What do Prince Charles Edward Stuart have in common?
Answer: They all fell in love with the plaid flannel shirt.
Of Scottish origin, this atypical shirt has survived the ages and today crosses all styles. From preppy to streetwear , including rock and grunge, the lumberjack shirt has not said its last word.
It tempts you too, but you don't know what to wear it with? That's good: this article aims to provide you with outfit ideas for choosing and wearing a flannel shirt . And if you don't like tiles, don't run away! There are also very beautiful plain models.
And as often, find at the end of the article our selection of brands that offer beautiful flannel shirts.
What is flannel?
Flannel is soft. And that’s true regardless of the fabric chosen.
Whether on wool or cotton, the process is similar: the fabric is lightly scraped by passing it between two rollers with pins rotating in opposite directions. The fabric frays slightly on its surface and becomes soft and "fluffy".
Zoom on the fabric of our wool flannel pants. The texture is soft and fluffy.
You can choose to scratch only the right side of the fabric without scratching the reverse. In this case, it is no longer flannel (both sides of which are brushed) but finette.
Wool flannel is nothing like felt. Felt is a non-woven textile that is obtained by boiling and then compacting the fibers together. It is much denser, heavier and rough.
How to choose a flannel shirt?
Cotton or wool?
Anyway, back on topic. In a wool-cotton blend, or in thick cotton, the shirt will be perfect for winter. We would rather favor 100% cotton or wool-cotton blends: lighter and more flexible, it is better suited to making a shirt.
You should also know that there are several thicknesses of fabric and that, logically, the warmth of the room will depend on it. Likewise, there are lightweight fabrics in 100% cotton that you can wear next to the skin or over a t-shirt, whatever the season.
The white tee/flannel shirt combo works almost every time. In a more or less discreet way (depending on whether you add another layer on top), it can bring color, texture, patterns...
On the other hand, flannel is not necessarily reserved for winter. Originally made of wool, it is now made of cotton in many cases. Moreover, it is quite rare to find 100% wool shirts.
For maintenance, no particular difficulty. You can put your shirts in the machine at 30°.
Plain flannel or tartan patterned shirt?
A common mistake is to systematically associate the flannel shirt with the tartan pattern:
- flannel is a type of fabric,
- while tartan is a type of pattern.
The two can be compatible but do not necessarily go hand in hand!
If that wasn't the case, you know from our visit to Kinloch Anderson : tartan is a Scottish pattern, which dates from the 19th century.
Scottish society was then organized into clans (groups of families united around a chief), where each had their own tartan. This is what we still find on the famous kilts.
The pattern then left the Scottish borders to extend to the sartorial domain, before being integrated into the codes of the punk movement in the 70s, under the leadership of London designer Vivienne Westwood in particular.
And when you mix Vivienne Westwood and sartorial culture, you get that.
Today, tartan has become popular, so much so that it is available on several casual pieces; the flannel shirt is the most telling example.
It's a versatile piece that can be worn in a multitude of different ways and can match many styles. There is no need to be impressed by tiles, quite the contrary!
Now, if you don't particularly like this type of pattern, there are also some very nice plain flannel shirt designs. As a result, they will have less connotations and may even be simpler to integrate.
I also find that these are the ones that take the light best, with beautiful reflections induced by the material.
Let's take a closer look...
How to wear a flannel shirt?
This type of shirt falls more into the category of “ casual pieces” than “formal pieces”. That said, it can be worn in a formal outfit.
It is very versatile, contrary to what we think a priori.
Idea #1 – Wear a Flannel Shirt with Formal Pieces
A complete suit worn with a shirt: so far, nothing new. On the other hand, combined with a flannel shirt, the look is more original: the contrasts in style, between the elegance of the suit and the casualness of the shirt, will add a little something to the outfit.
On the other hand... I'm not a huge fan of pairing a plaid shirt with a suit. The contrast is too strong, at least with a full suit. I would prefer a plain shirt.
Consider the knitted tie to accessorize your suit. It will add depth to the outfit, especially with a textured material like flannel.
Always with the aim of creating contrast, do not hesitate to mismatch your suit. Obviously, this is not the most appropriate outfit to wear in a very strict professional environment (banking sector for example) but for the rest, it is entirely possible.
Florian chose to wear it with a jacket, also in flannel, and gray jeans. The materials match well with each other. Moreover, the shirt is made of cotton flannel while the jacket is made of wool.
The shoes and belt, in a lighter brown leather than the shirt, provide an elegant contrast.
Don’t hesitate to add a pocket. Again and again, use accessories to personalize your style !
Idea #2 – Wear a flannel shirt in a workwear style
As Vianney reminded us in his article on workwear , the flannel shirt is a classic of the genre. What could be more normal than assembling it with related parts?
