What Is the Best Linen Dress?

How to Shop for Linen Dresses Like a Pro

Material

Linen dresses have long fibers made from flax plants that “feel smooth and cool on the body,” Apter says. “The fabric does not cling or feel sticky, as cotton sometimes does,” she adds. In other words, you should never feel sweaty or overheated while wearing a linen dress, even on the year’s hottest days. 

The same is true even for linen-blend dresses, which are made from a combination of pure linen and cotton. Together, these materials create a soft and lightweight feel for the wearer (if slightly less breathable than with pure linen), and also tend to be less expensive than 100% linen alternatives. 

Care

For the most part, most linen clothing, including dresses, all follow the same care rules. If you want your linen dresses to last forever and keep their look, Apter advises against overloading the washing machine “so that the garments do not get twisted, which can create deep-set creases.” She also suggests using a mesh mag and doing a low spin cycle, before either tumble drying the dress or air-drying it. 

“If entirely air-dried, it will have a crisper hand. If a softer touch is desired, one can tumble dry it on low heat for a few minutes and then hang it until fully dried,” Apter says, also adding: “If you like a flatter appearance, you can easily achieve it by hanging the garment to dry and ironing it while still damp.”

Style and Fit

Like with many other materials, there are so many style options available in linen that can be easily dressed up or down, whether you prefer elegant maxis, casual shirt-dresses, or summery sleeveless looks (just to name a few options). Apter notes that popular warm-weather styles include “button-front shirt dresses, either sleeveless or with short sleeves.”

As for the best fit of linen dresses, that varies depending on your own taste. “Linen is very versatile. It can look very polished in sharply tailored garments, and very relaxed in more free-flowing styles,” says Apter. That said, linen dresses should also feel great during hot summer days, as “linen fibers do not have natural elasticity, especially with close fitting garments,” she adds.

Questions You Might Ask

What makes linen a good material for dresses?

There are a few key benefits of wearing a dress made of linen, according to Apter. For one thing, “linen can be woven in a variety of weaves and weights that are very breathable,” she notes, so you can stay comfortable and cool even on super-hot days, whether you’re in a linen shirt or dress. Additionally, linen tends to be durable and dries quickly after getting wet.

Plus, unlike cotton, linen doesn’t cling to the body or cause stickiness, and it also typically isn’t sheer, despite its breathability. “Lightweight linen still provides coverage that does not require layering,” says Apter. 

How do you get wrinkles out of a linen dress?

Wrinkles are fairly common for most linen clothing, and dresses are no exception. “It is a natural characteristic of linen to show wrinkles, no matter the blend,” says Apter. “[The fabric’s] long strong fibers are not very elastic, so when they bend under heat and humidity with regular wear, they do not spring back into shape, but rather retain the creases.” 

To get those wrinkles out, Apter suggests hanging up the dress immediately after wear, putting it briefly in the dryer on air dry or low heat. Alternatively, she also recommends steaming the creases, but be careful not to drop hot water on your dress! 

Take Our Word For It

This article was written by Rachel Simon, a writer for Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, The New York Times, and many other publications. To find the best linen dresses, she researched dozens of options, taking into account factors such as size range, price, color options, and more. She also spoke to Inka Apter, Director of Material Sustainability & Integrity at Eileen Fisher, to get expert advice on what to look for when browsing linen dresses, in addition to care instructions to make sure your selected dress lasts.