From hippy-dippy to haute bohemian: how linen became cool again

Just like veganism, kale and crystals, linen is having a moment. A decade ago, this hippy-dippy quartet couldn’t have been further from the epitome of cool. They were too fusty and do-goody to carry any fashion kudos. Oh, how things have changed.

You know all about the former three’s rise, but the leap of linen may come as more of a shock. Every unlikely trend needs megawatt backers – hello, Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow – to make it happen, plus linen has some serious fashion credibility in its corner.

On the spring/summer 2018 catwalks, flax was used by Jonathan Anderson in both his Loewe and own-label collections – for tea towel-ish skirts, tabard tees and relaxed desert jackets. French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus suggested it could be sexy, with minidresses in scorched-earth hues; Michael Kors showed loosely draped long shirts; and Isabel Marant imbued linen with swagger, thanks to soft tailoring and ruffled blouses.

Embroidered blouse, ￡29.99 Zara. Long-line blazer, ￡190 Jigsaw

But back to real life, and the question remains – can linen ever swap its crumpled connotations for true chic? Many of today’s creations come in a cotton mix, which means you still get that natural look with a bit less creasing. Besides, any wrinkles will, for now, evoke extra haute bohemian authenticity.

Frame striped trousers, ￡242 Matches Fashion. Miguelina pleated skirt, ￡195, Net-a-Porter 

There are plenty of pieces landing in shops to capture the summer-is-coming optimism upon which this trend relies. Many come with a distinctly ‘picked this up on my gap year’ feel, like Frame’s tie-waisted striped trousers or Toast’s laid-back jumpsuit – both would ideally be worn with bare feet or, failing that, leather rope sandals. Jigsaw’s linen tailoring and Miguelina’s swishy skirt offer more polished iterations.

Patterned kimono, ￡69.99, H&M. Jumpsuit, ￡125, Toast

Once upon a time, Glastonbury’s Green Fields would have been the linen wearer’s natural habitat. Now the trend pervades Instagram’s impossibly beautiful traveller crew: look to Courtney Adamo or Lucy Williams for inspiration. Forget Veganuary, let’s give Linenpril a whirl.