This document discusses linen and its use in green or sustainable fashion. It provides details on linen's characteristics as a strong, breathable natural fiber derived from flax. Linen production is described as more environmentally friendly than cotton. The document outlines the physical and chemical properties of linen and discusses its production process. It explores linen's history and global cultivation and provides examples of its uses in modern fashion.

2. What is Green Fashion?
Green fashion refers to stylized clothing that uses
environmentally sensitive and responsible production
techniques.
It is a part of the growing design philosophy and trend of
sustainability, the goal of which is to create a system which
can be supported indefinitely in terms of environmentalism
and social responsibility.

3. • Linen is a cellulosic fiber derived
from the stem of the flax plant.
• Much stronger and more lustrous
than cotton.
• One of the oldest and most
expensive textiles in the world.
The story of
Linen

4. Characteristics :
Linen is
• comfortable to wear
• Has good strength ; twice as
strong as cotton
• hand-washable or dry-cleanable
• well absorbent of dyes and
prints
• Varies from light weight to
heavy weight
• Has no static or pilling problems
• In hot weather, it lowers the
body temperature up to 3-4% . Image 1:Apparel
made of linen fabric
www.amalthee-creations.com

5. Physical Properties
• Tenacity: Linen is a strong fiber.
It has a tenacity of 5.5 to 6.5
gm/den.
• Elongation at break: Linen does
not stress easily. It has an
elongation at break of 2.7 to
3.5 %.
• Color: The color of linen fiber is
yellowish to grey.
• Length: 18 to 30 inch in length.
• Lusture: It is brighter
than cotton fiber and it is
slightly silky.
• Resiliency: Very poor
• Moisture Regain (MR
%): Standard moisture
regain is 10 to 12%.
• Effect of Heat: Linen has an
excellent resistance to
degradation by heat.
• Effect of Sun Light: Linen
fiber is not affected by the
sun light as others fiber. It
has enough ability to protect
sun light.
• Elastic Recovery: Linen fiber
has not enough elastic
recovery properties like

6. Chemical Properties
• Effect of Acids: Linen fiber is
damaged by strong acids but
mild acids does not affect if
it is washed instantly after
application of acids.
• Effects of Alkalis: Linen has
an excellent resistance to
alkalis. It does not gets
affected by the strong
alkalis.
• Effects of Bleaching
Agents: Cool chlorine and
hypo-chlorine bleaching
agent does not affect the
linen.
• Effects of Insects: Linen fiber
does not attacked by moth-
grubs or beetles.
• Dyes: It is not suitable to
dye. But it can be dye by
direct and vat dyes.
Image 2:
Cross section of linen
fibre

7. DISADVANTAGES
• Wrinkles very easily
• Fair abrasion
• low durability
• Poor drape and elasticity
• Expensive
• Linen clothing may lose its
charm if washed with hard
water.

8. Total Textile Process At A Glance
Flax Sized Yarn Wet Treatments Goods Preparation Consumer
Yarn Weaving Dyeing and Printing Retail Store

9. Types of linen
Image source : linenbeauty.com
Plain woven Loosely woven Sheeting linen

10. Uses
Linen
Men ‘s wear Commercial
furnishings
women’s
wear
Home
furnishings
Image 6
Image 7 Image 9
Image 8
shopping.rediff.com
www.revolveclothing.com
www.crateandba
rrel.com
www.bedlinen123.com

11. Linen as green fashion
• Flax grows naturally and requires less water and
fewer pesticides than cotton, making it the more eco-
friendly fabric.
• Flax linen is recyclable and biodegrade.
• Flax is gentle on the land and is easy to incorporate
into modern crop rotation cycles, preventing soil
depletion.
• Very little energy is required to process flax.

12. • The industrial processes of spinning and weaving
have very little to no impact on the environment.
• Nearly all of the dyes of linen are lead-free; the
dyes that contain lead are composed of less than 5
parts per million, which is extremely low.
• Linen yarn is inherently strong, which reduces the
need for starching during spinning and weaving.
• Linen fabrics can be recycled into paper and
insulation materials for the car industry.

