On this week’s menu, we’re talking about the Trio Infernal, aka the 3 go-to summer fabrics to look out for when temperatures rise, the sun tries to overcompensate for our lack of Vitamin D and you feel like you’ve opened the gates to hell every time you open a window - in the best possible way, of course.
THE BREATHABLE HERO: LINEN
Starting off with the summer fabric of summer fabrics: linen! Praised for its durability and cooling effect, this natural fabric quickly absorbs any moisture while simultaneously being breathable like no other.
The downside? Due to its lack of elasticity, linen is prone to creasing quickly, so if you insist on a crisp look all throughout the day and plan on sitting a lot, linen is probably not the one for you. Instead, opt for a fabric mix that includes linen, giving you the benefits and the characteristic look of it, without the excessive creasing.
Best used: Linen is one of those fabrics that work just as well in dresses as they do it tops, blouses, trousers and everything in-between. Don’t believe us? Check it out in our Linen Edit.
THE COOLING SPECIALIST: SILK
Silk works all-year around, but the summer time is really when this natural protein fibre shines brightest. Not only is it synonymous with luxury, elegance and timelessness, but it also comes with a whole lot of other perks such as being remarkably strong (in fact, silk is considered one of the strongest natural fabrics in the world), breathable and hygroscopic, which is a very complicated word to say that it won’t give you that sticky, sweaty feeling when you’re running around in +35°C.
Alas, no one’s perfect - not even silk. While it is very strong, the shiny hero is pretty delicate when it comes to heat and sun, meaning that excessive UV-light exposure or prolonged exposure to high heat can not only discolour silk, but also make it more brittle. Other than that, make sure to never use bleach, enzymes, or any harsh alkalis, if you want your silk items to survive wash day.
Best used: Dresses, shirts, lingerie and accessories are absolute classics. Our favourite though? Silk bags, because - let’s be honest - everyone can tie a little silk scarf around their neck, but how many can flex with the fact that they have a woven silk bag hanging on their shoulder? If you want to be part of the exclusive squad, check out our most recent bag additions - we’ve got very few pieces left.
THE ALLROUNDER: COTTON
Is there a natural fabric that’s more famous than cotton? I don’t think so. And this allrounder deserves its notoriety, no questions asked. Not only is it very soft (softer than its pure linen counterpart), thermo-regulating and breathable, but it's also sturdy at the same time. Just like our two previous fabric presentations, cotton is very moisture-absorbent and skin-friendly.
There aren’t many negative things you can say about cotton as a fabric, but its production process allows for quite a bit of critique, amongst others because of the high water usage necessary to make the cotton crop grow, the heavy pesticide use and, through all of this, the resulting decrease of soil quality.
Best used: T-shirts, jeans, casual hoodies or sweatshirts are some of the most common categories where you find cotton on the tag, which doesn’t mean that the fabric can’t be bougie in its own right though! Enter our Open-Back Tie Blouses to prove our point - available in brown, beige and striped.
Whichever camp you fall into - team crease-and-proud linen, team silk-bag flex, or team famous cotton - the Trio Infernal has you covered from now until the last heatwave gives up.
