Linen vs. cotton/linen blends

[Dewey]

What are the pros and cons of cotton/linen blends vs. pure linen? I am thinking about summer pants, but I also wonder about shirts and jackets.

 

[VMan]

Cotton/linen - a little softer, and won't wrinkle as much as pure linen.

 

[chorse123]

When it comes to shirts, I like the blend. It feels a little softer.

 

[Dewey]

Is cotton/linen always warmer, or does it depend on the weave and/or the quality of the cotton and the linen?

 

[0b5cur1ty]

I have a suit in cotton/linen blend and, compared to my only pure linen jacket, it's both softer and more resilient. Based on this (admittedly somewhat limited) experience; I'm a big fan of the blend.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Two different looks; both, vital for summer.

 

[David Hamilton]

You might consider a linen/wool blend if you're going for pants or a suit. For shirts, cotton/linen is great. it may wrinkle a bit much for my taste in pants/suits. sounds strange to get a wool blend in a summer suit but I had one made last year after seeing it in the Oxxford line and love it. The fabric i bought was from Loro Piana and I believe it actually has a small amount of cashmere as well. I realize that sounds really off in a summer suit but it works. I'm far from a woolen textiles expert so can't explain the principles just know that i love the results.

 

[Manton]

For shirts, linen-cotton is great. Pure linen is not bad, necessarily, but it is stiffer and also hard to find in really light weights. The thickness of most pure linen does not lend itself to dress shirtings well.

For jackets and trousers, I would go with pure linen all the time. Or cotton. One or the other. I'm not sure what would be the point of a blend for those garments.

 

[johnapril]

These cashmere silk blends for sportcoats seem very nice for spring.

 

[gumercindo]

Originally Posted by Manton

For shirts, linen-cotton is great. Pure linen is not bad, necessarily, but it is stiffer and also hard to find in really light weights. The thickness of most pure linen does not lend itself to dress shirtings well.

For jackets and trousers, I would go with pure linen all the time. Or cotton. One or the other. I'm not sure what would be the point of a blend for those garments.


Would a cotton/linen blend sportcoat/suit not wrinkle as much as a pure linen one?

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by gumercindo

Would a cotton/linen blend sportcoat/suit not wrinkle as much as a pure linen one?

Maybe not, but it would also be very light and wispy. Or, at least, that's the point of linen-cotton, to take some of the stiffness out of pure linen and enable the fabric to be woven at lighter weights.

Linen and cotton each have their own distinctive characteristics, and can work very well as a jacket or trousers. I see the point in blending for shirts; I don't see it for jackets and trousers. To me, pure linen or cotton is great for those. Wrinkling just comes with the territory.

 

[speedster.8]

Quote: Originally Posted by gumercindo Would a cotton/linen blend sportcoat/suit not wrinkle as much as a pure linen one? I have some Linens/sik (70/30 & 85/15) blend sports coats that I like a lot. And a wool/linen/silk (50/35/15) that I'm looking to replace. I find the silk to ad a much finer hand, I think the silk also reduces the creasing. As long as I avoid the "sheen" and "glow" of a pure silk I really like silk in a fabric, as it is such a long fiber it ads to the drape. As for summer shirts, I prefer cotton/linen for work shirts but like the pure Irish linen for casuals. fwiw Speed

 

[Manton]

I like pure linen for casual shirts, too, but I find the need to be cut a bit more full, like oxford, to be really comfortable.

 

[ld111134]

On a related topic, what's the seasonality of linen, cotton or cotton/linen blend suits, jackets and trousers? I live in Chicago so, unlike DC or the South, it will take a while before such garments are wearable from the standpoint of pure practicality. However, is there still a relatively "ironclad" rule that such fabrics should only be worn between Memorial Day and Labor Day (at least up in this region)? Excuse me if this topic's been already discussed as nauseum

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by ld111134

On a related topic, what's the seasonality of linen, cotton or cotton/linen blend However, is there still a relatively "ironclad" rule that such fabrics should only be worn between Memorial Day and Labor Day (at least up in this region)?

Not really. I think such date-bound strictures still apply to seersucker and white shoes, but that's about it.