Entertaining at home is a long day disguised as a short evening. Guests see the table at eight; the host has been at it since the market opened. Between the two lie hours at the stove, a table to lay, a terrace to sweep, ice to find, a grill to light and, at the end, a kitchen to leave in some kind of order. Linen for entertaining at home is a practical choice before it is an elegant one: it is the cloth that can stay on from the morning to midnight.

The day begins at the market. A linen shirt and shorts, a straw hat and a roomy bag are all the morning needs; the PP Jute Bag, in its big size, takes bread, fruit and an armful of flowers. For men, the Male Linen Shirt in Blue over PP linen shorts in Navy Blue is right for an errand that may end with coffee in a square. The men's pieces are in the men's linen collection.

The kitchen is where the choice of cloth begins to matter. An oven at full heat on a summer afternoon makes the kitchen the warmest room in the house, and a host may spend two or three hours in it. Linen is cool against the skin, stays comfortable as the room warms, and its sleeves roll back cleanly above the elbow. A shirt in a mid-tone, Blue, Grey or Dark Blue, forgives a splash of oil more readily than White; an apron does the rest.

Laying the table is linen's oldest domestic role. Long before linen shirts were common, linen tablecloths and napkins were a sign of a well-kept house, valued because the cloth grew softer with every wash and lasted for generations. A table laid in linen, with a host in linen, has a certain consistency, the cloth on the table and the cloth on the shoulders made from the same plant.

When the guests arrive there is rarely time to change, and with linen there is little need. A host who wants to mark the moment can swap the working shirt for a fresh one, a Vibes Linen Shirt in Orchid worn loose, or a Bliss Linen Shirt in Vanille, and change the morning's shorts for PP Casual Linen Trousers in Oatmeal. For women, the Amelia linen dress shirt in Lemon or Blue moves from the kitchen to the head of the table without a second thought, and the PP linen blouse in Lemon tucked into a long skirt suits a more formal dinner. The women's pieces are in the women's linen collection.

Outdoors, at the grill or on the terrace, an open linen weave is as comfortable as it was in the kitchen. Lunches in the garden have their own etiquette, described in what to wear to a garden party, and long stays in which every meal is taken at home are the subject of linen for villa holidays.

Spills are part of a good evening. Red wine, olive oil and candle wax all find their way onto a host's shirt sooner or later; on linen, many can be lifted with prompt, gentle treatment, and the method for each is in how to remove stains from linen. Knowing that makes it easier to relax at one's own table.

Shoes are the last detail. At home a host can wear what would be too delicate for the street: a velvet loafer on a cool floor, or bare feet on a terrace. The PP shoes are handmade in Italy, with uppers in natural fabrics on leather soles, and velvet loafers for men makes the case for wearing velvet in summer.

The last guest leaves after midnight. The dishes can wait until morning; the tablecloth goes into the basket with the napkins, and very often the host's shirt goes in with them.

Read more: The Summer Dinner Outfit for Men  ·  Linen for the Evening at Rest