Durable, practical and extremely beautiful, Irish Linen weaves an intricate pattern through our daily path in life. Linen was a mainstay of our ancestors' lives and will still be around for our children to enjoy. Linen surrounds the very necessities of life. Sleeping, eating, dressing and relaxing can all be made extra special by this most comfortable of fabrics.

Irish Linen is the ultimate summer fabric. Its absorbency and coolness keep the heat and humidity at bay, leaving the wearer cool and fresh. It has a style all of its own - chic yet comfortable, and suitable for any occasion. White or natural linen has a wonderful simplicity, but linen takes dye extremely well and is available in a multitude of colours from delicate pastels to vibrant brights.

Pure, classic linen will always have its place in the fashion world, but the development of new blends and finishes has extended the market for linen fabrics. Synthetic fibre blends can give good crease recovery, whilst blends with microfibres such as Tencel result in exciting new textures. Linen/silk and linen/mohair are luxurious natural blends, whilst linen/wool is great as a trans-seasonal fabric. A range of finishing techniques can either crisp up or soften a linen fabric, depending on the desired end look, and new easy-care treatments make linen fully launderable at home.

Sleep
Linen aids restful sleep. Linen sheets are the epitome of coolness and there is nothing to match the way they feel, thanks to linen's temperature-regulating properties. Linen breathes, just like skin. It can absorb up to 20% of its own weight in moisture, while still feeling dry to the touch. It feels as light as a feather on the body. In hot weather, it absorbs moisture and excessive heat, in cool weather it retains body heat. The perfect pampering product, linen is so healthy. It is anti-static, anallergic and can help soften and preserve the skin, due to its natural pH balance.

Eat
Linen performs equally well on the fine dining table and al fresco at picnics. Beautiful damask will absorb stains and release them like no other fabric. Linen napkins, glass cloths and teatowels are great for wrapping bread and other food to help keep it fresh.

Clean
Linen does not lint when drying dishes, so there are no nasty streaks or fabric left on glasses and delicate china. Linen teatowels are highly absorbent and also dry out very quickly making them the most practical of kitchen fabrics, and are available in a vast range of designs and colours. Linen also adds luxury to the bathroom, either as refined hand towels in a special huckaback weave, or as a coarse looped friction towel, which not only dries the skin very effectively but also invigorates it by stimulating the blood supply.

Relax
Linen adds finesse to all aspects of interior design. Durability combined with exceptional dimensional stability and colourfastness, makes it a firm favourite in practical households. Its lustrous sheen and texture also put it on top of the style list. Linen wafts and shimmers through our homes as the finest voiles but can also appear as the heaviest of luxurious drapes and upholstery.

Linen is also environmentally friendly. The production process from fibre to end product is monitored closely to ensure this. The whole flax crop is used - the leftover linseeds, oil, straw and fibre are used in everything from lino and soap to cattlefeed and paper. Waste is kept to a minimum during processing and the industry acts responsibly to ensure that all chemicals such as bleaches and dyes are treated fully before disposal.

Irish Linen is a wondrous fabric, touching every element of our lives. It is synonymous with elegance and comfort, and the longer it is worn the more beautiful it becomes. Linen is as appropriate today as it was for the Egyptians who first developed linen as a true lifestyle fabric. It has a staying power that is second to none, and is definitely one of life's best friends.