Why Belgian Linen is rare - and why we choose it anyway
In our consumerist world of fast fashion and profit over planet, truly exceptional materials have become rare. Belgian linen is one of them.
At Boer en Bed, we work with materials that take time - to grow, to weave, to soften into a heritage item. Belgian linen is not chosen for convenience or speed. It is chosen because, nothing else feels or ages the same way.
Linen that starts in the field
True Belgian linen begins with flax, a crop that needs the right climate, healthy soil and patience. Belgum produces the world's finest flax, but flax is slow to grow, difficult to harvest and yields far less fibre than cotton.
Unlike mass-produced textiles, flax cannot be rushed. Each harvest depends on the weather, timing, and traditional knowledge passed down through generations. When conditions are right, the result is extraordinary. When they aren't, there simply is less linen available.
After flax is pulled from the soil, the stalks are spread out on the fields and left there for several weeks.
During this time :
Dew, rain and natural microorganisms break down the pectin that bind the fibres to the woody stem.
The fibres slowly loosen without chemicals.
Sunlight and weather gently bleach the flax.
This is called dew retting ad its the traditional method used in Belgium and Northern France.
Why this matters for bedding
Dew-retted flax produces stronger, longer fibres, a softer hand feel over time and linen that ages beautifully instead of breaking down.
Woven slowly, not cheaply
Art harvesting, flax fibres undergo a long, careful process being spun and woven in the few mills with specialised looms able to process flax. Authentic Belgian linen is produced in limited quantities and it costs more. This is not a trend fabric. It is not seasonal. It is made to last for decades, not years.
A fabric that improves with age
One of the quiet miracles of linen is that it gets better over time. With every wash, it becomes softer, more supple and more personal. It does not weaken, it settles.
This longevity of part of its charm. Belgian linen is not about instant perfection. It is about earning its comfort, night after night.
The Boer en Bed vision
In interiors we are seeing a new popular trend - the 'unmade bed". Celebrating the natural texture, the way the light is reflected by and the beautiful drape of Belgium linen. It is an alive fabric, made to breathe to allow you to breathe within its luxury. Boer en Bed wants to offer our consumers the choice, we offer the service of hand dyeing our linen to suit any colour palette - chocolate browns, deep saffron mustard shades, magnificent magenta and every shade of green hues to lift your mood and add drama to your cocoon of restoration. We, as a society have been conditioned to favour white sheets on the beds, to strap down the sides of our beds like we are reporting to the army or to endure ill fitting flat sheets, and duvets popping out of the bottom of their covers, solutions without imagination which has been sold to us in the 1980's as "luxury" by the hotel trade. Boer en Bed wants for you to have the choice to return to the colours found in nature. After all, nature is the one place, where there never is any excess.
All our products are hand made in Cape Town, South Africa. Contact us for advice or a consultation 021 010 0001.