Our Blog | Love Linen The Label — Love Linen
A Linen Dress is Just the Best
Quality linen will always be soft to touch even before a first wash.
All of our linens are chosen for their quality and softness and are already pre-softened and pre-shrunk. The beauty of linen is that it will never loose its shape - no other fabric does this! - making a well made linen garment even more favorable as an investment piece. You will never have your favourite piece loosing shape or shrinking!
Particularly in Australia - linens breathable and insulating properties are so well suited to our sometimes harsh and dramatically hot and cold climates. The ability to keep you cool during the warmer months and warmer during the cooler months makes linen one of the best tran-seasonal pieces on offer.
Linen is also fast drying so a splash of the ocean or a rushed clothes wash so you can wear your favourites again and again, linens advantage is that it is very fast drying - although be assured when washing it is best to dry inside or in the shade as to not damage the linen fibers.
Probably one of my absolute favourites, linen gets softer and silkier with each wash and wear - with time your love of your best linen dress just gets better and better!
An Expression of Within
Clothing - 'An expression of self'
Clothing is an expression of self and the future of the world you wish to live in, the future you wish to leave to your children...
My Journey Through a Love of Linen - Why we make limited styles
A focus on quality over quantity always. By only producing minimums, although this means our costs are higher, we are also valuing scarcity and a more sustainable approach very rare in the fashion industry. This also means true creativity, superior workmanship, quality and skills are valued and cherished as they once were many years ago.
As Founder & Designer it is important to me to maintain a constant, consistent contact through every stage of design and creation, right to the very end of fostering a genuine relationship one-on-one with fellow linen lovers and working with them to serve them as best I can.
We don't do 'latest drops'. We don't follow trends or seasonal 'fads'. Everything is created with pure, timeless intention to enjoy for many years to come, classical pieces for the curated and mindful of heart.
By choosing quality European linen and our limited, sustainable production model we are also minimising our impact. Honouring human life and our precious natural world goes hand in hand in this way. We honour the traditions and workmanship of old, as we honour the world's oldest natural fiber still loved and cherished today.
I think by doing the best we possibly can, we are honouring the wearer most of all x
It's Unreasonable To Segregate Women Into A Couple Of Sizing Categories
Love Yourself, Love Your Body, Love Your Size
"I love my body and care for her lovingly everyday. I am grateful for my healthy body and mind"
Self love does not always come easily, it is a journey and usually takes quiet some time. I have always struggled with body image and the perception that women need to be super slim and tiny to be beautiful. I'm a size 12. I often wear size 8 and 10 also and sizing of fashion has always confused me.
Through a love of linen our sizing is to Australian standards. I have found in truth however we are ALL different, it is not even reasonable to segregate female sizes into a couple of categories. We all have different bodies, shapes and sizes and areas which we like to hide or show and different styles which we know will suit our shape, and those that wont.
This consideration does actually make designing a challenge for we can't obviously please everyone with every style. It is however, for this reason many of our pieces are Free Size covering a particular range of sizes. Our ranges are for real women, our styles are all forgiving and not tight at all on the body, comfort and flow is of our highest priority. We have carefully created a relaxed fit while maintaining femininity and styling to keep a flattering shape, and we are always learning, love Helen - Founder and Designer xx
Hello from Helen - Founder & Designer
Hello 👋 FIRST TIME EVER from the Founder of Love LinenMy FIRST EVER live video 🙈🙈🙈 Well, it was live but I’m posting it now until I wait to long and chicken out 🐥 I will be doing more of these so please reach out, your support means everything to me, much love Helen - Founder & Designer 💜
Posted by Love Linen on Sunday, February 23, 2020
Have You Considered Wearing Nothing But Linen
Reasons To Fall In Love With The Worlds Best Natural Fiber
We seem to be on trend as the world catches on - again to how good quality linen just is
- The process to produce linen is earth friendly and natural, minimal to no water or pesticides is needed to harvest and minimal chemicals to extract the linen fibers from the flax plant is needed
- Linen is arguably the most sustainable natural fiber in this way, being made from a plant also makes it eco-friendly and 100% biodegradable
- Linen cloth has a very long life, linen is well known to be more than 3 times stronger than cotton, it is also a more structurally sound fiber which means it does not loose shape and is more resistant to abrasions
- Linen gets better with every wash, unlike most other fibers which deteriorate linen remains strong and gets softer and silkier with time
- Linen is known to be the go to summer material, but this works both ways as it is a natural insulator which means due to the natural ability of its fibers, linen keeps you cool when its hot and warm when its cold, it is one of, or if not the best natural fiber to regulate your natural body temperature
- Wearing linen makes you stand out in the crowd, linen lovers are known to appreciate a more natural and conscious way of life and well as appreciating a healthier way of living
- Linen is easy to wear for all occasions, it is not hard to let linen take over your wardrobe, an investment worth savoring for many years to come
Behind The Seams
The Lifetime of a Design
At Love Linen we do everything with love and much time, energy and care goes into everything we do.
We are only small and we only make a few. We are accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia and we are proudly Australian made, owned and operated.
Each design we hand make in our sewing studio in Broome before is goes to our digital pattern makers. This process alone can take months! Our amazing manufacturer specialises in short runs which means we only produce around 10 - 20 of each design in a carefully chosen linen fabric.
Quality over quantity is what we are passionate about. We also love producing linen clothing of true style and classic design that you wont see everywhere else. Our designs are unique and limited which make them extra special.
Although we have many designs sketched - some on paper - many in the mind - we are only a small business and our aim is to grow sustain-ably with our beautiful linen lovers into the future. We wish we could give you it all at once but where is the fun in that! So much happens in the design stage and we even surprise ourselves sometimes!
If you are reading this, thank you for being part of our journey. Your support and appreciation means the world to us X
Introducing the new Chloe and Belle Dress in Silver Fawn
Meet our Treasured Chloe
Our treasured Chloe shirt dress is a wonderful classic staple that has been created with much care. Carefully tailored around the waist it remains a relaxed fit although styled to keep a flattering shape. Adjustable sleeves, chest pockets and side hand pockets are just some of the added features bringing this dress next level, and who doesn't love a dress with pockets!
Lovingly brought to you from Broome this dress is great for any occasion; corporate dress, evening dress, everyday dress or stylish holiday essential
* Quality linen fabric keeps you cool all day long no matter how hot your day gets
* Linen gets softer, silkier and more beautiful with every wash, look forever stunning in this dress
* Gorgeous quality and tailored design this dress stands out in the crowd
Meet our Stunning Belle
Absolute elegance and comfort is our Belle dress with beautiful tiered styling and a stunning open back. An apron style dress brought to another level, you will never want to part with our Belle. This stunning crinkle linen adds to the beauty of this dress and its layering, it also has the ability to not be ironed, the crinkle becomes a gorgeous feature.
Our stunning Belle is a Broome favorite and we live in it all year long, only to be complimented everywhere. Take a loving piece of Broome with you always and make sure you take her for a spin x
* Quality linen fabric keeps you cool all day long no matter how hot your day gets
* Linen gets softer, silkier and more beautiful with every wash, look forever stunning in this dress
* Stunning tiered styling makes this dress flattering to every body shape
It's a Resort Life in Broome
Introducing our newest retail space
This stunning boutique resort is perfect for any luxury getaway, and very exciting, they are just newly Broome's premier adults only escape! A true favourite of ours, their award winning restaurant La Perle (formerly The Deck) is also a must when in Broome... their cocktails by the pool - also amazing...
Our unique Broome resort style clothing features perfectly in this location and we feel so lucky to be exclusively represented in our home town where all of our inspiration comes from. As you know Broome is a renowned tourist destination and this years season 2019 is well underway. We know it will be amazing and we hope all of our wonderful visitors do not miss out on visiting Kimberley Sands - up there in the best of Broome!
Who Made My Clothes?
Proudly part of the Fashion Revolution
This week is Fashion Revolution week, held from the 23rd-29th of April. This week marks the 6th anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed 1,138 people and injured many more in 2013.
