Why Some Linen Sucks

[ad_1] Contemporary off the rack it seems like a sizzling climate improve, however just a few spins by way of the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, moist cardboard.

Impressed by a reader query by Zak, a Primer subscriber since 2017.

Linen is all the time described prefer it was elected summer time’s golden baby. Ethereal, cool, gentle, works with loafers, sneakers, below a go well with, at the same time as a go well with. Then you definately purchase an inexpensive shirt on sale, and after two wears the placket lays like the perimeters of lasagna noodles, the material looks like a loofah, and the entire thing seems such as you’ve been utilizing it as a seaside towel.

The reason is easy: linen is just not one factor. It’s many issues, and a few of them are horrible.

1. The fiber itself: lengthy vs. quick, wet-spun vs. dry-spun

Linen comes from flax, and mills divide it into the lengthy, shiny stuff known as line and the quick damaged bits known as tow. Line is powerful, easy, and able to be woven into material you may really get pleasure from touching. Tow is the unhappy leftovers: splintery, linty, and higher suited to stuffing a scarecrow.

Low cost shirts lean arduous on tow, which is why yours feels prefer it belongs within the store towels bin. Business definitions make it sound extra dignified, however primarily, tow is material mulch.

Spinning issues too. Moist spinning lengthy flax offers easy, advantageous yarns that glide on the pores and skin. Semi-wet or dry spinning quick fibers creates scratchy ropes you would use to tie down a canoe. And that distinction doesn’t ever wash out. Premium European mills, who personal the repute for good linen, nonetheless wet-spin long-line flax.

Manufacturers generally tout “European linen” which often means flax grown in Western Europe (France, Belgium, the Netherlands). These areas have the local weather and historical past for producing the world’s greatest long-line flax. It’s typically a very good signal, even with out paperwork. Certifications like Masters of Linen or European Flax exist, however they’re uncommon to see in regular shops Primer hyperlinks to; consider them as bonus credibility stamps for those who occur throughout them.

Different certs will seem equivalent to OEKO-TEX Customary 100 like on Quince’s linen shirt, however these are completely different: they affirm the material has been examined for dangerous chemical compounds, not that it’s gentle or sturdy. Good for peace of thoughts, however unrelated handy really feel.

It is potential to seek out 100% linen shirts at price range manufacturers, however for choices on the cheaper finish, I really desire a linen-cotton mix. The cotton takes away among the scratchiness and cussed creasing you get with low-grade linen, even for those who lose a little bit of the ethereal texture and drape.

<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1000" height="667" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=" http:="" alt="side by side of a linen cotton blend shirt and a 100 percent linen shirt" class="wp-image-66981" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend.jpg 1000w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-296x197.jpg 296w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-870x580.jpg 870w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-942x628.jpg 942w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-lazy-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend.jpg"/><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1000" height="667" src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend.jpg" alt="side by side of a linen cotton blend shirt and a 100 percent linen shirt" class="wp-image-66981" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend.jpg" srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend.jpg 1000w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-296x197.jpg 296w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-870x580.jpg 870w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-linen-vs-linen-cotton-blend-942x628.jpg 942w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px"/> Left: a 55% linen / 45% cotton mix. Proper: 100% high quality linen. Cotton smooths out the floor, reduces the unhealthy wrinkling discovered on cheaper linen, and makes the material really feel softer at the price of shedding a few of linen’s crisp texture.

So what to search for when purchasing? On a tag or product web page, “European linen” is value noting. In case you occur to see certifications like Masters of Linen, even higher, although unlikely. In individual, belief your arms: easy and silky often alerts long-line, wet-spun fiber, whereas tough and bristly factors to tow, dry-spun.

<img width="1000" height="1499" decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=" http:="" alt="daniel wearing a linen coat, shirt, and pants" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/linen-pants_1jpg.jpg" data-lazy-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/linen-pants_1jpg.jpg"/><img width="1000" height="1499" decoding="async" src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/linen-pants_1jpg.jpg" alt="daniel wearing a linen coat, shirt, and pants" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/linen-pants_1jpg.jpg"/> Our New Favourite Summer season Pants Can Be Worn As an alternative of Sweatpants or Gown Pants (?!)

2. Yarn engineering: depend, twist, and ply

Two shirts each say ‘100% linen.’ One feels gentle and drapes, the opposite can virtually get up by itself. That’s twist. Larger twist yarns are wound tighter, so the material seems stiffer and creases into sharp strains. Decrease twist yarns really feel smoother and fall into relaxed folds, just like the darker material within the picture.