13. Evolution of Linen
Image 10 : Ancient Egyptians washing
flax for linen(Reign of King Tut 1332
BC – 1323 BC)
www.decktowel.com
Image 11 : White linen shirt with a
low-neckband embroidered in
crimson silk (1560-1580)

14. Image 12 :
•A full ruff of very fine linen
(1620-1630)
•Linen coif embroidered with
silk(1610-20)
Image 13 :
•Boy's coat and waistcoat, 1762-1764
(Hand-made of hand woven wool, silk
and linen fabrics, plain weave, hand
embroidered with silk thread).
•18th century linen and silk baby slippers
edged with a ruffle of hand tatted lace,
lined with white silk with pink silk bows.
http://www.pinterest.com/lolakrmpotic/vintage-fashion/

15. Image 14 : Ottoman period
Turkish embroidered linen
silver sash towel dates from
the late 1800s.
http://www.1860-1960.com/xa4659p0.html
Image 15 : American
Embroidered Linen Shirt
and Natural Linen Skirt
(1900)
https://sites.google.com/site/100cottontablecloth/li
nen-suit-separates-linen-suit

16. Image 16 : Van Heusen Men’s
Fashion Week 2010 collection
by Samant Chauhan
Image 17 : Nadine Mneimneh fall winter
collection 2012-2013
http://www.flip-zone.net/fashion/ready-to-
wear/independant-designers/nadine-mneimneh-
3084fashionethnographer.wordpress.com

17. • Image 18 : Missoni Menswear
collection 2014 At Milan
http://www.teampeterstigter.com/milan/missoni-
catwalk-fashion-show-milan-menswear-ss2014/
Image 19 : Nishat Eid Dresses
Collection 2014
http://www.chosefashion.com/nishat-summer-
wear-eid-collection-2014/

18. Cultivation conditions
• The major flax-producing countries are Canada,
USA and China, though there is also significant
production in India and throughout Europe.
• The soils most suitable for flax, besides
the alluvial kind, are deep loams, and containing
a large proportion of organic matter.
• Heavy clays are unsuitable, as are soils of
a gravelly or dry sandy nature. Farming flax
requires few fertilizers or pesticides.

19. Why is linen generally a more
expensive fabric?
• The plant (Flax) needs more nurturing, and
producing the relatively long fibers to make into
yarn and weave is a more difficult process than
cotton.
• The flax takes many more operatives and a much
longer time to obtain the same output as that of
cotton.
• Bleaching and dyeing processes of the fabric are
costly operations.

20. Linen in India
• In India, it is grown in regions of Bihar ,
Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh , Rajasthan.
• The cost of linen fabric ranges from Rs 600
to Rs 2500 per meter.
• Despite it being more expensive, the
demand for linen is increasing because it is
a natural fibre and it gives a better feel
when worn compared to cotton.
• In India , it is more in demand, especially
among people from the upper middle
class.
Image 20:
Linen shirt by
Allensolly
www.justdial.com

21. Raymond's Collection
• In this collection Linen is
blended with Wool to get
superior quality and amazing
comfort.
• The fabrics are in hues of
white and natural linen
shades.
Image 21
www.fibre2fashion.com

22. Linen Club
• Linen Club, a unit
of Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd,
is a leading player in
linen segment of the
global textile business.
• It produces apparels
using 100% pure
French and Belgian
fibres.
Image 22

23. http://www.linenclub.com/
Image 23
Image 24

24. Future Scope
• Clothes made from organic fabrics are easy to
maintain and clean.
• Despite of the low market share in clothing
industry of India, on an average organic clothes
demand is growing at the rate of 30% per year,
which is quite encouraging.

25. • Previously, people lacked awareness and the
linen fabric was not promoted so much as well.
• Designers are working towards making these
clothes more appealing, fashionable and
economical.
• Down the line, after some years people would be
spotted wearing trendy and stylish outfits made
up of linen.

26. References
• http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/eco-friendly-clothing.html
• http://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2012/01/linen-fiber-characteristics-of-
linen.html#ixzz3BD0WXRrT
• http://www.worldlinen.com/fabrics-eco.htm
• http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/pdffiles/organic-clothing-the-
latest-trend-in-
practice.pdf?pdfptoken=83211bad781c6f676b636477f40123211f69ff17
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flax
• http://www.dharmatrading.com/home/linen.html
• http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-linen.htm
• http://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2012/01/linen-fiber-characteristics-of-
linen.html#ixzz3BCzd3wsr
• http://www.textbooksonline.tn.nic.in/books/11/stdxi-voc-textiles-em.pdf
Books-
•Eco Fashion-Sass Brown
•Fabric Science-JJ Pizzuto
•Patterns of Fashion 4-Janet Arnold