The history of linen and cotton

by | Oct 17, 2020 | Linen love, Textile history

Properties of linen and cotton

Cotton is considered by many to be the most comfortable natural fabric in the world, linen is also seen as a very refined and luxurious fabric. Both fabrics are made from natural raw fibers. Linen is made from the bark of the flax plant and cotton is made from the ripe cotton balls of the seeds of the cotton plant. This is also the main difference between these two substances.

Linen is a beautiful, strong and durable fabric made from the long fibers of the flax plant. Flax fiber is one of the strongest natural fibers. In the past, linen was also called ‘the iron yarn’. The fabric is so durable that linen tablecloths and napkins will last for generations.

Besides being very strong and durable, linen is also known for its flexibility and natural shine. Linen is still grown relatively often in Europe, especially in France, but the beautiful fields of flax are also popping up more and more in the Netherlands.

History of linen and cotton

Both fibers have been used for centuries. Cotton comes from the cotton plant and is only grown in tropical areas such as Central America. The oldest written source relates to Indian cotton from probably around 3000 BC. More than two thousand years later, the great Greek historian Herodotus wrote about Indian cotton: “There are trees there that grow in the wild, and the fruit thereof is a wool more beautiful and better than that of sheep. The Indians make their clothes from this tree wool. ”

Modern application of linen and cotton

We also love fabrics made from natural fibers. You can find an extensive range of linen and cotton fabrics in our webshop. However, we do pay attention to the environmental impact of our raw materials; our linen is unbleached and comes from European manufacturers, and for cotton we use recycled cotton fibers from European spinning mills. Take a look below for a selection of our range of linen and cotton fabrics: