Collective "linens" vs. "linen" in AmEng vernacular

Agreed, at least in the US, “linens” refers to multiple individual articles of linen-made items (tablecloths, sheets, napkins, etc.), while "linen” refers to the fabric itself.

I would have to endorse the comments of the previous respondent. In my experience (in England and Ireland), I only ever heard the form "linen" used to refer to a quantity of table linen, bed linen, etc. I don't believe I ever heard anyone use the word "linens." However, if I ever heard it, I would assume it referred to different types of linen. Are there different types of linen? I honestly don't know.

This is an interesting question and raises several issues. I am encouraged to recall my grandfather's words back in the last century, who told me that his step-father was a draper and chandler in 19th century London, and referred to "linen" as a description of the material of an article, but his "linens" were articles stacked on shop shelves as were "cottons", "gunnies" and "silks". I hope I recall his words correctly, but which may assist in some way to answer the question!

It's common in Australia too, at least in those educated before, say, the seventies and is used to describe the napkins, tablecloths and perhaps (?) less often, the bedsheets and pillowslips, regardless of the actual fabric. Would this count as a synecdoche, I wonder?