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How do you care for linen shirts?

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#2 ·
I care for my linen shirts just like I care for my cotton shirts except that I iron my linen shirts at a higher temperature setting. I don't see why a commercial laundry would be any worse on a linen shirt than a cotton one, but I do know that having any shirt pressed with those big steam presses will shorten its lifespan considerably.
 
#3 ·
Interesting topic that happens to be on my mind right now..I have a couple of T&A linen shirts- they recommend drycleaning. Issue is my regular dry cleaner- PArkway in Bethesda- charges $40 (not a typo) to dryclean and press a linen shirt, as I discovered to my shock! So now i am taking my linen shirts to my neighbourhood drycleaner.
 
#6 ·
bespoke therapy said:
Interesting topic that happens to be on my mind right now..I have a couple of T&A linen shirts- they recommend drycleaning. Issue is my regular dry cleaner- PArkway in Bethesda- charges $40 (not a typo) to dryclean and press a linen shirt, as I discovered to my shock! So now i am taking my linen shirts to my neighbourhood drycleaner.
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$40 for a shirt is positively shocking. My dry cleaner charges over twice as much for a linen shirt than for cotton, but still, it comes to $4.50 and $2, respectively.
 
#7 ·
Mahler said:
$40 for a shirt is positively shocking. My dry cleaner charges over twice as much for a linen shirt than for cotton, but still, it comes to $4.50 and $2, respectively.
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Please...dont rub it in- I use Parkway because they hand press my suits- and, obviously, handing over my linen shirts to the same guys was economically stupid...
 
#8 ·
I personally have never understood why everyone treats linens as so delicate. I find that my linen shirts usually outlast my cotton ones and with no additional care (other than a hotter iron). I regularly even toss the ones that suggest dry cleaning in the washer and dryer at home and have never had an problem.
 
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#10 ·
I have a linen shirt that my mother gave me not long before she died in 1996--maybe a year or two earlier at most. I too have always had it laundered the same as my cotton shirts. It still looks in pristine condition after maybe 70 or 80 wearings and launderings.
 
#12 ·
I wash mine in the machine and dry them as well...since linen is a casual material and since it looks great less than pressed I only touch them up when needed and linen is my preferred shirt on weekends in summer (pants too for that matter)
 
#14 ·
zegnamtl said:
jcusey,

Last year I decided to stop using outside care for my shirts and bought a new iron. The iron places linen at one notch below cotton on it's recommended settings.

Can you enlighten me please, why do you and others go a notch hotter?
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I confess, I have no superior knowledge to you. It's just that my iron has linen one notch higher than cotton. Where's Kabbaz or Shirtmaven when you need them?
 
#15 ·
But is there any way to iron them that will prevent the bagging and sagging that seems to happen while being worn? I own a Luciano Barbera linen shirt which, an hour after I've put it on, succumbs to the force of gravity, leaving me feeling that I'm dragging potato sacks, esp the sleeves and waist area. Consequently I rarely wear it. Tips?
 
#16 ·
bespoke therapy said:
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Please...dont rub it in- I use Parkway because they hand press my suits- and, obviously, handing over my linen shirts to the same guys was economically stupid...
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This rather begs the question, what do they charge to hand press a suit ? Even more, what about a linen suit ? :eek:
Perhaps this is a uniquely US thing, I've never had a dry cleaner charge more for linen. Silk, leather or a heavy tartan sure, but never something like a simple shirt. Of course, I've yet to find a dry cleaner who can do a half decent job anyway so I guess it's a moot point at best !
 
#18 ·
Linen is usually not Sanforized. This is the process of controlling shrinkage.
Linen weaves are not woven as tightly as cotton shirting.

Hence there is the chance of shrinkage in the laundry process. Dry cleaning controls the shrinkage in Linen.
Many linen shirts are cut fuller then cotton shirts to allow for shrinkage.

I prefer to prewash and dry in a dryer Linen fabrics before cutting.
Linen is best when washed and not dry cleaned. It is a very strong fiber. I have some shirts that I have had for close to 10 years. Of course they are only worn in the summer or on winter vacations in a tropical climate.

I just hand over my shirts to my usual cleaner and have them care for them the same way they do for my cotton shirts.

Carl
 
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