Cover credit:Portuguese Flannel
The “reader’s highlight” format is back.
Little reminder for those who haven't seen the first episode :
Readers sometimes send us questions about clothes they like but aren't sure how to wear.
I offer you my step-by-step reflection to understand the garment and thus be able to wear it well, with examples of outfits.
We will answer Sébastien in this article:
He has difficulty wearing a red and black plaid flannel shirt:
Woolrich Shirt
I found his question interesting because I see quite a few men wearing the plaid flannel shirt. It is a garment that is quite easily found on the market.
This may make you think that it is a very basic and easy to wear garment, which is not always the case.
ANALYSIS OF THE PART
What immediately catches the eye here is the red. It is here in a rather punchy shade, rather first degree, to which is added a checked pattern, the tartan.
And what's more, this tile is black.
In short, it is a fairly flashy garment, with strong colors.
In terms of shape, it's simpler. It's a shirt without any particularities: buttoned, long sleeves, classic collar.
It's really the colors and pattern that make this shirt stand out.
TIPS FOR WEARING THIS SHIRT
1. The right style register
This shirt slides between several styles, and it is around them that one must turn:
- Workwear
- Streetwear
- Casual style in the broad sense
Once you understand that, you understand that you can wear a lot of things with this shirt : from a hoodie to a thin merino sweater, including jeans, cargo pants, combat boots, joggers, sneakers, etc.
It all comes down to how you combine the pieces and styles together in an outfit.
This shirt obviously has no place in very formal outfits : it is too casual to go with an office suit, a tie or dark smooth leather oxfords.
2. The right materials
The idea here is not to wear this shirt with materials that are too thin, too smooth, too sensible.
Let's try to honor this very visual cotton flannel with materials that have texture, relief . And there is plenty to do in autumn/winter:
- Corduroy
- Wool flannel
- Tweed
- Heavy cotton (jersey, twill, etc.)
- Denim
In short, there is a way to have fun at this level.
Corduroy seems like a good idea with this shirt for example. Scavini pants
3. The right colors
Quite obviously, I would avoid wearing here:
- Other red clothes : red/burgundy/purple/pink shades in the same outfit, in my experience, it doesn't work very well
- Other strong or at least flashy colors , especially on the pants
For the rest, I think we should focus on the main colours of the male wardrobe: white, ecru, grey, green, brown, blue and black.
"Wait a second, there's black on this shirt, and I thought black didn't go with blue and brown?"
I think black and brown are two colors that can work here for two reasons:
- Black is not the main color of this garment: it is red
- The relative incompatibility of colours can be compensated for by a compatibility of materials: a beautiful indigo denim fits perfectly with the slightly workwear/lumberjack spirit of the shirt, for example.
EXAMPLES OF OUTFITS
1. Basic with a twist
Maison Cornichon t-shirt, Edwin jeans, vintage deck jacket, Red Wing boots
We start with an outfit that is simple in its composition but has just the right amount of character:
First, a rather thick t-shirt in an ecru color placed under the shirt and raw selvedge jeans .
Next, an olive green deck jacket with a stronger style statement. This is a military jacket with a strong character that matches well with the shirt.
Finally, and to stay in the workwear register, good old Red Wing Moc Toe model with the contrasting sole for a change from the classic Iron Ranger.
2. Mixing styles
Kidur hoodie, Stan Ray fatigue pant, mac APC , Reproduction of Found sneakers
The idea here is to mix streetwear and workwear styles.
So we have this hoodie to wear over the shirt , open or zipped, in a neutral color. It stands out with its pocket and its contrasting hood: it's a little more than a simple gray hoodie.
Below, black pants. With gray and red, it has its place. I chose it on a fatigue pant shape: the patch pockets at the front stand out , it is not a question of flat black pants.
On the feet are reproductions of German Army Trainers , used for training by the German army in the 1980s. . Reproduction of Found offers these sneakers with a light beige leather upper, a slightly softer color than the bright white of the original GATs.
For outerwear, I turned to a mac: quite neutral in style, you can wear it open or closed. The olive green color fits well into the composition. I also find that the hood of the hoodie goes well paired with a mac.
3. The costume, otherwise
Costume Nigel Cabourn , coat Editions MR , sneakers ETQ Amsterdam
I said at the beginning of the article that this shirt didn't really go with a formal suit.
On the other hand, a casual suit is fine. The proof here is in this faded gray denim ensemble : a suit, certainly, but one that doesn't meet the standards of a suit.
I then wanted to continue on this momentum by adding a wool overcoat . But not a very formal, structured model, with a classic tailored lapel. I chose a casual wool coat, with a fluid drape and a belt to mark the waist.
Also, the tile is larger and less visible than on the shirt: there is no clash between these two patterns.
The shirt is casual. Well, the suit and coat are too.
I finished this outfit with sand-colored sneakers, neutral in terms of style and warm in their color.
4. Let's have fun!
The approach here was to use pieces that we don't see often, which are not absolute basics of any wardrobe but which remain relatively simple to integrate:
- A green fisherman-style vest. The pocket design has been worked on to support a more fashionable statement. I find the aesthetics successful here.
- Light gray corduroy pants. Corduroy and flannel go well together, as I said above.
- A duffle coat! It's a coat that you don't see too much on the market at the moment but which is timeless and easy to wear. This one is in a beautiful mottled forest green and has two large patch pockets.
- Finally, black derbies with this characteristic platform, which you find in particular on the Paraboot Michael.
So I pair this red and black shirt in monochrome on top and in contrast at the bottom .
