Why linen is special can be explained in multiple ways. So to explain why linen is special, I'll first walk you through the benefits of having linen, how to identify high quality linen, and how to find the best linen.
This talk has been a long-time coming. From the brand that's been making linen since 1854, we wanted to give our insight on this.
Benefits of Having Linen
Hypoallergenic
Friendly to All Skin Types (i.e. Sensitive Skin)
The worst thing that can happen to someone is being incompatible with something. We like to think we can match with anything. Sometimes that’s not the case. But when it comes to home items, it’s not usually us, its the item.
Sometimes the fabric causes us to get rashes, or it might irritate any existing skin conditions.
This is terrible when it comes to bed sheets, pillowcases, and even towels.
Luckily, the best fix for this is to go with linen. Since linen fibres are gentle on the skin and prevent dirt buildup, it's great for people with sensitive skin.
High quality linen is also widely known to be a natural fabric, meaning it doesn’t use chemicals or synthetics in it’s production. High quality linen makers know that it'll only damage the quality of the linen.
A natural made fabric makes it perfect for people who love their homes to be safe, stylish and comforting.
100% Linen Chambray Oxford Pillowcase
Breathable
Lightweight, But Just Enough To Make You Relax
One thing we all love? Comfort.
Our life gets busy fast. It's the little things that have the power to comfort us.
If the comfort isn’t there? Irritation erupts in our face, our mental space quickly collapses because the little things in our life aren’t doing their job such as our pillow cases and bed sheets feel too stuffy.
Especially when it comes to sleep, it’s important to make sure you can relax. One thing that stops our sleep from being amazing is our pillow cases, bed sheets, and duvet covers not comforting us.
When we say linen is breathable, we mean it’s light weight. It doesn’t feel heavy on you.
There’s a reason many luxury resorts and hotels love using linen. It’s better to sleep in, and increases your quality of sleep.
Linen being breathable lets proper airflow happen, which makes you feel fresher and improves your mood.
Temperature Regulated
You Can Keep Cool In The Hot Summer, and Warm In The Cold Winter
Do you know the time of year people blame the weather for feeling discomfort? It's summer.
In the winter, if you feel cold, you can just add more layers to feel warmer. If you get too warm? Take some layers off.
Summer isn’t the same. If you feel hot, you can wear less layers (i.e. just a shirt and shorts), but you can only go so far until you’re completely naked. If you’re in public, being naked might not be the best option.
That’s why it’s important for fabrics to be temperature regulated. Something that linen thrives in. Since the fibres of linen are from the flax plant, the structure of linen is made up of hollow fibres.
This hollow structure allows linen to work with your body instead of against it. Many fabrics lack this quality which is why linen is still so popular today.
Many fabrics like cotton can't do that. Once the fabric gets warm it stays like that. This only just makes you resort to flipping your pillow to get the cold side but that only helps so much. You shouldn't need to do that.
With linen, the fabrics work with your body, if the linen feels you’re warming up, it can cool down. If it feels cold, it can be warm. Linen is truly amazing.
Soft
A Fabric That Gets Softer With Every Wash And Doesn't Lose It's Quality
Duvet covers, blankets, bath towels, kitchen towels, even table cloths, what can make these items better? Making them soft.
Something having the quality of being soft allows you to instantly be relaxed. Relaxation should be the intent of your home. It’s a place where you have the most privacy in the world.
So when your most loved pieces are soft, it makes everything better.
Linen, when initially bought, may be seen as rougher than cotton in the beginning. But its important to emphasize: this is only in the beginning.
You don’t buy items to only throw them away a month later. You buy them so you can enjoy the high quality for as long as you can.
This is where linen shines. Sure, it may not be the softest in the beginning, but over time, it becomes much softer than cotton while also maintaining it’s strength.
This is because of it’s structure. The flax fibres that make linen will loosen slightly as it’s being washed. This loosening process allows it to still be strong, but get softer over time.
