Atelier notes — Care — 4 min
How to Care for a Linen Shirt So It Lasts Years
Linen improves with use. It softens, drapes better and keeps its colour for years — as long as it is not treated like cotton. Four habits cover almost everything.
Wash cool, wash gently
Cold or lukewarm water, up to 30 °C, on a gentle cycle. Hot water shrinks linen and dulls dyed pieces.
Use a mild detergent and skip bleach and fabric softener. Softener coats the fibre and removes exactly the crisp hand you paid for.
Never use a hot dryer
Heat is what breaks linen. Hang the shirt on a hanger while still damp and let it dry away from direct sun; the weight of the water pulls most creases out on its own.
If you must use a machine, use the lowest heat and remove the shirt while it is still slightly damp.
Iron damp, on the reverse
Iron while the shirt is still slightly damp, on medium heat with steam, working from the inside on coloured pieces so the surface keeps its matte finish.
Press the pleat panels along their existing lines and finish the collar last so it stays sharp.
Store on a hanger
Hang, do not fold, for anything you wear often — folded linen sets hard creases at the fold line. Give the shoulders room so the pleats do not compress.
For travel, roll the shirt rather than folding it, and hang it in a steamy bathroom on arrival for ten minutes.