We are encouraging millions now to ask brands #whomademyclothes and demand greater transparency in the fashion supply chain. This revolution is a global movement calling for greater sustainability and ethics within the fashion industry which is renowned for the exploitation of human and natural resources.
Part of our passion is this movement which encourages more sustainability to change the way our clothes are sourced, produced and purchased, and ensuring #whomademyclothes are subject to a fair wages and safe working conditions.
The fashion industry is rife with fast fashion following short term fashion trends at super-low prices. We have to consider the real cost of this out-ways a cheap price tag. Decide which you are supporting every purchase you make. Quality over quantity is key here, having a high quality wardrobe that not only looks amazing, it will not fall apart after a few washes and you will not be contributing to the masses of landfill and subjecting people to unfair working conditions.
Shop local, shop small business and ask #whomademyclothes?
Create Everything With Love
Small Business Keeping It Real
Small business is not all daisies and roses. As any enrapture will tell you it takes a lot of guts to get out and live your dream. Love Linen is not currently my full time occupation. (Although it does occupy my mind 100% of the time!)
I also run a healing massage therapy from my beautiful home in Broome. I am very lucky to be able to do something I can run from home, allowing the flexibility of still working on my dream of Love Linen. I also even dabble with natural holistic therapies and skin care products using Aloe Vera which I am also so so passionate about. Everything in nature and provided by nature never ceases to amaze me! Ha and you probably guessed, linen also being one of them - YES!
It is challenging in this day in age to separate yourself and follow your own path but, as soon as you do you know it's exactly where you are ment to be when your whole being resonates with passion. Passion is all you need to succeed. The universe provides all that we dare to believe is possible. I am truly grateful for my journey and I am keen to share this with you along the way. I will never forget the amazing people I have come across in these early stages who have inspired me and given me strength when we all have times when we doubt ourselves. So here's to keeping it real. Love what you do and do what you love, the rest I truly believe will all fall into place.
Much love and always gratitude to all those following my journey, thank you to each and every one of you.
Love Helen X
The Minimalist Approach
What is a capsule wardrobe?
People tend to freak out when it comes to minimalism their belongings, most of all the dreaded overflowing wardrobe! It turns out though, little by little, clearing out and taking each item into serious consideration can lift that dreaded 'what to wear' burden from our everyday lives.
A capsule wardrobe is formulated via a few very simple considerations and has a minimalist approach.
- Quality over Quantity - what will last and stand the test of time
- Create YOUR own style - step away from fashion trends
- Pick your favorites - you will want to LOVE every item in your capsule wardrobe
- Plan your outfits - make sure each piece is pulling it's weight
- Trial your minimalist wardrobe to find out what your really need and love to wear, a good tip here is turning all your coat-hangers around the wrong way, after three months - see what you have worn and what you haven't. You don't have to buy a minimalist wardrobe, start with what you have and then moving forward, choose wisely with your purchases - shop ethical and sustainable.
How Sustainable is Linen?
The production of Linen
Linen, made from the flax plant is one of the most biodegradable and stylish fabrics in fashion history and still loved today. It is the strongest natural fibre, naturally moth resistant, and made from flax plant fibers, so when untreated (i.e. not dyed) it is fully biodegradable. It’s natural colours include ivory, ecru, tan and grey.
Linen can withstand high temperatures – making the fabric generally perfect for our Australian climate or lounging on a tropical island. It absorbs moisture without holding bacteria. In fact, it is actually stronger when wet than dry and becomes softer and more pliable the more it is washed.
The flax plant itself is also extremely versatile. Every part of the flax plant has traditionally been used to create a worthwhile product – nothing is wasted and the production is cost effective and earth friendly. A common by-product of flax is Linseed Oil, which is great for wood preservation, especially in varnishes. Flax is resilient and can grow in poor soil, using far less water in its consumption than cotton. Research states that flax uses 13 times less pesticides than potatoes, but is only approximately 1% of the world’s apparel fiber consumption.
Because of the laborious time it takes to produce linen yarn, and the manual processes that have to be undertaken, linen has become a higher priced commodity, and considered among many to be a ‘luxury’ fabric.