I have spent two summers in Seoul and one of the most common sights during this time of the year besides every other person eating bingsu or licking ice creams while holding a portable fan in front of his/her face is every other person wearing linen.

Be it linen shirts, dresses, skirts, shorts, trousers, culottes, jumpsuits, jackets or business suits, in Seoul’s unbearably hot and humid months of July and August, linen garments in every form seem to gain significant space in the Korean wardrobe.

The clothing retailers on Gangnam-daero, in the stretch between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station have their store fronts decorated with mannequins dressed in linen, paired with sunnies, straw hats, rattan handbags and open toe sandals. Inside the stores are sections dedicated to all kinds of linen garments ready to be snapped up.

What is it about linen that makes this fabric a classy summer staple? I wanted to know.

Trying on some linen pants at Uniqlo, Seoul

And so I did a little digging and found that linen is made from the fibres of flax plant which are strong, durable and absorbent and dries quicker than cotton making linen garments feel exceptionally cool and fresh.

And the fact that it has been around for thousands of years – in ancient times linen used in wrapping Egyptian mummies served as a symbol of light, purity and wealth and were found in a state of perfect preservation – only reveals how timeless this natural fabric is. Linen also is lint-free, has high natural lustre, resists dirt and stain and becomes softer with every wash. I got my answer, so there was only one thing left to do.

The sketch above is of me trying on some linen pants at Uniqlo. I bought a few and they are every bit as comfortable as I had expected them to be. This summer I am following the herd but in style!