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MANILA, Philippines — With temperatures slowly rising, summer is just around the corner — and this is our signal to crave for a scoop of ice cream, a glass of Halo-Halo, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and of course, comfortable clothes made of natural fibers like linen for survival!
Jasmine Curtis-Smith, at a panel interview during a recent dinner hosted by Uniqlo and Vogue Philippines, said she loves wearing linen because it is a day-to-night staple.
“Important that I can do that from walking the dogs to attending and do things like just putting on a simple linen top or maybe even a dress like this which makes me already easily presentable to clients or friends and family that I'm meeting for the day,” she said.
"I'm very happy to wear it (linen) because it's so versatile when it comes to the fabric in itself,“ she said in an exclusive interview with Philstar.com before the dinner.
“It's made with a 100% European flax and then linen blends, so it's blended with hybrid nylon yarn, while the cotton linen is of course blended also with cotton,” Uniqlo Philippines’ Head of Public Relations and Sustainability Reichelle Vergara said of the brand’s Premium Linen, Linen Blend, and Cotton Linen collections.
“The difference is, of course, for premium linen, it's more of a natural fabric, and then the linen blend, it's something that you can also wear it maybe in a cleaner type of style because it has more of that crisp and that shape to it. While of course, cotton, it is with a blend of high premium cotton as well, so it's softer, so it's something that a lot of our customers also love because it's comfortable.”
According to Jasmine, linen is "not just perfect for our humid weather, but it's also great for layering when it comes to the colder months or, if you wanna dress down. It's easy as well to style, but also, it can amplify an outfit once you layer it."
"So there's just so much you can do with linen and it's not just a top, but you know, you can feel relaxed in the material in itself because actually there's a science so that it gives you that certain frequency where the body feels most relaxed and calm," she assured.
She also shared some advice when it comes to styling linen: "I mean, when it comes to the long sleeve linen top, definitely, you can fold the arm sleeves or you can wear it as a cover-up for your bikini. You can also wear it as a cover up on top of a dress like this, if in case you're somewhat more conservative. So it's all up to your personality and depende sa style. Linen, whether it's pants, coords with your top, it's a dress like this, it's really easy to style because what I've found is that each piece in the linen collection can be styled whichever way you want. You can throw it on altogether and you really don't have to worry if it looks stylish because it's like they were all styled incorporating each unique piece together."
Apart from a jacket, a linen top can instantly become a shawl, Vogue Philippines Fashion Director Pam Quiñones said as a styling tip.
While Quiñones loves to starch her clothes before ironing them to make them more polished, she also recommended air-drying linen and wearing it with its natural wrinkles as these creases are part of the clothing’s story.
To care for linen, Jasmine recommended handwashing over machine-washing.
“I like to hang it when it's what just came out of handwashing, just to hang it on the hanger to dry because then it I find that it contains the shape… I've tried drying it in a washing machine before, guys! It's really the worst way to learn your lesson,” she said. “Sometimes there are pieces I like to dry flat… it naturally straightens the fabric for me, so less, less ironing.”
The collection, said Vergara, perfectly fits the brand’s mission to promote sustainability and conscious fashion choices.
“Actually, not just for this collection, but Uniqlo, it's really part of our core values, sustainability, and that also relates to our philosophy which is LifeWear,” she said.
“The ways that we can make this, the sourcing of this natural product to make it very responsible and to also help the livelihood with the farmers, for example, etc. And then that goes also to our production. We really try to, for example, lessening the usage of water when because when you make clothes, you really use also a lot of water to produce them.”
Customers, she said, can take part in their movement for circularity, by taking care of their clothes for as long as they could.
“Follow the directions on how to take care of it so that it really lasts you a long time and then hopefully, you know, when you want a new style, then you can donate it and then we can give it to other communities,” she affirmed.
“We hope that each and every one of you to find the best linen piece that best suits your lifestyle and your personality at the same time,” Uniqlo Philippines Chief Operating Officer Geraldine Sia said at her closing remarks during the dinner.
“This season, our pieces are inspired by the warm and vibrancy of spring and summer. Our showcase reflects a diverse range of colors and styles thoughtfully designed to suit every Filipino… Our premium linen essentials combine breathability, sophistication, and ease of wear, making refined fashion truly accessible.”