<img decoding="async" width="1000" height="667" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=" http:="" alt="stiff linen next to soft linen" class="wp-image-66980" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen.jpg 1000w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-296x197.jpg 296w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-870x580.jpg 870w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-942x628.jpg 942w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-lazy-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen.jpg"/><img decoding="async" width="1000" height="667" src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen.jpg" alt="stiff linen next to soft linen" class="wp-image-66980" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen.jpg" srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen.jpg 1000w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-296x197.jpg 296w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-870x580.jpg 870w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-vs-linen-942x628.jpg 942w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px"/> Two variations of linen: one crisp and structured, the opposite softer with looser, pure draping folds. Similar fiber, completely different spin and weave.

However when low-cost shirts use quick tow fibers, it’s a special story: the creases set arduous and scratchy, much less gentle rumples and extra cardboard bends.

Then there’s ply. Singles are likely to torque, which implies your shirt spirals like soft-serve. 2-ply balances the yarn, and the material hangs the way in which a shirt ought to. Textile engineers have documented this in ways in which would bore you into an early nap.

So what to search for when purchasing? Most manufacturers gained’t point out twist, however “2-ply” will generally sneak into product copy the way in which “grass-fed” sneaks onto menus. In case you see it, that’s a inexperienced mild. In any other case, belief your arms: materials that really feel agency and papery are often excessive twist singles, whereas those who really feel smoother and loosen up in your grip are extra seemingly decrease twist or plied.

3. Weave and building: why some linen hangs superbly

Two levers: weave and canopy issue. A good plain weave feels crisp and stiff. A looser plain or a twill feels relaxed and swings higher. Fewer interlacings additionally imply the wrinkles look much less like origami disasters. In order for you flowy shirts, go unfastened or twill. In order for you collars that stand like little troopers, go tight. Researchers have complete charts on this.

So what to search for when purchasing? Maintain the shirt as much as mild. If the material seems dense and blocks most of it, anticipate crispness. In case you can see a little bit of daylight between the threads, it’s looser and can drape extra.

<img width="1000" height="1500" decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=" http:="" alt="andrew wearing linen shirt" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rakish-Summer_2.jpg" data-lazy-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rakish-Summer_2.jpg"/><img width="1000" height="1500" decoding="async" src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rakish-Summer_2.jpg" alt="andrew wearing linen shirt" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rakish-Summer_2.jpg"/> Reside Motion Getup: Golden Hour Linen

4. Ending and dyeing: the place loads of the “hand” comes from

Smooth linen isn't just good flax, it’s good chemistry. Amino-silicone softeners and enzymes strip away the fuzz and slick the floor. Garment dye applications and managed tumbles give that day-one softness, the way in which some denims come pre-faded for individuals who need the lived-in really feel on Day 1.

The draw back: anti-crease resins. They assist wrinkle restoration however depart material stiff, generally weak. In case your shirt feels prefer it’s been starched on the manufacturing unit and stays that means, you’ve in all probability bought resin within the combine or a synthetic-linen mix.

<img decoding="async" width="1000" height="922" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=" http:="" alt="close up of wrinkle free linen" class="wp-image-66982" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen.jpg 1000w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-768x708.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-600x553.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-629x580.jpg 629w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-681x628.jpg 681w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-lazy-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen.jpg"/><img decoding="async" width="1000" height="922" src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen.jpg" alt="close up of wrinkle free linen" class="wp-image-66982" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen.jpg" srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen.jpg 1000w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-768x708.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-600x553.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-629x580.jpg 629w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/close-up-of-wrinkle-free-linen-681x628.jpg 681w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px"/> Wrinkle-free blended linen: crisp and polished for workplace put on, nevertheless it skips the gentle drape and lived-in creases that make untreated linen stand out.

Wrinkle-free linen does have its place. In case you’re carrying a shirt for lengthy days at work, you get the breathability and lighter weight of linen with the smoother, extra polished floor that wrinkle-free manufacturing locks in. What you quit are the large, rolling creases and the drape that make good untreated linen look alive. It’s much less relaxed Mediterranean vacation, extra office-ready compromise that serves as a lighter various to an ordinary oxford material.

