The right material plays a significant role in finding the best, most suitable clothing. Every choice is can be influenced by the climate, season, and many different personal preferences, but when it comes to finding the most comfortable, universal clothes, the list narrows down to two fabrics – Linen and cotton.
Cotton is a natural fiber that is most commonly used in the production of textiles. It grows in a ball around the seeds of the cotton plant. The amount of products today is astounding. Cutting-edge machinery and various technological improvements, allows farmers to grow cotton more efficiently, which resulted in low prices and an abundance of cotton clothing.
Linen fabric is made from the fibers that grow inside of the stalks of the flax plant, one of the oldest cultivated plants in recorded history. Growth of flax requires little watering or attention during its growing season. Flax has been cultivated for its remarkable fiber, linen, for thousands of years. It has many great, unique qualities that are superior to cotton, but such clothing is more expensive.
Both of these materials have many tremendous qualities which make them perfect for producing incredible clothing. But when it comes to making the ultimate choice, which one should you choose – cotton or linen clothing?
The best way to evaluate these two natural fibers is by comparing them in a few key categories, listed below.
Source: thespruce
Strength and durability
Linen is the world’s strongest natural fiber. Its durability is one of the reasons why it has been worn and respected for millennia. The fact that it is used to strengthen paper money is one of many great examples of why linen is so useful and beneficial. It is thicker than cotton and its fiber has different lengths. This composition of the fabric makes it very strong and durable. The longevity is incredible.
Cotton is a moderately strong fiber. The strength of wet cotton is about 20% higher than dry strength, and cotton does not stress easily. It gets its strength through spinning multiple fibers into yarn and weaving it into the fabric.
After comparing the strength and durability of these two fabrics, it is safe to say that linen has a comfortable lead in this category.
How it feels to touch the fabric
Linen is known to have a slightly rough, crispy texture. It becomes more supple with handling. Some people might get discouraged by the initial roughness of the fabric, but luckily, it becomes softer with time, which is another attribute to its remarkable longevity.
Cotton has an amazing combination of both softness and resilience. Such clothing is very soft. No other natural fiber comes close to the comfort you’ll get from wearing cotton clothing. Taken this into account, it should come as no surprise that it is the most popular natural fiber.
Both of them have a tendency to get wrinkly, but this problem is far more noticeable with linen. Linen fibers crease very easily, but the wrinkles become smoother and not as apparent with time.
Unique features of linen make it smoother through handling and use, but cotton offers us better, more consistent comfort.
Source: baltic-flax
Health benefits
When comparing different fabrics, it is very important to evaluate their interactivity with moisture. Linen is widely regarded for its incredible abilities to conduct heat and wick away moisture. Linen can gain 20% of its weight in moisture before feeling damp. These properties help to control your body temperature. Because linen gets rid of moisture extremely fast, it has the natural ability to control and prevent bacterial growth. Linen was worn and greatly respected in Ancient Egypt for its ability to repel bacteria. All these properties make linen perfect for the hotter climate and people with skin allergies.
Cotton can absorb more than a quarter of its weight in water. During cold months, warmth and comfort are two areas where cotton shows its superiority. On the other hand, linen is without a doubt a healthier fabric. With that being said, they both are quite remarkable in different segments, so the idea is to have both of them inside your closet. The beauty is how they complement each other and in several areas, cotton is a much better solution, while linen dominates in other areas.
In summary, each fiber has many amazing features, and putting one above the other is unfair. Although linen clothing seems to have more benefits, cotton clothes make up for their inferior qualities with lower prices and superior comfort. Both fabrics definitely deserve a place in your wardrobe. If you are interested in high-quality cotton and linen clothing, both can be found on the Offonclothing website. What are you waiting for? It is time to replace your old clothes and choose the one made out of these two materials. How many of your clothes currently are made out of these?
