With hand sewing, an all purpose thread that is conditioned with beeswax or silk thread would be easier to find and sew with. A quality needle is more important then thread in my experience, since you can always treat the thread to not shred and use the recommended length for hand sewing to control it better if there is a problem.
Although I prefer Gruschwitz brand I have no idea where to get it retail, but
Amazon carries Gutermann brand if you want the linen thread.