Hunting For A Great Linen Set

NEW SERIES ALERT

Wait, a Long Live on a Tuesday?

It’s me, EV, in a wobbling, yet fabulous hat to confirm.

I’m making Long Live more of a priority (yay) and that means an occasional letter from me on Tuesdays. The tagline of this Substack is “A love letter to the hunt,” so that’s where the name comes from.

You can expect the shoppable portion of your regular Long Lives with links from across the internet, at a variety of price points, and some inspiration for searching on your own, either IRL or online. This letter is for everyone, but in the future, hunts like these will be for *paid* subscribers only.

Freda Banks

This week, let’s get into the coveted linen set, which is what I was wearing when Lauren Mechling stopped me on the street for this story.

Like some narratives, this one took a nosedive when the set was tragically dried and shrunk in size. It now lives a better life with a much smaller person who picked it up on Noihsaf.

The linen set is my secret to summer. It’s cool. It reads way more polished than it feels. And best of all, it’s a travel workhorse.

Here’s what you need to pay attention to:

-Material: we need 100% linen here. 100% cotton works, but can start to read a little PJ-y if you’re not careful!

-Fit: bigger is better. Size up! And for God’s sake do not let your set anywhere near a dryer.

-Sweat factor: I’m sorry, it had to be discussed! I like darker colors for this reason, though a pattern can be nice or maybe you live in the Midwest and aren’t thinking about waiting for a subway in 90 plus heat.

Let’s get shopping! And! If you buy anything, please comment to let me know or better yet, send in success stories. We’re all just trying to survive summer dressing, so the more camaraderie, the better.

Buck Mason does it again. This top and these pants—you’re instantly the coolest cult leader in town!

Where are my Salter House girls at? This would be so cute with these clogs and maybe a bandana? The set’s $42!

Work in an office? Get yourself a linen suit that doesn’t feel too stuffy. I love this Etsy option and it’s $145 for both pieces, plus it comes in sixteen colors.

Let’s be so real. If I worked in an office, I would 100% be wearing this set. I want it now! With boat shoes! Will I buy it for $48 before I send out this letter?

You guys, I’ve been hearing really good things about GAP linen. Random, right? This top is $40 and the pants are $80.

For hot hot days, this set from Etsy is under $60 and comes in cool colors. This is the sort of thing that pulls its weight when you’re traveling.

How fun is this prissy little Ann Taylor linen set? It’s $40 and can so picture my little sister in it on the UES.

This has a little rayon, but I just adore it. I bought a similar-colored set on eBay last year and wear it all the time. It’s $44!

Ok, Madewell! This tank and these shorts for what I can only describe as “going out linen.”

If you’re ready to live a little, try this linen set from RL on eBay for under $50. I’d wear it with a huge basket and Odeon hat.

What’s great about this set it that it comes in petite and tall, too! A little spendier, but these pants and this shirt are going to get you through many summers to come.

Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can shop my favs here, follow along on Instagram + Tiktok, shop my Notion template, and as always, respond to this dispatch for my direct line x