Air-Whipped Linen: What Makes it Special?

Breathable, durable, eczema-friendly, and sustainably made — these are a few of our favourite things about linen. We especially love how linen sheets soften with each wash, and can last for years to come with proper care.

We prolong the longevity of your linen by forgoing traditional production methods, which can put unnecessary stress on the fabric and shorten its lifespan. In lieu of stone-washing or chemical-washing, which are used to soften linen quickly for consumer use, we decided on air-whipping, which softens the fabric without compromising its durability.

Image c/o @annaalexia.

Here’s how air-whipping compares to traditional methods:

Linen is known for its durability. The biggest reason we chose to air-whip our linen is because this process is the least damaging to linen’s natural durability. Since the fabric is air-whipped before it is sewn, the process does not stress fabric seams, nor compromise its structural integrity.

When a fabric is stone-washed, it undergoes repeated stress through the pounding of the stones. This results in weakened and more winkled areas of the fabric, especially along the seams, which are already a natural stress point. And finally, although chemical-washing sheets are incredibly soft at first, the process uses harsh chemicals, which can compromise the long-term integrity of the fabric.

Pictured: Olive Green and Dusty Plum in French linen.

Out of the three washing methods, stone-washing uses the most amount of water — not only during the softening process, but also during a second round of washing to rinse off the stone remnants. Chemical washing uses less water, though the chemicals used to wash the linen pose environmental concerns.

Air-whipping uses no water at all during the ‘washing’ process, since the process only involves vigorous flapping.

Pictured: Nautical Blue and Cloudy Grey in French linen.

Air-whipping works by “flapping” the linen vigorously to yield a consistent, all-over softness. The process is similar to line-drying your sheets after they’ve been washed, only the air used is much stronger.

In comparison, stone-washing delivers a less consistent handfeel — this is because the stones beat and “wash” the fabric unevenly. As a result, some parts of the fabric will feel incredibly soft, while some parts remain coarser and stiffer.

Chemical-washing promises a more consistent handfeel. However, this softness doesn’t last as long since the chemical can run off after several washes, returning the fabric to flaxy stiffness. Since chemically washed sheets are often artificially softened by harsh chemicals, they may also not be suitable for those with skin sensitives and allergies.

Pictured: Cloudy Grey, Sage Green, and Blush Pink in French linen.