I like this shirt: the large checks and the colors are different from what we are used to seeing in this register. The sleeveless down jacket is nothing exceptional but in principle, these two types of pieces go well together.
We first think of the checked shirt when we think of workwear. But nothing obligatory! You can easily build an outfit in this style with a nice plain shirt.
What matters is what you wear it with. Good big boots and that’s it! And in general, all raw materials such as:
- the very thick denim,
- virgin or lamb wool (a little rough),
- or even a thick cotton canvas, for chinos for example.
Here, the boots are really thick, even clumsy. A clearly assumed workwear style. The almost electric blue shirt brightens up the somewhat bland tones of brown. The two colors complement each other well.
Another possibility: choose a truly original color to pair with more sober pieces, while maintaining consistency in terms of materials. A bottle green - or better, a mustard yellow - makes a change, right? The two pockets on the front reinforce the workwear spirit of the piece. Perfect with heather gray pants and leather boots!
All checked shirts, without exception, are an integral part of the workwear wardrobe. No matter what color you choose, it will be easily wearable with a cardigan on top, whether it's a fine or chunky knit .
Also think about accessories: hat, scarves, bracelets, leather backpack, etc.
Tiles in natural colors (brown, beige, maroon, off-white, green, etc.) are called trapper tiles. They are very easy to integrate into a workwear outfit.
Idea #3 – Wear a flannel shirt in a streetwear style
Let's start with the most famous flannel shirt model: the Buffalo . In 1850, John Rich - founder of the eponymous Woolrich brand - produced a shirt with large regular red and black checks.
He reportedly named it Buffalo because his side business, before focusing on his brand, was breeding buffalo. It met with success in the United States, which spread across the Atlantic. Far from having disappeared, we still see it worn a lot today.
Here in an overshirt version, buttoned at the collar. It is characteristic of the streetwear style but frankly, is more easy to wear than you might think. It nonetheless remains a truly iconic piece.
I remind you, the advantage of this piece is its softness and warmth. No problem wearing it next to the skin, on the contrary. If you are a fan of layering , try leaving it open over a t-shirt, preferably plain. A t-shirt with eccentric patterns risks clashing with the shirt.
Unless, of course, the shirt is plain and the colors of the t-shirt match.
The shirt is worn a little loose over loose pants. Another example of an unexpected look with a very street style. Credits: The Idle Man.
The shirt is very beautiful, the gradient brings originality to the piece. So the outfit, which could be a little sad without it, becomes all the more interesting with it. The long t-shirt and high-top sneakers add that streetwear touch to the look.
Now, an example of a more casual outfit but with some streetwear influences.
I'll make a confession, this was not the outfit I had originally planned. I had jeans and ankle boots in my backpack for the shoot, but I was dressed more casually, with cargo pants and buffalo leather running shoes (yes, for real).
Except that I told myself that wearing a shirt with jeans and ankle boots was a little too easy for you, and that you were used to seeing this kind of silhouette.
So I just kept my pants and shoes, and we have a much more casual look:
I'm wearing a BonneGueule shirt, Maharishi cargo pants, and Feit running shoes (Vincent, from the forum, recommended them to me and they are great!). Although I'm anti-hem, I still highlighted the pretty edging that runs along the leg inside the pants. Be careful, the pants have this very particular cut that we find at Maharishi, quite loose at the thighs but well fitted at the ankles. I can't live without it anymore (even if it can be unsettling the first time), but the silhouette is much more relaxed.
Besides, if you have what you need in jeans, and you start to look at the possible colors for chinos, cargo pants remain a great playground , with an obviously casual orientation. Although I have seen dressed looks with this type of piece in Italy.
As a result, it is the type of clothing that goes well with this casual shirt.
The choice of colors for this type of shirt is very wide!
Where to find a nice flannel shirt for men?
Uniqlo : the brand offers a huge choice of different models at the single price of 29.90 euros.
COS : the cuts are successful, count around 70 euros.
Office Artist : the casual range offers beautiful light flannels in solid colors for 89 euros.
Hartford : plain or patterned, it's up to you. The cuts are fitted and flattering. Count 110 euros.
Black Flag : offers Japanese flannel shirts for 120 euros. The material is really beautiful.
Knowledge Cotton Apparel: a wide selection of 100% cotton flannel.
Carhartt : for workwear models with a modern twist.
Woolrich : the father of the flannel shirt, which still offers a wide choice of patterns and prices today, varying from 30 to 150 euros.
Not forgetting our own shirts...
If you're looking for shirts cut from fabrics that tell a story, then we'll get along just fine...
Because we went to find traditional chambrays in Japan, flannel in the Vosges, Oxford in Alsace, and seersucker in Italy. Smooth and sad fabrics like rain, no thank you.
