Linen sarees

What it is and where it comes from

Linen is made from the long fibres inside the stem of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Flax is one of the oldest cultivated fibre crops in the world, but it grows best in cool, damp climates, so most of the world's flax comes from Europe, with France, Belgium and the Netherlands leading. India grows little flax for fibre, and much of the yarn used for Indian linen sarees is spun from imported flax or comes from mills that blend it. Linen is therefore a newer saree fibre in India than silk or cotton, though handloom weavers have taken it up with great skill.

How the cloth is made

Flax stems are pulled, then retted, which means soaking or dew-exposing them so the woody parts rot away from the fibre. They are then broken, scutched and combed, and the long fibres are spun into yarn, often wet to make it finer and smoother. Linen yarn has little stretch, so it is more fragile on the loom than cotton, and weavers sometimes keep the shed damp. The cloth can be woven plain, in checks, or with jacquard and dobby borders. Many Indian linen sarees are made with a silk or cotton border, and some use linen in the weft and cotton in the warp.

How it feels and falls

Linen feels crisp and cool on first touch and has a dry, slightly textured surface with tiny slubs in the yarn. It absorbs moisture quickly and dries fast, so it stays comfortable in humid heat. The drape is more structured than cotton, and the pleats stay sharp, which many wearers like for formal wear. It wrinkles easily, and the wrinkles are considered part of its natural look. With washing it softens considerably and becomes more fluid. Linen is strong, and it gets stronger when wet, so a good saree can last many years even with regular use.

Where in India and South Asia it is woven

Linen sarees are woven in West Bengal, especially around Phulia, Shantipur and Dhaniakhali, in Bihar and Jharkhand, in Tamil Nadu, and in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Bhagalpur, which is known for its silk, also weaves linen cloth. Many linen sarees are blended with cotton or silk for a softer feel, such as linen-cotton or linen-silk. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka use linen mostly in small quantities for garments and home textiles, and Pakistan imports some linen cloth. Indian designers have also revived the fibre for contemporary handloom and printed sarees.

How to tell the real thing

Pure linen has uneven, slubby threads, and the cloth looks slightly irregular when held up to light. It wrinkles quickly when crushed in the hand and the creases do not spring back. It feels cool and slightly dry, not slippery. Viscose and polyester that imitate linen are smoother and drape heavier. Check the label for the percentage, since many sarees sold as linen are in fact blends with cotton or viscose, and that is fine if the price matches. Linen has a lower sheen than silk, so a bright shine is a warning sign. A pure linen saree usually costs more than a similar cotton one.

Famous sarees and centres

• Bhagalpur linen: Linen cloth from the Bihar weaving town better known for silk.
• Bengal linen: Linen and linen-cotton sarees from Phulia, Shantipur and nearby.
• Linen-silk: A blend with a crisp body and a soft sheen, popular for festive days.
• Linen jamdani: Linen with woven jamdani-style motifs in the border or pallu.
• Linen with kantha: Plain linen decorated with Bengal's running-stitch embroidery.
• Tamil Nadu linen: Handloom linen blends woven in the cotton-weaving towns of the south.

Care

• Wash in cool or lukewarm water and do not use bleach.
• Dry in shade and avoid twisting the cloth hard.
• Iron while damp and on a high setting for a crisp finish.
• Fold along different lines each time to avoid permanent creases.

Sources and further reading

• Linen on Wikipedia
• Flax (Wikipedia)