Today, linen fabrics are available in many shades and hues but the colour that most allures in this fabric is the pristine white shade. White linen fabric has “cool” marked all over it. After all linen is a summer fabric, and what soothes the eyes more in the scorching heat of summer than a placid white dress or the perfect white shorts?

Yes white linen fabrics have that and a lot more to offer in terms of fashion. How about a summer loose, chic one cut dress softly caressing your body as you take a walk along the beach? Or perhaps a white casual shirt with rugged jeans as you set off for that summer sojourn. The possibilities are endless and the fashion quotient immense. Imagine a summer outdoor wedding in a white linen suit with a pastel silk shirt to add that touch of glamour. Doesn’t that bring up a vision of pure happiness, not to mention smart, savvy and uber cool look? That is what a white linen suit can do. It can turn the very normal and plain white into chic, smart and classy.

This brings us to the maintenance factor. Linen by its very nature of organic fabric is a little high on maintenance. The golden rule is- always wash, iron and then store linen. Follow the washing instructions that come attached with your purchase. If it says that the dress needs to be dry cleaned then get it dry cleaned. Choose a quality drycleaner, as the wrong mix of cleaning agents can mar your dress and cause white linen to quickly turn yellow.

Ideally white linen should be dry cleaned rather than washed with detergents as the latter can cause yellowing a fraying faster. Also remember to store linen dresses with as little creasing and folding as possible, especially if you are going to be storing it for a long time. That’s where, linen frays first at the folds where the fabric strands gets weak faster. Air them once in a while in case of long storage and avoid using synthetic bags, like plastic for wrapping your linen. Instead go for bags that are specially built to store linen, like jute or linen ones.