Uber cool

Linen gives a suave look (TOI Photo)One metre linen costs around Rs 700. Find that shocking?
Don���t. Even in a consumer driven market such as ours, if linen is slightly over-priced, it is because it happens to be ���summer friendly��� and comfortable fabric, therefore much in demand.
Bangalore-based fashion expert Seema Kapoor says, ���Linen���s a green fabric made from flax fibres, the strongest of vegetable fibres.The broad weave of this natural fabric keeps one airy and thus comfortable. But it has been confused with fabrics made from cotton and other plant fibres. The problem is that it looks similar to cotton and is priced very high. For people who don���t know, it���s cotton at the price of silk.���
Linen ranges from being rough to smooth. One doesn���t really know how to judge the cloth. Much about linen is unknown and yet it is revered. Nirav Mehta from Ahmedabad says, ���I have seen a lot of Kathiawadi men in Saurashtra wear it, but I am not sure whether it is linen.���
An aura of mystery surrounds the fabric in spite of its long history. Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light, purity and a display of wealth. The word linen does ring a bell for Snehal Parikh, a professional from Surat, ���I remember my grandparents wearing linen.���
The experience of wearing linen is unmatched. It has a classy and stylish look. Neha Jain from Surat says, ���I have skirts and trousers made of linen. They look extremely good but need high maintenance. Linen gets wrinkled very easily. It takes shapes of elbows and knees and does not spring back to its original shape. Also the anti-fit, though very good for summers, doesn���t go well all the time. Since the Indian body type is curvy, linen doesn���t accentuate the shape.��� Opines Sujoy Mukherjee, a Mumbai-based garments exporter, ���The beauty of linen lies in its comfortable fit; it does not cling to the skin. It also has good perspiration absorption capacity and a natural lusture. It suits Indian weather conditions.���
Another attribute of the fabric is its purity. Manju Sharma, a homemaker from Vadodara, who also practises Buddhism, says, ���My first thought associated with linen is peace of mind. It is pristine and calms your mind. It doesn���t interfere with me when I am wearing it���.
Linen stands tall against all its odds. It is one fabric that itself spells style and elegance. It needs no fancy embellishments or cuts. It gives a suave look any which way. So go ahead and indulge in the best this season.