Light Linen Dips: Orange Sherbet

Linen is one of the most loved fabrics in my wardrobe for this time of season. Despite linen's wrinkling characteristics or other reasons people may not admire its qualities it's still truly one of my favourite fabrics to work with amongst others. The coarseness, yet soft hand of the material exudes natural strength to me.

The flax bast fibre is quite versatile and lends itself to be very casual or as elegant as one wants it to be. Think about those art or home interior items you've seen, i.e., pillows, lamp shades, canvases, tablecloths, etc.

I've always adored linen because of its absorbent qualities, and certainly because its one natural fibre that doesn't bother any of my allergies by wearing. It's stronger than cotton and has a wearable comfort that's so unique and unlike any other material.

I remember when I was younger watching many females in my extended family wearing linen dresses, and suits in the humid climate. As a child, it all just seemed very cool to me ― touches of gold jewellery or worldly family heirlooms would become the special dressings to the outfits. But, in actuality the linen was initially worn because of its resilient attributes, as the heat is able to escape and provide a nice cooling breeze when worn.

I had a favourite pair of tan linen wide-legged trousers that I lost in a move when I was a teenager. But, I found this great linen blazer a few years ago at a secondhand shop in Sweden that I've only worn once to replace those beloved trousers. This caught my eye immediately ... it needed that special something! So, given the fact that I have several white blazers and jackets I decided to spice this one up with a dash of orange.

It's very easy to transform a garment and make it your style. For this, I simply did an acid (composite) dye job by dipping my blazer lying in a pool of colour. Of course, like any other dye you'll need to remove excess dye prior to wearing the garment. I wanted/needed a tangerine jacket, so I'm quite happy with the outcome. I even had time to dip some kerchiefs, but that's another story.

If you're a novice with dyeing I'd suggest using small remnants of fabric to start. Your clothing will definitely thank you later, otherwise give it a go and let your lively hues bring you joy!

Are you implementing colour into your wardrobe lately, or perhaps you're like me and love many hues!