How to wear linen without looking too rushed: tips from an expert

Q

uestion | Linen appears to be absolutely everywhere (yet again), and while I love the way it feels, I hate that it gets crushed almost as soon as you start moving about. But my daughter tells me this is not a problem and in fact, linen is meant to be crushed. Is that correct? – First Crush

Dear First

I’m probably in the minority here, but linen is not really for me. It looks grand on other people but on me, it looks sloppy and unfinished, as if I’ve attempted a viral #coastalgrandmother look but failed to quite pull off the full Diane Keaton. I suspect ironing has something to do with this.

So I called Sean Venturi, the owner of Venroy, an Australian resort-wear brand that uses a lot of linen, as does Venturi himself.

“You can definitely wear linen unironed,” says Venturi. “Crushed might be pushing it, though.”

The key, he says, is to find a balance – you will never have perfectly uncreased linen, but a small amount of lived-in crumple is to be expected. “You can minimise the chances of crushing by washing your linen on a cold, delicate cycle,” says Venturi. “Line dry only!”

When travelling, he says, fold linen clothes as simply as you can (in other words, with as few folds as possible). “When you reach your destination, hang them right away.” A handheld steamer is always a great travel companion.

Styling is the next trick, says Venturi. “You have to embrace the relaxed look. Looking like you’re relaxed and comfortable is really elegant.” Go for a looser fit, and opt for all-linen in a tonal palette.

“Lastly,” he adds, “footwear is critical. An elevated sandal or sneaker can make all the difference. No heels here – you want to look like you’re on holidays, even if you aren’t.”

Got a style question? Email our fashion editor at lauren.sams@afr.com.