<img width="1322" height="1952" decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=" http:="" alt="andrew wearing a wrinkle free linen button up shirt" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Men-style-tan-shirt-black-pants_colors.jpg" data-lazy-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Men-style-tan-shirt-black-pants_colors.jpg"/><img width="1322" height="1952" decoding="async" src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Men-style-tan-shirt-black-pants_colors.jpg" alt="andrew wearing a wrinkle free linen button up shirt" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Men-style-tan-shirt-black-pants_colors.jpg"/> Wrinkle-Free Beige Linen Mix Shirt: Wills / Straight Match Black Denims: Amazon / Suede Chukkas: Clarks Desert Boots – from These 4 Outfit Concepts Present How Shade Blocking Makes Creating New Appears to be like Easy

So what to search for when purchasing? Scan product descriptions for “garment dyed,” “enzyme wash,” or “gentle wash.” These often imply softer linen from day one. If the tag brags about being “wrinkle resistant,” be ready for material to lack the softness and drape linen is thought for.

5. Make high quality: why your placket curls

<img decoding="async" width="1000" height="1232" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=" http:="" alt="curled placket on a linen shirt" class="wp-image-66983" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl.jpg 1000w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl-768x946.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl-600x739.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl-471x580.jpg 471w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl-510x628.jpg 510w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-lazy-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl.jpg"/><img decoding="async" width="1000" height="1232" src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl.jpg" alt="curled placket on a linen shirt" class="wp-image-66983" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl.jpg" srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl.jpg 1000w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl-768x946.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl-600x739.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl-471x580.jpg 471w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Placket-curl-510x628.jpg 510w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px"/> That potato chip placket often comes from a shirt that cuts corners.

We’ve talked in regards to the distinction higher yarn and weaving make, however how the shirt is definitely put collectively issues simply as a lot. What makes a nicer shirt completely different isn’t all the time apparent from the skin. Even with the identical sewn-on placket type, higher makers reduce on grain, sew with even pressure, and preshrink earlier than stitching, so the placket holds its form as an alternative of curling or twisting after just a few washes.

<img decoding="async" width="898" height="850" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=" http:="" alt="nice linen shirt placket sitting flat" class="wp-image-66988" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket.jpg 898w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket-768x727.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket-600x568.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket-613x580.jpg 613w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket-663x628.jpg 663w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px" data-lazy-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket.jpg"/><img decoding="async" width="898" height="850" src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket.jpg" alt="nice linen shirt placket sitting flat" class="wp-image-66988" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt="Fresh off the rack it looks like a hot weather upgrade, but a few spins through the washer and it hangs off your torso like wrinkly, wet cardboard." data-jpibfi-post-url="https://www.primermagazine.com/2025/learn/why-some-linen-sucks" data-jpibfi-post-title="Why Some Linen Sucks" data-jpibfi-src="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket.jpg" srcset="https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket.jpg 898w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket-768x727.jpg 768w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket-600x568.jpg 600w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket-613x580.jpg 613w, https://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/nice-linen-placket-663x628.jpg 663w" sizes="(max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px"/> A nicer linen shirt that also had a correctly flat placket after washing.

That more money often buys the works: long-line fiber, wet-spun yarn, intelligent yarn engineering, higher weave, softer ending, garment dyeing, and factories that truly verify their work. Search for phrases like wet-spun, 2-ply, garment dyed, or these European certifications. They’re breadcrumbs main away from shirts that really feel like sandpaper.

So what to search for when purchasing? Sadly (and clearly) dearer does not mechanically equate to high quality. Typically, manufacturers which might be identified to have a good high quality to cost ratio like J.Crew can often be trusted for his or her 100% linen. Sadly under that (Hole, Previous Navy, Uniqlo, and so forth.) and you are going to run into cheaper linen or blends.

The worth leap often covers issues you may generally spot within the description: “lengthy line,” “wet-spun,” “2-ply,” or “garment dyed.” These key phrases trace that you just’re getting smoother material, softer ending, and shirts that behave higher after a wash. The good transfer is shopping for from certainly one of these trusted high quality manufacturers when the linen is on sale. For that, ensure that to subscribe to Primer to remain updated on all of our deal protection.

7. Fixes for a cussed shirt

A heat iron, steam, and a press material will assist revive low-cost linen, however that turns into routine upkeep. It’s often extra time and price efficient to spend a bit of extra on a shirt that drapes properly and desires far much less fuss.