Airbnb for example we have linen bath towels, linen sheets, and linen dish and hand towels. When we’re out and about in Paris it seems like every other woman has on a linen dress. Men wear linen shirts and pants. I see kids wearing linen clothes and babies with linen stroller blankets. It’s literally everywhere.
So why are Parisians blanketed in this material? Well, spun flax, otherwise known as linen, has a beautiful drape, is durable, breathable, and lasts almost forever. It also keeps you cool in the summer, is easy to wash, and dries quickly. Drying quickly is an important feature for a culture that doesn’t typically have dryers. Linen dries on the line overnight. It also feels good on the skin. Basically, it’s the perfect fabric. Especially when you don’t have air conditioning or dryers.
I have also come to the conclusion that the French are WAY more environmentally conscience than we Americans are (I’ll probably blog about that later). Another benefit of linen? You can compost it when it’s worn out.
While linen is expensive up front, if you divide the cost over the number of years it will last, it is actually LESS expensive than other material and it feels better too. Will I be switching all of our textiles to linen when we get back home. Yes, but only one towel at time.