How linen has transformed from frumpy to luxe Once a renowned for being hippy-dippy and prone to creasing, linen has had a chic makeover 28 July 2021 • 5:00am Blue shirt, £89 and shorts, £79, both Whistles My perception of linen five years ago was that it was, well, a bit frumpy. It seemed to mostly be used for those very unflattering trousers which became wrinkled the moment they came within five metres of a chair and/ or humidity, plus they had a particularly bad habit of giving their wearers a wrinkly camel toe. My perception of linen in summer 2021? It’s all I want to wear. One of the few things I bought this summer was an airy white linen Massimo Dutti dress which I slip on the minute it’s out of the wash. It feels elegant yet low-key and fuss-free. And I find that almost anytime I’ve admired anyone’s outfit in the last few months, it’s had some element of linen, be it one of those loose, flowy shirts which makes you feel cool and calm just looking at it, or a laid-back jumpsuit which conjures visions of long, lazy lunches in a village in the Ibizan hills, even when you’re on the 08.21 train to Clapham Junction.