Material girl - fabrics for life
Here in the UK, we are being promised a summer – at last! In fact, we’re being promised another scorcher. We are seeing the words “African plume” and the figures 35+ (degrees centigrade). And I don’t mind confessing I’m going through my wardrobe pulling out the items that will both keep me cool and give me sun protection.
I was brought up in a hot, dry country. My mother was a sewer, and the leftover fabrics she had from her frocks were generally enough to fashion me a matching cotton sundress. Cute, perhaps. But we are all more nuanced these days about protection from the elements, and so in roaring temperatures I look for clothing that’s light, breathable and that gives good body coverage.
My main go-tos are a couple of long-length lagen-look linen frocks (with pockets). And I don’t need to tell you where I got them!!! Absolutely fantastic on their own, and fabulous for evenings with a bomber, light shawl or oversized cotton shirt with tails tied at the bottom. (YouTube and Instagram give a lifetime’s worth of advice on how to tie shirts and shawls – believe me; Trash Chic provides the goods!)
Why linen, though? Isn’t it always creased? Does it ever obey even the hottest setting on an iron? I’ll let you into a secret: I don’t even TRY to iron mine. As soon as the creases are out, they’re back in again, then they drop out in the heat, then they appear when you sit down … get the picture? It’s a stubborn fibre and it can be difficult to weave, but it’s incredibly strong. Plus, in heat, it’s good at mopping up that unpleasant moisture (we’re talking perspiration here) and keeping you cool.
If you really can’t cope with the creases, though, a 100% cotton or lighter weight cotton muslin might also work for you. It probably won’t come as a surprise that the oldest pieces (we’re talking 3,000 years here) of men’s and women’s clothing found in hot climates are fashioned from white linen, cotton and muslin – not least because they reflect both the heat and the sun. I love the durability of these fabrics, too, and as with all natural fibres they go on and on and on and on – in a good way. And that’s a Trash Chic Fact!
Sure, other fabrics are available and modern wicking fibres are fantastic. But there’s something supremely classic about a natural option. So, here I am in my back garden in a linen skirt, a cotton shirt, a Panama (all preloved naturals), a pair of plimsols and an Agatha Christie novel. Oh … and heeding the immortal advice of Baz Lurhmann, I haven’t forgotten to cover the rest of my skin with sunscreen.
Sandra Stafford is a writer, editor and long-time Trash Chic customer. To view TC’s range of preloved clothing, return to the Shop.
