At Nicobar, comfort is key. We’ve said this before but we’ll say it again: we only design the things we’d wear ourselves—thoughtful pieces that transcend seasons and occasions. One very easy, effortless fabric that has consistently featured on our moodboards and in our collections (and in Sitth, our second season of the ‘Aparna Chandra for Nicobar‘ line) is linen. It is cool, versatile, and truly belongs to the tropics.
What’s so special about linen?
Linen is made from the fibres of flax plant. The fabric we picked for Sitth is 130gsm 100% linen, used to make tops and bottoms for both men and women. We love linen’s gauzy texture, which actually allows your body to ‘breathe’ and is said to reduce sweating. Plus, the fabric has natural anti-bacterial properties which make it an even better choice for a hot, humid day.
Where does Nicobar’s linen come from?
Our linen journeys from Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu to our garden studio in Delhi, where each piece of the collection is painstakingly made by hand.
How has linen been used in Sitth?
Linen is extremely versatile. While your wardrobe might already have plenty of linen shirts and pants that suit a relaxed day around town, in Sitth we’ve given it a little upgrade, elevating it to proper dressy status with floral printed dresses and blouses for women and chic jackets and kurtas for men.
When, and equally important, where are you likely to wear it?
The entire collection is perfect for beachside weddings and springtime nights, but truly you can wear it anytime and anywhere under the sun.
How do you care for linen?
A cold machine wash with tumble dry on low heat will do the job (high heat will cause the fabric to shrink and rumple permanently). Ironing the fabric is a bit of a task, we know, but made easier with a good quality steam iron while the fabric is still damp. Alternatively, embrace a more relaxed look and forego ironing altogether, but to keep your linen looking chic, shake well and hang on a padded hanger once washed.
If you’d like to learn more about chanderi, head here.
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