M1366 Pure Linen Plain Weave Fabric 21S x 17S 135 GSM 138cm – for Shirts, Blouses and Summer Dresses

Item M1366 is a 100% pure linen plain weave at 21 × 17, finished at 135 GSM and 138 cm wide, in solid dyed shades. There is no viscose and no cotton in this cloth — it is flax from stem to finished fabric, and that is the whole reason to specify it over a linen blend at the same weight.

The yarn is fine, so the cloth is fine and plain rather than textured, with the small natural slub that real flax always carries. At 135 GSM it sits in the middle of the shirting band (120–160 g/m²) — light enough for high summer, substantial enough to hold a collar. And because it is pure flax, it manages heat and moisture in a way no synthetic copy reproduces.

Where this weight sits. At 135 GSM this is the summer shirting band — the range the industry settles on for shirts, blouses and light summer dresses. Below about 120 the cloth goes transparent and loses its shape; above 180 it stops being a summer cloth at all. The honest trade-offs of pure flax at this weight are shrinkage, stiffness and creasing, and we set them out in full below rather than leaving you to find them.

At 21 × 17 the yarn is fine, and the cloth is fine and plain rather than textured. Because flax is a bast fibre taken from the plant stem, and because each fibre is a bundle held together by pectin, the individual fibres vary in length — and that is why every piece of real linen carries a natural slub, the small irregular thickenings you can see across this cloth.

That slub is the quickest way to tell flax from an imitation. A polyester or viscose copy can match the color, the weight and even the softness, but it cannot reproduce an irregularity that comes from the plant. Look for the small darker thickenings scattered across the surface, and check the label reads 100% linen rather than “linen look” or “linen-blend” — in most markets a garment labelled simply “linen” below 100% would not pass a fibre-content test.

Linen’s performance claims are measurable, so here are the figures rather than the adjectives. It has a regain of around 12% against cotton’s 8%, and a thermal conductivity of roughly 0.18 W/m·K — about 27% higher than cotton. That is why a linen shirt feels cool before it feels light: heat moves away from the skin faster.

On moisture, linen absorbs water to about 20% of its own weight and releases it faster than cotton, so it dries quickly instead of holding sweat against the skin — the reason it stays wearable in humid weather. And 100% linen shows over 90% inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus under GB/T 20944.3. That comes from the fibre itself, not from an antibacterial finish, which means it does not wash out.

At 135 GSM this sits in the middle of the shirting band (120–160 g/m²). Below 120 the cloth goes transparent and loses its shape; above 180 it stops being a summer cloth. At 135 it is right for shirts, blouses, summer dresses and light trousers, and the 138 cm width takes a full blouse front or dress panel in one piece.

Four limits to plan around. Shrinkage is 8 to 10% on the first wash unless the cloth has been pre-shrunk, and it does not come back. The cloth starts stiff — pure linen has roughly three times the flexural rigidity of cotton — so it may prickle until it has been washed a few times. It wrinkles hard, because linen has only about 35% immediate elasticity against cotton’s 65%. And it is not fully machine-washable at full heat: use cold or warm wash and line dry.

At 135 GSM and 138 cm wide, this is an upper-body cloth — the weight the 1688 factory lists this construction for. It is not a furnishing weight and it is not a coating weight; it is a summer shirting and dress cloth.

The 120–160 g/m² band is the standard shirting range, and 135 sits in the middle of it — firm enough for a collar to stand on its own, open enough to stay cool. A soft collar without fusing is achievable at this weight.

The width is the asset here: at 138 cm a full blouse front or a tunic body cuts in one piece, which removes a seam from the most visible place on the garment and cuts waste off the table.

Pure linen moves well when it is this light. A midi or a loose summer dress hangs in a clean line rather than clinging, and the flax share keeps it comfortable in humid weather. Expect it to soften with each wash rather than to hold a crease.

A straight or wide-leg trouser in 135 GSM linen works, though it is at the light end of what a trouser can be. For a co-ord set the fabric is the point — pure flax is the natural choice for a shirt and trouser that are meant to read as one piece.

Shirts and shirt-dresses — the middle of the 120–160 g/m² shirting band; a collar stands without fusing.

the fabric in motion  ·  21s x 17s twill  ·  135 gsm

Blouses and tunics — 138 cm takes a full front panel in one piece.

Summer dresses and skirts — hangs clean, and softens with every wash.

Light trousers and co-ord sets — at the light end of what a trouser can be, but correct for a matching set.

Not for — upholstery, heavy tailoring, or anything that needs to hold a lapel roll.

shades 49-76  ·  naturals, pastels, deep tones

A full color card is held for this construction — 76 shades running from naturals, whites and greys through pastels, mid tones, olives, terracottas, deep blues and reds. Custom dyeing to Pantone TCX is available for development orders, and the natural flax character reads slightly differently in every shade because the slub takes dye unevenly.

CLOUD DANCER

Pantone TCX11-4201

MISTY BLUE

Pantone TCX13-4405

LIMESTONE

Pantone TCX16-4702

CROCKERY

Pantone TCX16-1104

DRIED HERB

Pantone TCX17-0627

shades 17-48  ·  76 shades on one full card

MEDAL BRONZE

Pantone TCX17-0942

TANNIN

Pantone TCX17-1320

BLACK OLIVE

Pantone TCX19-0608

MOLE

Pantone TCX19-1106

ESPRESSO

Pantone TCX19-1103

WOODROSE

Pantone TCX16-1806

COFFEE LIQUEUR

Pantone TCX18-0930

DEMITASSE

Pantone TCX19-0712

BITTER CHOCOLATE

Pantone TCX19-1317

GUNMETAL

Pantone TCX18-0306

DUSTY OLIVE

Pantone TCX18-0515

LAVENDER GRAY

Pantone TCX17-3910

WISTFUL MAUVE

Pantone TCX17-1511

BLACK BEAUTY

Pantone TCX19-3911

PEPPERCORN

Pantone TCX18-1409

color card  ·  shades 1-16  ·  the slub visible in every swatch

PEACOAT

Pantone TCX19-3920

BIKING RED

Pantone TCX19-1650

NAVY BLAZER

Pantone TCX19-3923

PIRATE BLACK

Pantone TCX19-4305

ZINFANDEL

Pantone TCX19-1522

EBONY

Pantone TCX19-4104

HAUTE RED

Pantone TCX19-1758

BLACK ONYX

Pantone TCX19-4003

FUDGE

Pantone TCX19-1619

GRAPE ROYALE

Pantone TCX19-3518

PORT ROYALE

Pantone TCX19-1627

LICORICE

Pantone TCX19-1102

MOONLESS NIGHT

Pantone TCX19-4203

HOLLYHOCK

Pantone TCX19-2924

Pantone TCX Color Library

Hand samples and cutting samples are supplied before bulk, either from stock greige or from a lab dip matched to your shade. For pure linen we strongly recommend approving the sample washed — the cloth shrinks 8 to 10% on the first wash unless it has been pre-shrunk, and it starts stiff. The greige hand is not the hand your customer will receive.

Development runs around three points: the yarn count and density, the shade matched to Pantone TCX, and the weight confirmed against the end use. This construction is also available in digital print, so we support print development from your own design files. Full-width greige and finished samples, small trial orders and custom development are supported for new customers.