Summer 2025: You need some linen in your life

Khaleej Times

6 days ago

I know what you're thinking: Barbiecore is so summer 2023, what is she doing harping on about a trend that's two years old? And you'd be right; on the face of it, pink gingham is quintessentially Margot Robbie on the Barbie press tour during a summer experienced through the haze of rose-tinted glasses. So why this year, when the performance of luxury fashion's megabrands looks anything but rosy, have I chosen to highlight a look that's core BBB (Before Birkenstock Barbie)? Firstly, yes, the outfit on this page is undeniably pink gingham, but it also comes in at least six other varieties, from cool girl citron to Bloomsbury-era blooms. However, it's not the colours or prints that make it a summer wardrobe staple, nor is it the simplicity of the A-line silhouette (with pockets), although both are key (as are pockets). It's that it is made from 100 per cent linen, and pure linen is, nine times out of 10, the answer to all your summer holiday wardrobe woes. Why? I find that much of what I wear in Dubai doesn't work in the rest of the world. It's either too boujee, too impractical for actual weather, or simply doesn't translate to a lifestyle of walking rather than valeting. Enter linen. With linen, you can still wear a girly dress or cute co-ord shorts and a bodice top, and not look like you took a wrong turn out of Bar Du Port. You can even wear pink gingham and not risk appearing like you're stuck in a summer 2023 time warp. Linen pink gingham is timeless. Polyester pink gingham is challenging.
Linen opens up a wealth of footwear options; essential when you're either on foot or on public transport, and as likely to encounter cobblestone as a sudden downpour. It works with flip-flops, dad sandals, ballet flats, kitten heels, cowboy boots, even trainers. I can clock up to 25,000 steps a day on my summer hols and — despite fashion's insistence that they are over — I have yet to be prised out of my all-ivory Adidas Sambas (the key is to buy the decon rather than the OG edition, for the softest, collapsible leather that's blister-resistant). Aside from cotton and denim, no other fabric is as fashionably footwear fluid as linen.
Linen is never over-dressed, nor under-dressed. You can wear it covered in floral print, gussied up with bows and frou-frous and it won't look muttony. Likewise, an oversized linen shirt and drawstring shorts is as comfy as pyjamas yet still reads chic. Summer 2025's linen brand of choice is the Australian label Posse, which has, over the years, been worn by the likes of Meghan Markle, Katie Holmes, and Selena Gomez, while Sofia Richie chose one of the brand's skirt sets for her wedding weekend. In the UAE, Posse is stocked by Ounass and Bloomingdale's, but you'll have to move fast, sizes sell out quickly. My longtime go-to for linen co-ords and dresses is US brand Reformation, also at Ounass in the UAE. Many of its styles incorporate a smocked back, for a flexible fit that looks bespoke. When I want to wear something a bit special, but not a project that I've tried too hard, Reformation is my go-to. Its relaxed linen 'Aubree' dress (Dh390) consistently sells out each summer. Right now, I'm eyeing the 'Janu' dress (Dh1,150) in a spun sugar shade that looks excellent with black accessories. On the high street, Marks & Spencer and Zara do brilliant linen — opt for solids or basic prints like stripes and polka dots, rather than florals when shopping the high street.
Linen speaks to tousled hair and mismatched heirloom jewellery. It does not pair well with logos, Labubus and Louboutins. Yes, it creases like a beast, but — outside of Dubai at least — appearing artfully crumpled, whether of face or fashion, is increasingly a badge of honour. Like ageing gracefully, linen is the last word in low-key luxe living.