Moving Forward

Linen, normally easy and casual, is anything but relaxed in the hands of British textile manufacturerRomo.Five collections for fall-winter feature linen in forms ranging from delicate sheers to rich velvets. The Manderley line of contemporary prints updates some of the manufacturer's classics from the 1930's and 1950's, managing to touch all the bases: botanicals, a geometric, an abstract, and a coordinating stripe, all in seven colorways. Or, choose from two types of sheers. The Natural Linen line boasts wide-width sheers in light neutral tones and subtly textured stripes with understated metallic accents. Allande, a more vivid member of the ensemble, uses subtle metallic effects in combination with up-to-date colors. It is offered in seven colorways and measures 118 inches wide. The Esina collection combines two textured solids. It introduces the namesake Esina, a textured weave of pure linen designed for upholstery use, and re-launches the Solo linen. Each comes in a wide range of soft neutrals and arresting brights. Esina boasts 31 colorways; Solo has 35. Linen Velvet's strong point is a soft matte luster that delivers sumptuous vertical lightness and shimmer. The line spans 24 colorways including easy neutrals and saturated hues. 800-338-2783; romofabrics.com. circle 442