Does Linen Stretch and Does Silk Crease?

Three hours at a desk settle more about a cloth than the label does. Linen comes out of them creased, silk with folds at the inside of the elbow, viscose stretched at the knee. It helps to know which fabric will let you down, and at what point in the day.

Which fabric creases the most?

Linen creases fastest, because its fibre is stiff and breaks rather than springing back, and silk follows close behind, folding wherever the body bends. Wool and knitwear barely have this problem, because the weave works like a spring and straightens itself.

In daylight linen shows every fold as a distinct shadow, and in movement the cloth rustles and stays bent until you smooth it with your hand. Silk behaves the other way round: the folds are subtle but harder to remove, because the fibre remembers the bend and returns to it every time you wear it.

Remember the order from most to least prone:

• Linen and linen blends. Creasing is a property, not a flaw in the making.
• Silk and viscose. They fold at the elbows, the knees and the waist.
• Cotton. It depends on the weave: dense poplin creases little, a loose one a great deal.
• Wool and knitwear. They return to shape on their own, after an hour on a hanger.

If you want a cloth that survives a day without adjusting, look at knitted pieces rather than flat weaves. Among the dresses the ones in crepe and dense viscose cause the least trouble.

Does linen stretch?

Linen barely stretches in wear, because the fibre has little elasticity, but it can pull out of shape when wet if you hang a piece to dry instead of drying it flat. That is the most common cause of lengthened sleeves in a linen shirt.

In the wash linen behaves predictably: it can shrink by two or three percent on first contact with warm water, and after that it holds its measurements. So always do the first wash at thirty degrees and check the measurements once dry, before you have sleeves or hems taken up. Pieces in linen and muslin are best dried flat and pressed while slightly damp.

Does viscose shrink in the wash?

Viscose shrinks the most of the common fabrics, by as much as five percent, because its fibre absorbs water and loses strength while it does. That is why wet viscose tears more easily than dry, and why it should never hang heavy with water.

The table shows how the fabrics behave in wear and after washing:

Viscose therefore asks for the lowest temperature and flat drying, and silk for the gentlest programme with no spin. With anything in viscose it is worth checking the length once a season, because the shrinking accumulates with every wash.

Which fabric pills the fastest?

Wool and blends containing acrylic pill fastest, because short fibres work their way out of the weave under friction and gather into bobbles. Linen and silk barely do it at all, their fibres being too long and too smooth.

The places always repeat: the sides at the height of a bag strap, the inner side of the sleeves and the back where you sit. Running a fabric shaver over them once every few washes is enough to keep a piece from the sweaters looking new. The denser the weave and the longer the fibre, the less often you need to do it. On wool it is ordinary maintenance rather than a fault.

What not to do with these fabrics

Five things ruin them fastest:

• Never dry linen or viscose on a hanger, because wet fibres pull out of shape under their own weight.
• Avoid spinning silk, since the folds set permanently in twisted cloth.
• Do not wash viscose warm, because it shrinks irreversibly and loses its softness.
• Do not press linen dry, because the folds get ironed in for good.
• Do not store silk folded into a square, because the shelf creases then show every time you wear it.

If you want the most forgiving cloths, reach for shirts in dense cotton or with a little elastane.

Frequently asked questions

Does silk crease in wear?

It creases wherever the body bends, at the elbows and the waist, though far less than linen. The folds drop out after a night on a hanger in a humid room.

Can you wear linen all day at work?

You can, if you accept that the creases will show after two hours, because that is the nature of the fibre. Blends of linen with viscose crease noticeably less and carry an office day better.

Which fabric creases least when travelling?

Knitwear and wool with a little elastic fibre come out best, because they return to shape once unpacked. Dense crepe also copes well, hiding folds within the weave. Pure linen matching sets travel worst, though in heat they win on comfort.

Does viscose pill?

It pills moderately, mainly in weaves with a short fibre and where it rubs against a bag. Washing in a mesh bag and drying flat slow the process noticeably.

Those three hours at a desk are the best test you can run before you buy. Check how the cloth behaves after you bend it in your hand, and choose knowingly instead of counting on the label to tell you everything.