With each wash, linen (high quality linen) will only get softer. This is something almost no fabric like cotton or silk can do: get softer over time but still maintain it’s quality.
Longlasting
A Durable Fabric That Doesn't Start Tearing in Places Like The Corners
The worst type of item to buy is one that doesn’t last, even if they say they do. What’s worse is when you notice the quality of the item drop significantly but it’s been less than 6 months.
No one wants to deal with things such as a towel with a bunch of loose threads that feel rough on the skin. It’s 2025, we don’t have to do that anymore.
The best gifts to give your home are high quality items. The one place you spend so much time in should be somewhere that makes you love being there.
That doesn’t happen if the items like the table cloth you have your meals with guests with is filled with stains (which linen does a great job at preventing)
High quality linen can last you decades (like a tablecloth). But again, not only can it last you a long time, but it can maintain the quality it had even when you first used it. That means with a towel for example
- It’s still soft
- No pilling
- Makes you actually love using it
Antibacterial
Linen Stops Bacteria Buildup, Giving You A Cleaner Home
Bacteria. We always want to do everything we can to avoid the bad bacteria.
Bacteria can build up for many reason:
- Bacteria/sweat from your arms that are placed on the tablecloth
- Sweating on your bed
- Dirt from kitchen that you’re using your tea towel to wipe
Bacteria should be avoided in your home. No one wants a dirty home.
Since linen fibres can prevent bacteria from building up on the fabric, it makes it a perfect option for your home.
Where many fabrics trap bacteria deep within it, linen does a great job at preventing bacteria buildup. It’s also a big reason why it’s so good for sensitive skin types. It’s a clean fabric to use and it’s soft on the skin at the same time.
Moisture Wicking/Odour Resistant
Linen Stops Those Lingering Smell Your Nose Got Use To, But Guests Haven't
When looking at bacteria buildup, we need to also understand moisture buildup and odour.
The reason why odours occur is because of bacteria buildup, a huge reason why bacteria buildup occurs is because of moisture buildup (from things like sweat).
So it seems that if we’re able to stop moisture buildup, we stop bacteria buildup and therefore odour buildup.
You’ve already guessed by now but since linen is antibacterial (which means it can prevent moisture buildup), it also prevents odours from building up.
Our noses are very sensitive and when something doesn’t smell right, it throws our mood off completely. It makes you feel even worse when the item that smells is something you own, and other people can smell it too.
Linen stops moisture from sinking into the fabric by keeping it at the surface, ensuring that it can be eliminated quickly.
It’s also because linen prevents moisture buildup, that it’s also known to be quick drying. This is something other popular fabrics like cotton and silk cannot replicate.
Associated With Royalty
Linen Was Always Worn By Powerful Figures In History To Show High Status
Linen used to be a highly exclusive fabric and clothed the most powerful members of society.
- Great Pharaohs of Egypt clothed themselves in linen to show their high status
- Powerful Romans also wore linen to show their status to other people as well.
It was through trading that linen found its way from the Romans, to the British, and then eventually into the hands of the Irish who revolutionized linen and quality of it.
Throughout multiple points in history, one thing was known amongst completely different cultures: Linen is high quality and it makes you feel good for having it.
In a time like the ancient Egyptian times where items and fabrics were scarce, it shows the quality of linen if people went out of their way to own it.
Environmentally Friendly
Every Piece of The Flax Plant Is Used, And No Chemicals are Involved
I was hinting at this one before but many fabrics today are made with chemicals and synthetics fibres. This is done so that companies can make their products a lot faster.
The issue here is they sacrifice quality for profit. In the long run, those products don't last as long as they should have and lose their quality fast.
For linen, it only includes taking a flax plant, extracting the fibres from it using water (where the water is not polluted in the process), and then taking those fibres and making it into the yarn that is used to thread the linen.
Its also worth pointing out that every part of the flax plant is used for something.
