Linen has a very high moisture absorbency rate, making it the ideal summer fabric for hot and humid climates. A fine Egyptian cotton bed sheet will start at about a 200 thread count, while a similar quality linen sheet will have a thread count of between 80 and 150. Linen is highly breathable, much more so than cotton due to its comparatively lower thread counts. Linen Versus Cotton – The Benefits Coolness These days, textiles account for the majority of linen grown, with clothing forming only a very small percentage, making a well-sourced and cared for linen shirt an all the more valuable addition to your wardrobe. Knowledge of the processes involved in making linen was eventually carried into southern Europe via the Phoenicians, but it was Belfast in Northern Ireland that became the linen hub of the world, producing almost all of the fabric during the Victorian era.īed linen was coveted by the upper classes for its cool and soft feeling against the skin, becoming a mark of wealth and social standing. There is evidence to suggest that a linen manufacturing industry was in operation in Egypt over 4,000 years ago. Linen is a natural fibre made from the stalks of the flax plant Linum usitatissimum.