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You will often see terms like “Belgian flax” and “European linen” used to describe different fabrics. Some of this is in the name, some isn’t – Pottery Barn’s paper is called Belgian flax, while The Citizenry’s paper says it’s French flax but made in Portugal. So what does that mean? Which one is better?

Europe has a long history of flax cultivation and textile production. It is the preferred source, especially Belgium and France, which is why some sites mention those countries in particular. But according to World Linenthere are no major differences between European countries—especially in the way of marketing. You will be equally happy with any European source of linen, and there are official European Linen papers that can be received to confirm its origin.

Having Europe in the name does not mean it was made there. When the flax is grown, it must be processed, spun, and woven into paper, which may or may not be done in Europe. Some companies use the terms “Belgian flax” or “European flax” to mean that the flax comes from that region, but was not processed there. Some companies produce paper in other European countries, such as the paper produced by The Citizenry’s Portugal, while other manufacturers can produce outside of Europe, such as Quince, which operates its paper in China and India.

Another term you may see when shopping for fabric is something like “woven up to 160 GSM.” This explains the weight of the fabric. (“GSM” stands for grams per square meter.) It’s similar to silk, which is also specified by weight rather than thread count to give you an accurate idea of ​​the paper’s weight. The rule of thumb with fabric is that under 150 GSM is light, between 150 and 300 is medium, and anything over 300 is heavy.

Weight is something that should not change in fabric: It decreases over time, but it does not become lighter. If you prefer a different paper weight, you can check if this is included so you know what you are buying.