Linen

Linen itself is ancient, spun from the flax plant since at least the time of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, but the linen saree is a newer addition to the Indian wardrobe rather than an old regional tradition, unlike the other weaves on this page. Indian linen sarees are woven, handloom or power loom, from flax yarn that is often imported, sometimes blended with cotton or silk to soften the drape.

Region: Not a traditional regional Indian weave; a more recent addition to the Indian saree wardrobe, woven and finished in various handloom and mill hubs across India

1. 01Flax stems are harvested and retted, soaked to loosen the fibre from the woody stalk, and the long bast fibres are separated and spun into yarn.
2. 02Linen yarn is traditionally processed in cooler, damper climates than most of India, which is part of why linen saree weaving arrived here more recently rather than developing as an old regional craft.
3. 03The yarn is woven on a handloom or power loom, sometimes blended with cotton or silk for a softer drape.

• Pure linen has a slightly rough, cool-to-the-touch hand and creases very easily; a saree that resists wrinkling almost entirely in a similar weight is more likely a linen-cotton or linen-synthetic blend.
• Look closely at the weave for linen's characteristic slubbed, slightly irregular yarn, similar in spirit to dupion silk's slubs but in a plant fibre.
• Ask directly whether it is pure linen, linen-cotton, or 'linen by cotton' (a cotton fabric finished to resemble linen), since all three are sold under the linen name at very different prices.

WEIGHT

Medium.

WARMTH

Cool; one of the better fabrics for genuinely hot weather.

BREATHABILITY

Excellent.

DRAPE

Falls with a slight stiffness rather than clinging, similar in spirit to cotton but with more body.

WRINKLING

Wrinkles very easily and visibly, one of the trade-offs for its coolness and strength.

Best season: Summer, its strongest season. Warm weather generally

WASHING

Hand wash or machine wash on a gentle cold cycle with a mild detergent.

IRONING

Iron while still slightly damp, on a medium heat setting, to smooth wrinkles without stressing the fibres. Avoid ironing bone-dry linen on high heat, which can weaken it over time.

STORAGE

Air dry away from direct sunlight, and store folded in cotton or muslin rather than plastic.

STAINS

Treat promptly with a mild detergent; linen generally tolerates a careful home wash better than silk does.

PERFUME AND DEODORANT

Linen is more forgiving of perfume and deodorant than silk or zari, but scenting skin before dressing is still the safer habit.

Linen's slight stiffness makes for clean, defined pleats; because it wrinkles visibly, expect the pallu and pleats to soften a little over a long day rather than staying knife-sharp.