I'm asking because, although I wear linen at home when it's hot, I've never taken it on vacation because of the rumple factor. I hate to iron at home and would never, ever consider taking a travel iron with. Plus, the types of places we stay are unlikely to have irons for use even if I were so inclined to spend my vacation ironing.

I'm asking because we leave this week for Turkey. I anticipate some parts will be hot and I would be more comforable in linen than in the more synthetic ex-officio travel capris I typically take. I learned the hard way in Vietnam this winter that synthetic fabric travel apparel may look nice and fresh, but it is not as comfortable. So, I am considering taking a couple pairs of linen capris.

If you take linen clothes, do you just ignore the fact that they will look awful after being compressed in a suitcase, worn for days, and then handwashed in a hotel sink? Just curious. Thanks.

You know what? I don't even wear linen in "real life" anymore. Can't stand how it looks like a wrinkled mess the minute you do something like sit on a bus for 5 minutes.

I love linen and linen blends in the summer and always take at least one linen sundress and a pair of linen pants or capris. I'm not too concerned about the rumpled factor, but I do usually hang them up in the bathroom, run the shower on hot full tilt for a few minutes, and smooth them out with my hands/fingers. Works well enough for me (but mind you, I'm not aiming for that totally crisp look and would probably not wear those linens out for fine dining).

Yes I do. But they must be made in a very simple fashion so you can press them by sitting on them, don't laugh, I do that or drip dry them and "Press the seams with my hand.

I love linen in all neutral colours. I wear it wrinkled and I like the look especially at the beach.

Yes, I wear linen blends most of the summer. They look fine. Good linen blends don't wrinkle that badly.
I try to avoid seriouly dressy occasions in the summer so I don't have to fret over a few wrinkles.

Yes, I do, linen blends-and in Europe, you see a lot of linen being worn, by both men and women.

I like linen in the summer, too. I never iron it when I'm traveling, but I always pack a small spray bottle that I can fill with water.
I hang my wrinkled clothes up in the bathroom, spritz them with water, and the wrinkles come right out. If I'm in a hurry I blow the hairdryer on them for a minute. It really works!

I wear linen a lot and also some linen mixed with lycra (say 2%) which seems to solve the rumple factor

Have you tried linen blends, or silk blends?

I try to buy natural fibers when selecting all my clothing. Both linen and silk can be blended with cotton and it has less of a wrinkle factor. Luckily since Hollywood is finally on the green kick, more designers are using these materials and there are more designs to choose from now.


But I do have to admit, I bring along my travel size steamer (made in Italy)It is compact and all you do is add tap water. Looks like an iron but is a steamer.

I could never bother with a steamer or an iron on vacation (part of the reason I do not look as neat as I would like) but I do often take black linen pants and shirts...I pack them with tissue paper and do not worry about the inevitable wrinkles.

I thought at first this was the same thread I responded to the other week asking the same question. I too am a linen lover and always wear it when traveling during warm months. I use tissue or plastic bags (like you sometimes get in stores with a new purchase, or from the cleaners) to pack it, which does help. I don't mind pressing a few pieces with my travel steam iron when needed. Our internist (who is also a friend) is a linen lover and told me one day that linen is chic even when wrinkled! I have to agree.

Once the temperature hits 70, I am into linens. I think linen always looks chic, even when wrinkled. When packing, I use hangers and cover with dry cleaner's plastic bags and they always arrive relatively wrinkle-free.

julies, rolling the capris helps too.

no
why would you want to iron daily?
don't do it

I take linen blends - so the wrinkling is much less. And I do the hanging in the shower to minimize wrinkles. Also- cotton is very cool, either woven or knit - and wrinkles less.

(No ironing. If it's some sort of special event that I MUST be unwrinkled I have the hotel iron the outfit.)

Always travel with linen and NEVER iron. I would rather be comfortable than worry about some wrinkles!

I can't tell you how many European men and women I've seen walking around Paris and Rome, Germamy in the summer and spring in wrinkled linen suits and separates-no one seems to mind that much.

Hi julies, yes I do wear linen or linen blend both here at home where it gets very hot and on vacations when the weather is hot. I have linen clothes I have purchased is Italy and they are still beautiful. All of my friends in Italy wear linen and they just don't fuss about the wrinkles. I don't like synthetic materials so linen, cotton or silk is my preferance.

yes, i am also a linen lover, wearing linen shirt and linen socks in summer, never think about the wrinkle, just wear it!lol