- Seeds used in paint or animal feed
- Shives used as animal bedding and even biofuel
- Leaves used for compost and enriching the soil
Linen is not only the better quality fabric to use, but it’s also the healthier one for the environment and your home.
Makes Your Food Taste Better?
High Quality Linen Tablecloth Helped Increase The Taste In Food
Stay with me here. I know it sounds weird but its true.
One study found that when in a nice and sophisticated environment, the food served was rated as tasting better.
Making your home look beautiful by furnishing it with high quality items can literally make your food taste better.
If you like cooking, invest in a high quality Irish linen tablecloth, napkins, and even runners and you can actually make your loved ones think your food tastes much better next time they come over.
Why is Linen Good For The Summer
Linen Makes Summer Refreshing Again By Cooling You But Also Giving You Style
Summer brings heat, humidity, and restless nights and linen is woven to solve those problems.
Unlike many fabrics that cling to your body and trap heat, linen’s hollow fibres let air move freely, keeping your body naturally cool. Every breeze feels cooler, and the fabric itself wipes away sweat almost instantly.
That’s why sleeping in linen sheets or using linen towels during summer feels different. You stay dry, and comfortable no matter how hot the day gets. Linen absorbs moisture, and dries fast, preventing that damp, heavy feeling you get from cotton or synthetics.
What makes linen especially great is its ability to regulate temperature. The same fabric that cools you on a hot summer night will also gently adjust when the evening breeze sets in. It works with you, so you're not constantly thinking about how to get comfortable
Beyond comfort, linen adds style to summer living. Its textured weave gives off that relaxed, airy feeling, perfectly matching the lightness of the season. From sheets to table linens, it creates an environment where summer feels refreshing again.
What Makes Linen Good Quality
High Quality Linen Signs
- Tight, Even Weave – The fabric looks consistent, strong, and elegant, often with a subtle sheen.
- Long Flax Fibers – These give it strength, smoothness, and the ability to last for decades.
- Softens With Time – High-quality linen becomes better and luxurious with each wash.
- Durable & Strong – Resists tearing, holds shape, and outlasts cotton by years.
- Rich Color Retention – Properly dyed linen maintains vibrant colors even after frequent washes.
- Natural Temperature Regulation – Feels cool in summer, warm in winter, and always breathable.
- Authenticity of Origin – Often made in historically skilled regions like Ireland, Belgium, or France, where craftsmanship is tied to heritage.
Low Quality Linen Signs
- Uneven Weave – Gaps, slubs, or inconsistent texture that feels rough instead of smooth.
- Short Fibers – The fabric pills quickly after a few washes, showing it was made with low-grade flax.
- Overly Stiff or Scratchy – Instead of softening with time, it feels harsh on the skin.
- Weak Durability – Threads loosen, edges fray, or seams tear after normal use.
- Excessive Wrinkling – While linen naturally wrinkles, low-quality linen won’t relax or drape nicely.
- Suspiciously Cheap Price – If it’s priced too low, it’s likely a blend or a cut-corner version marketed as “linen.”
Why Choosing a High-Quality Linen Brand Matters If You Want to See Why Linen Is Special
Not all linen is created equal. While the flax plant itself has above average natural qualities, the way it’s grown, harvested, and woven determines whether you end up with a truly premium fabric or something that disappoints after a few washes.
Low-quality linen feels rough, wears out quickly, and lose its charm.
High-quality linen, on the other hand, becomes softer with time, lasts for decades, and carries a finish that shows refinement.
Since 1854, Fergusons Irish Linen been more than just a linen producer, we’ve been guardians of a tradition.
Based in Ireland, Fergusons is one of the last creators of the rare and highly prized double damask linen, a craft that requires not just specialized Jacquard looms but also the skill and knowledge to operate them. Few in the world can claim that heritage, and fewer still can match the quality it produces.
Buying from Fergusons means investing in centuries of expertise, in fabrics trusted by royalty, and in products that give your home lasting elegance.
We've created multiple pieces of linen that our community loves. Come see what you like.
