How to Wear a Linen Shirt?

Linen is an exquisite fabric. Made from the flax plant, this natural fibre is a godsend in the tropics. This ancient material is lightweight, breathable and absorbent and does wonders for keeping you cool in hot, humid weather. Unfortunately, when most people think of linen shirts they think of the billowing, shapeless styles sported in the 1980s.

So how do you tackle this wrinkle-prone, often naturally dyed fabric without looking to everyone like you got dressed in a fancy sack?

First, look for a slimmer fit and a shorter sleeve. While linen should give you more breathing room than a typical broadcloth shirt, you shouldn’t have it flapping about you as you stand in the breeze. Look for shirts that feature a slim cut through the torso and, if it the shirt is short-sleeved, make sure the sleeve ends near or at your bicep and not at your elbow. This will give you a much more structured look.

While linen is often white or ivory, that color on the average guy can bring to mind the covers of romance novels. Not necessarily a bad look, but it depends on the occasion. Luckily for you, linen now comes in a staggering range of colors. A deep navy, a subtle tie-dye or even a solid green can still keep you cool while not having you looking so much like Fabio.

Wondering if you’ve got to tuck or not? An ill-fitting shirt that runs long on you will do nothing for your style or sex appeal. A short, boxy cut shirt for casual wear is fine to let hang free. However, a slim-fit, long-sleeved shirt should be worn tucked into a pair of trousers or chinos for a more polished look.

Your linen shirt is supposed to have a rumpled appeal, but that doesn’t give you carte blanche to never wash it. In fact, you should launder your linen more often than not. Most linen needs a bit more love than your average pair of jeans, so if it isn’t dry-clean only, opt to wash it in a gentle, cold cycle with like colors.