Recently, I was in conversation with a women visiting Schull Country Market about the health properties of Irish linen. She’d had a career in the textile industry and though now retired, was convinced of the health benefits of wearing natural fibre fabrics. On that day, she was wearing solely woollen clothing, but we had a deep conversation about linen, particularly, Irish linen. She reported that during the Crimea War nurses observed that wounds bound with linen healed more quickly than other kinds of dressings.

Flax, the plant from which linen comes, contains silicon dioxide, a natural chemical found in quartz, a very common mineral and itself considered by some to have healing properties. Silica inhibits the growth of bacteria or mold which could cause disease or infection and means linen is inherently antimicrobial, perhaps explaining why it can accelerate the healing process of wounds. Linen is used for bandages and suture thread to this day and even bed sores are reported to lessen if the patient sleeps on linen sheets. Florence Nightingale’s nurses wore linen aprons - the first PPE!

Historically, linen was used for undergarments for the practical reason that it protected outer garments from sweat and saved them from needing to be laundered frequently - if at all. Linen is ideally suited for wearing close to the skin as it is highly absorbent and wicks moisture away from the body, keeping us cool and feeling not so sweaty. Indeed, the word lingerie is derived from le lin, the French word for linen. Red petticoats were often worn by women as it was believed the colour red promoted good health. The cloth was likely dyed red with madder and in addition, I imagine it was a more practical colour than white for menstruating women. Keep an eye out for health promoting red linings in my dresses from now on!

Tamsin ✂️