[meleliza]

Like linen for summer and cord for fall etc? Obviously linen is good for summer, but would you wear it in the winter too? And while corduroy is so cuddly and warm and perfect for fall and winter, I could swear I’ve seen it recently creep up into summer wear. Is that weird? Or does any of this really matter? I mean I wouldn’t wear wool in the summer, really, because no matter how hard the stores insist that cashmere is year round, I hate being hot. But I’m wondering why shouldn’t I just wear linen right now if I like it?

[Tamara]

Linen as tops and shirts yes but depending on what your winter climate is, it could make things a bit cold.

In summer here you can get some rather cold breezy nights and so a nice cord jacket would be just the thing to take the chill away. But here where I am it is just way too hot to wear cord in summer – you hate being hot you say? You’d HATE being hot here!!!!

I hear what you say about cshmere and wool not really being for summer – although the sheep out the paddock swear by it lol! – the wool bit that is. It depends on how it is manufactured I gues as you can have some lovely wool/cotton blends that do well in summer. I personally prefer my wool in winter when I can cozy up at the bonfire at night when they are burning off.

I think lots of people break the “rules” I mean who made up the rules anyway? And since when do they dictate to us what fabric we can and cannot wear when?

I quite agree!

[Sarvi]

If you wear linen in winter you risk being ticketed by the fashion police, but otherwise, I imagine it’s just a question of what feels comfortable for the weather where you live. In my city, the weather is mild and dry year-round, with cooler mornings/evenings and warmer days. I wear linen in winter all the time. I sometimes feel a pang of envy for those in cooler climes around this time of year when all the photos of people in thick cardigans and long wool coats come out. They so nice and cozy.

[Violaisabelle]

I think linen fabric is my favourite fabric! I just purchased 4 meters of some lovely French linen, while visiting in Spain. The ladies were a little shocked I was asking for linen and they had to go upstairs to retrieve the fabric. 😉

I live where it can get very, very cold in the winter time and I still wear linen. I have a special petticoat/slip I wear when it’s really cold and it’s made from two layers of linen, with the lower portion of the slip, insulated and quilted with silk. It can get very warm to wear that slip, so I save it for the really cold days,such as -20 C and colder…which it almost was, yesterday. 😛

Linen is one of the oldest fabrics known to man. So many wonderful, wonderful things about linen. Over the years as I have studied historical sewing, I have found many reason to use linen in a year ’round wardrobe.

I have a few pieces of very finely woven wool undergarments that I wear both in the winter and the summer, but mostly in the summer. 🙂

I am not a big fan of following the ‘fashion rules’ as they tend to limit using good fabric and colours when I would like to use them. 😀

Carol

[JohannaO]

Business men and women around here (tropical climate) wear wool year round- we just vary the weight- summer weight vs. winter weight. So yes, I would wear wool year round. Tropical Wool also tends to be unlined, at least beyond mid-thigh to allow some of the breeze to flow. Cord for summer? Not on the kids. It’s just too hot. That stuff doesn’t breathe at all. Linen for the winter? Probably not for me or the kids, just because our winter wear tends to be more formal, and all of those wrinkles would bug me. If I was making a tunic to wear with some leggings for running about- sure. I have a linen tunic in the works for myself right now, as I’m a bit of a furnace at the moment, and probably won’t need a coat all winter. (We’re still wearing short sleeves and shorts) I do love silk no matter what the season, but I’ve not made any for the kids yet- need to sew up some more of what I have on hand before running to the silk shop. (I tend to think of silk as a summer fabric, but I know it also has great insulating properties.)

[meleliza]

Silk does keep you warm in the winter and cool in warmer weather, though I don’t like it in the dog days of summer. At the worst of the summer, which can be June through September here, I don’t like anything but cotton or linen. I don’t care what jcrew says – and I really love jcrew – wool is not a summer fabric. If I were sitting in an over air conditioned office all day, maybe, but I’m out on the playground, so no frickin way.

It’s a good point about the wrinkles. Maybe that’s why linen feels a bit strange to wear now. Fall clothes are nicer here too. After a long horrific summer, it’s nice to be able to even wear clothes. Still, most places are well heated these days, so lightweight layers isn’t a bad idea.

[Violaisabelle]

Re: linen and wrinkles. This information pertains to when I purchase the fabric, before making up the garments. I always wash the linen in hot water and put it in a hot dryer. I do this to soften up the linen. If the linen is still ‘stiff’ then I proceed to wash and dry again. I usually only have to do this process once, but I have done it up to three times, before I ever cut out the pattern. After the garment is made up, I wash in the wash be it cold or warm depending on the colour of the linen, then I hang dry it. I might, depending on the garment and time, toss it into the dryer for 3 minutes, just to heat it up, then take it out and hang it up to dry. When I do this, I almost never have to iron my garments. I might have to do the occasional iron touch up, but usually I don’t have to.

Another bonus to linen as a slip/petticoat or lining garments, is that I don’t have the static cling or shocks that I can get in my dry climate. My skirts and dresses don’t stick to my tights. 🙂 That is a huge bonus for me.

Carol