Linen… I love linen. It’s not just the feel of it against my skin (though that is something by itself which can, and often does, cause me to wax lyrically) but every single thing about it.

My obsession with linen starts with the very word itself; the way it’s formed in the mouth, the way it’s twin syllables conspire together to tease and tantalize the tongue, teeth and tonsils. As a word, it comes perilously close to perfection; its flawlessly fluid combination of vowels and consonants an exemplary form of oratorical aerobic exercise.

Let us turn from my fixation with the word itself to that of the multifarious forms that its fibers are transformed into, from shirts to shorts, from singlets to suits and beyond. While many people shun linen for its reluctance to conform to the attentions of a hot iron, and its equally frustrating tendency to return to its natural creased and crumpled state, conversely I cherish those particular properties. Whether it’s the perverse pleasure that I take in trying to tame crinkled clothing with only the liberal application of elbow grease and extra-strong shots of steam to assist, or the anti-fashion fashion statement of the ‘morning after’ look (so different from the crisply starched and sharply-pressed lines of my normal, everyday attire), I’m not quite sure.

Either way, I find that I often can’t help myself when I come across a well-cut item of linen clothing by a favorite designer. I find my hands sliding southwards towards the deepest recesses of my pockets, seeking to give a purchasing opportunity to my flexible friends nestling therein. Over time, my wardrobe has become a shrine to all things made of natural fibers, be they trousers and shirts of the finest linen, colorful sweaters of wool and of mohair, and even boxer shorts of brightly colored silk (let’s not go there – suffice to say that I also wear a smile on my face when I wear them).

So… there it is… my confession… hanging my dirty washing out for all to see… hmm, seeing that we’re talking about natural fibers, you will make sure that you follow the care instructions, won’t you?
 

© Robert Ford 1999