If you’ve never tried or stuck to a small capsule wardrobe, then you’ve never watched your wardrobe degrade quickly from weekly wear and laundering. It’s very challenging to maintain the look of a small wardrobe. Shopping high quality pieces makes a huge difference, but distinguishing high quality clothing for your daily wardrobe can be challenging versus high quality pieces for special occasions.
I’ve predominately shopped consignment for my capsule wardrobes. I’ve messed up items in the laundry, and gotten tired of pieces after wearing them day in and day out. I knew I needed to do something dramatically different because shopping every season was time consuming, expensive, and surprisingly getting on my nerves.
The reason why you haven’t seen a Fall/Winter 2018 Capsule Wardrobe from me is because I decided to buy only linen garments and eliminate all synthetic fabrics.
After thrifting two linen skirts for My Spring/Summer 2019 Capsule Wardrobe, I noticed that European linen is much different than the basic linen garments I would traditionally see in American stores. European linen is much thicker and more beautiful in comparison. Both skirts in that capsule wardrobe were by the brand FLAX and made in Lithuania.
Sadly my organic pima cotton t-shirts stretched out, the organic knit top and skirt I made pilled, then I messed up two other pieces in the laundry from this previous capsule wardrobe. Six items in that wardrobe were linen pieces. I noticed that linen was very easy to care for while maintaining its shape. Only linen knits stretched out, but they still would return to their natural shape. I even stopped ironing both skirts and began to enjoy the wrinkles. Medium and heavy weight linen looks just fine to me with wrinkles.
Linen is considered to be the world’s strongest natural fiber.
Pure 100% linen which is made from flax…
- is 30% stronger than cotton
- keeps you cool in the summer and if layered unexpectedly warm in the winter
- is hypoallergenic
- is very breathable
- absorbs moisture easily and dries quickly
- uses less water and chemicals to manufacture
- gets softer with each wash
- is very comfortable
- lasts 2-3 decades versus cotton lasting only 3-5 years
After learning more about linen, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the most environmentally friendly fabric out of the bunch. There’s been a huge push for organic cotton, yet I’m now 100% sold on linen. If it is organic linen then even better!
100% linen garments tend to be more expensive than most other fabrics, yet it makes sense if they can last 2-3 decades and is slower to process than other fabrics.
Linen garments actually get better with wear if taken care of as the fabric becomes softer with each wash. I prefer machine washing my linen pieces in cold water on the delicate cycle then hanging to dry. Handwashing works great too. In the past, quality items in my closet needed to be dry cleaned. I honestly can’t be bothered.
The most fascinating discovery I learned about linen fabric is it’s high frequency.
I read an article about a Jewish doctor, Heidi Yellen, who studied the frequency of fabrics and how it relates to the body in 2003. A healthy body has a frequency of 100. Organic cotton also has a frequency of 100. Anything that compromises the body’s signature frequency of 100 puts unnecessary strain on the body. A diseased body has a frequency of 15. This is also the frequency of polyester, rayon, and even silk.
Both linen and wool have a frequency of 5000.
Although linen and wool have a frequency of 5000, if woven or worn together the high frequency of both fabrics were supposedly canceled out to zero. In Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:11 the Bible states not to mix linen and wool. (Please note that not mixing fabrics is one of the 613 laws of Moses and not required under the New Testament covenant. I also have not found any other studies about the frequency of fabrics. This is something I’d love to research more.) You can read the full article on this study here.
Slowly I’ve been investing in linen garments that I enjoy wearing for my daily lifestyle as I don’t want to wear anything else.
I find that medium and heavy weight linen are my favorite. I’ve been purchasing second hand linen pieces on EBay (some still unworn with tags) and also handmade on Etsy. The pieces from Etsy sellers can take up to four weeks to be made before shipping which encourages very intentional shopping.
This dramatic turn in creating capsule wardrobes will hopefully lead me to having a longer lasting wardrobe while also spending less on clothing throughout the year. At least this is my goal. I will also possibly go back to a year round capsule wardrobe. I truly enjoy knowing the benefits of wearing linen and experiencing how soft linen becomes overtime.
Are you a linen lover?
(Image by Dawn Michelle)
nofixedstars says
i am a huge lover of linen, yes! i wear it year-’round, layered with other linen items and wool, and it’s my favourite fibre. i also have only linen sheets on the beds, and i do believe they contribute to better sleep. i have mostly silk or linen in my wardrobe, with a few cotton garments like knitted shirts and leggings to layer under things or to wear for yoga. we even have linen hankies and table napkins. i am currently coveting a linen dressing gown…
i had long since concluded, as you say also, that linen wears better and longer than anything else. i wash mine in the machine on cold, and hang them to dry. hardly anything ever gets ironed. linen takes dye beautifully, so i have found that i can revive a garment i no longer like the colour of with a quick dye bath, and it’s like having a new item for the price of a dye packet. (or handful of simmered turmeric or alkanet…) sheets, particularly, just get smoother and lovelier with age and washing. there’s no contest between an old linen tablecloth and a cotton one, either; linen always looks better and drapes so beautifully.
my next linen purchase (not soon, but maybe late next year when the current ones are about worn out) will likely be linen bath towels. they are surprisingly absorbent once laundered a few times, and have a really nice feel to them, and also dry faster than cotton towelling.
like you, i have been switching to all-natural fabrics that don’t shed sketchy little plastic micro-fibres into the water, and can be composted at the end of their (long!) use-life. the frequency thing is interesting; i’d read references to this some years ago. i had my daughter in all natural fibre clothing and diapers as a baby and young child, and i swear that she slept better in the knitted woollen diapers covers than in the cotton ones with the waterproof layer. hmmmm…
post photos of your favourite new pieces sometime? i love seeing what you put together. 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi nofixedstars,
Thanks so much for sharing this! I knew I couldn’t be the only one wanting to wear linen year round. Slowly I will probably incorporate linen into our everyday life with items such as table napkins, bed linen, etc. I can definitely see how it would be worth the investment down the line. I will also share some of the pieces for my wardrobe when it all comes together. I hope all is well with you!
Amy says
I’m so interested in this new direction in your wardrobe! After having a linen dress one size larger that carried me through my pregnancy, I’ve really gotten interested in linen. And I’m with you on how fast capsule wardrobes wear out. Each trimester of my pregnancy and the fourth trimester (postpartum) required a new capsule from me because my body varied in proportion so radically each time, but each trimester also completely wore out too. Except that linen dress. I’d love to hear more about what you bought (also checked out linen etsy sellers but only got napkins so far) and how it went. Do you want to write about motherhood? As a new mom, I’d love to hear more about how minimalism and motherhood go together for you.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Amy,
Congratulations to you! I’m not sure how old your little one is but just know you are doing a great job. Motherhood is definitely the most difficult job I have ever done, but everyday I surprise myself on how much more I can do. It truly is a blessing.
I wish I had known about linen when I was pregnant. I feel you about the clothing wearing out so quickly. It made me feel like I didn’t choose the right pieces each capsule wardrobe. I also would be so disappointed with what I spent even if I was thrifting. It all adds up regardless. Your comment also sparked an idea about something to share with motherhood. Best wishes!
Angelica says
I have recently thought about incorporating linen into my wardrobe year round so I’m glad to see we’re on this journey together 🙂 I’m wondering if you’ve thought about wearing clothing made of hemp cloth along with or instead of linen?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Angelica,
Hemp is also a great fabric. I have been focusing more on linen, but I would definitely consider hemp. So far wearing linen year round has been a wonderful experience.
Cheryl says
Hello,
Thank you for this post. I have a quick question…Have you ever purchased linen sheets? If so where did you get it from? Thanks!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Cheryl,
I haven’t purchased linen sheets for my own bed as of yet. I’ve purchased linen sheets for my son’s bed from Life Giving Linen.
Sandy says
It’s been a while. But, I’m back.
I agree, Dawn. All my linen fabrics made it through many closet changes and I’ve
had them for years. Mostly tops and a couple of linen pants.
I have one issue though: it’s my mental conditioning. I came up when linen was the fabric for the warmer months. So I’m looking forward to how you wear linen when it’s cooler. It makes sense that you’d layer it. I’d love to see how you style linen.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Sandy,
It’s nice to hear from you. I hope everything is well. I know what you mean about the conditioning that linen is only for the summer. I felt the same way until I came across mid weight and heavy weight linen. The fabric is so different from the flimsy linen I was previously accustomed to.
Kiara says
Hi Dawn! Shalom Kiara here! I’m so happy to hear that you’re switching your wardrobe to 100% linen. That is awesome. I’ve been thinking of doing this myself. My husband made some linen garments a few months ago and he loves how it feels. He even made some boxers because we read somewhere that linen is suppose to be healing to the body. Please keep us posted with your outfits. I live in Maryland so idk how linen feels all year round, but I always come across linen pieces when I’m thrifting. Thank you for this. Stay blessed 😊
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Kiara,
I’m in the midst of fixing my sewing machine so I can make a few garments myself. Hopefully they will come out well. That is so awesome that your husband made a few garments himself. Yes definitely keep your eyes open when thrifting. I’ve found some great pieces on EBay too. I hope all is well and abundant blessings to you and your family!
Mallory says
Hello! Just found your website – great site! I also want to THANK YOU for keeping a minimalist website and avoiding ads, in-site pop-ups, and superfluous content. I love the information on so many websites, but unfortunately stop going to them when I get annoyed by unnecessary video/audio content, subscription requests, and ads that slow down my computer. The ability to click through your site without waiting literally minutes for a single page to fully load is rare and refreshing. Thank you! I will continue to follow your posts 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Mallory,
Thank you so much for your comment! I feel the same when I go to other sites which is why I don’t want readers to experience that when they come here. I wanted Minimalist Beauty to feel peaceful. Have a beautiful day!