This post is written in partnership with Zappos x Perry Ellis. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Warmer weather is here. But that doesn’t mean you sacrifice style for function. You just have to make smarter choices when it comes to fabric. Let’s learn about linen, the summer fabric that will keep you cool during the summer.

WHAT IS LINEN?

Linen is a strong, lightweight fabric made from the flax plant. The word linen comes from the latin name for flax, linum usitatissimum. The word “linen” is related to the word “line” because the fabric threads are woven in a straight line.

You may have heard people talk about “linens.” It is still often used generically to describe a class of bed, bath, table and kitchen textile, though they are not always made out of linen fabric. The term “linens” can also refer to lightweight undergarments. However, we will talking about linen in terms of fabric for clothes, like on a shirt or a suit.

DID YOU KNOW? The material is also used for the inner layer of jackets, hence the name “lining.”

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF LINEN?

Use of linen dates back to ancient Mesopotamia. Some of the earliest uses for linen were as burial shrouds and wrappings for mummies—linen fabric has been found intact in tombs today, a testament to its durability. The ancient Egyptians were the first to mass-produce linen, where the textile was traded as currency among the wealthier Egyptians.

DID YOU KNOW? In ancient Egypt, linen was used for mummification and for burial shrouds. It was also worn as clothing on a daily basis; white linen was worn because of the extreme heat.

Even the Bible references linen—the Old Testament says that lay people are not to mix linen and wool (oops!), while the New Testament refers to angels who wear linen.

WHY SHOULD I WEAR LINEN?

There are lots of benefits to wearing linen. Firstly and most importantly, it’s breathable! Linen has greater breathability due to the smooth large fibers. Airflow passes over the fibers due to the slight stiffness of the linen fibers, when they are woven or knit there tends to be larger gaps between the yarn; this creates additional gaps for air flow making it an ideal fabric for clothing during the summer months.

Linen is not elastic. Linen does not have much stretch, though it does hold its shape very well and will not change size over multiple wears and washes.

Linen is soft. It even becomes softer the more often it is washed.

Linen is environmentally friendly. Linen is generally considered an eco-conscious fiber because it doesn’t take as much water and chemicals to produce as other fabrics.

Linen is also hypo-allergenic.

However, the only real downsides to consider about linen is that it wrinkles easily. Consider this a part of the style and embrace it!

STYLING LINEN

Now that we know what linen is, let me show you how to style it.

You know I rock suits all the time, and the summer is no reason to stop. That just means you have to be smart and pick up a linen suit. This jacket and pants are from Perry Ellis. Zappos has a great selection of pieces from the brand and at a great price for the summer. The color is a natural linen color, a very very very light brown. I paired this with a blue linen shirt. When wearing linen, try to keep everything linen! You can add a dark tie to make it dandy or unbutton a few buttons for an Italian vibe.

When wearing a linen suit like this, I recommend wearing no show socks or no socks at all with your shoes. The socks will take away from the summer aesthetic.

SHOP THE LOOK

Perry Ellis jacket, pants, shirt, Perry Ellis Portfolio belt

HOW TO CARE FOR LINEN

While linen is already soft and absorbent, with proper care, it becomes more so after each wash! Your linen suit should be dry cleaned if need but a linen shirt can be washed by hand or in the washing machine. If you opt to put it in the dryer, make sure to use a low heat. You should take it out of the dryer while it is still slightly damp to avoid wrinkles and stiffness, and hang it to dry. Should you need to iron a linen item, use high heat and some steam.

Hope to see you rocking linen this summer. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below!

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Thanks for reading and y’all stay dandy. -Diego Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more menswear inspiration.