Linen Socks - stepping into sustainable fashion with style.
Linen is one of the most incredible fibres to wear - it’s cool in summer & warm in winter, it breathes so it always feels fresh and it feels delicious against bare skin. It’s also one of the most environmentally friendly fibres to grow & manufacture, as most flax (the plant that linen is made from) will grow without irrigation or pesticides.
So when I was recently looking for new socks (to replace the now-worn hand-me downs that I usually wear from my sons as they grow out of them), I wondered if I could find some linen socks. (I’m a self-confessed Linen Lover - it’s an addictive fibre! I wear it, make the bed with it, and use it a lot in my work as an interior architect - to me, it’s the king & queen of all fibres.)
After a bit of hunting, I found some that are made from organic, undyed, pure flax linen and are incredibly soft. Made in Ukraine by Ekorganix, the sock itself is made from 100% linen - with just a little elastic at the top to hold it up. These fantastic socks are SO comfortable to wear - and they have a delicate tracery pattern knitted into the side of them to help keep you cool, as well as add an interesting detail.
I was so impressed with them that I gave a pair to Henrietta to try - and she, like me, is a bit smitten with them. It’s always a happy day when we find products that are fairly made from environmentally sustainable materials that are not only beautiful, but superior to their synthetic counterparts.
So I reached out to to Alex at Ekorganix, to ask him to share a little more behind the brand.
“The socks you like so much are made by my partner from Western Ukraine named Nik, by the way. The area where the flax is cultivated is somewhat environmentally clean and non-polluted. Because socks are knitted, not made of a ‘ready-to-sew’ fabric, they are made in a way that they are a bit more stretchy than regular linen fabric, plus they are thin and have kind of ‘perforations’ in their pattern to make them more breathable and to alleviate sweating of feet in hot and humid weather. I wear the same socks and love them.”
The Organix linen socks are pretty enough to wear with fancy shoes - these brogues are from another of my favourite brands, NOAH, who make their shoes in Italy using animal-free materials. The quality & crafting is superb.
“I am a father of three children, 7, 9 and 11 years old, a boy and two girls. As a family guy I understand the needs of other family people, so I have several people on my team who share my ideas, who can do something on their own. The main concept behind the shop is selling as much environmentally safe stuff as possible. Thus, even the linen items we make and sell are undyed. The more natural, the better. ”
Interestingly, socks used to be made from linen, but during the Industrial Revolution it became much more economical to make them from cotton. Since the early 20th century, socks have been made from synthetic fibres mixed with some wool or cotton. But as we become increasingly aware of the ecological harm to land & oceans from the use of synthetic fibres (both in production and from washing them at home), it seems logical to turn to natural fibres wherever we can. And socks, being something that we all wear on a pretty regular basis, seems a great item to put on the “swap to kinder materials” list.
Ekorganix also make a range of other items from undyed pure Ukrainian flax linen, such as bath robes and blankets which are filled with flax linen fibre, as well as being stitched with flax linen fabric. That sounds pretty good to me! (Well I did confess my obsession with linen already….)
Shipping is all over the world - so no matter where you are, you can enjoy stepping into sustainable fashion in style & comfort, knowing that every little step we take, makes a difference to the well-being of our planet.
Ekorganix socks are:-
Made in Ukraine
Available in mens and womens sizes
Made from organically grown, undyed pure flax linen
A small amount of synthetic elastic thread is sewn at the top of the sock to hold it up
All images by Future King & Queen.