Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette! In today's video, we'll discuss the best
ways to wear a staple of the smart casual dress code and the fall season, a
flannel shirt. Right up there with things like denim jeans, the flannel shirt is
something that's worn by all different kinds of people going for all different
kinds of aesthetics. And while there are different ways to wear a flannel, we're
going to discuss, today, how you can incorporate them into the classic man's
style pantheon. True, flannels can be worn as part of a grunge aesthetic, a goth
aesthetic, a hipster aesthetic, and so on, but that's outside of the scope of what
we cover here at the Gentleman's Gazette. If you'd like to know how best to wear a
flannel in those circumstances, you might want to look elsewhere but for a classic
menswear take, we've got you covered. With that said then, it can be a bit trickier
to incorporate a flannel into a classic menswear look, however, there certainly
are ways to do it. Before we get into any specific looks though, we need to cover
exactly what a flannel shirt is. When you hear the term flannel shirt, it probably
conjures images of a button-up shirt in a plaid or tartan pattern, probably with
features like a button-down collar, button cuffs, and maybe some pockets. And
while a pattern, particularly a check pattern like tartan, can be an important
component of many flannels, the only thing that really qualifies a shirt as a
flannel is the fabric it's made from. So what is flannel then? Originally, the term
flannel exclusively applied to a fabric that was made from carded wool. We've got
more information on this in our guide to the flannel fabric itself which you can
find here. But suffice to say that carded fabrics are brushed and retain both long
and short fibers giving them a softer feel. This is in contrast to combed
fabrics which are tightly woven together and discard the short staple fibers.
They're going to be smoother and more formal, overall, and worsted wool would be
an example of this type of fabric. These days, flannel shirts can be made from
many other fabrics aside from wool such as cotton or even synthetics but they're
often still carded to retain that soft & cozy texture that flannel shirts are
famous for. And flannel shirts today can come in various weights and degrees of
fineness so you've got a multitude of options when incorporating them into
your outfits. So while any shirt that's made from flannel can necessarily be
referred to as such, there are still many people who would consider the tartan
pattern to be an almost mandatory component. If you'd like more information
on Tartans and plaids, you can check out our video on that subject here. With that
understanding out of the way then, let's say that you're in the market to buy
some flannel shirts to incorporate into your classic menswear wardrobe, what
should you be looking for? Well, firstly, we'd recommend that you find shirts that
are made from actual flannel, either in wool or in cotton. We'd stay away from
these synthetic fibers as they aren't going to give you the same texture and
feel and they'll often be in more contemporary designs that won't mesh
well with the aesthetic you're going for. Secondly, try to find flannels that are
built and structured more like traditional dress shirts. In other words,
one of the biggest things you're going to be looking for here is length. If
you're observing advertisements for flannels that are worn untucked by all
the models, chances are they're probably going to be too shorts to be tucked in
anyway and this isn't exactly the look that you're going for. They should have
enough length that you can tuck them in comfortably and they'll look more put
together that way. It's also important to choose your pattern carefully. You should
probably be going for medium to small scale check patterns or tartans, in
particular. These medium to small patterns will tone down the boldness of
the shirt itself and therefore, make it more versatile. You should probably avoid
striped patterns or patchwork checks because these are going to be louder and
bolder and as we say, therefore, not as versatile and
you could, of course, opt for a solid flannel ,as well, as this is going to be
maximally versatile in pairing with different garments. And just as you
should be choosing your patterns carefully, so too should you give a
careful eye to color. Often, patterns that feature three or more colors are
actually going to be less bold than patterns that only feature two colors
because these two color patterns will often try to incorporate high contrast,
something that is necessarily bolder. We'd suggest that you try to steer clear
of high contrast patterns and colors such as black and white together.
Opposite colors on the color wheel like green and purple in bold and bright
shades or something very dark like navy blue against something very bright like
yellow. Essentially, analogous colors or muted and neutral hues are going to be
your best choice here. By the way, if you'd like to learn more about some of
that color terminology, our video on the color wheel and how to use it in
assembling outfits can be found here. Finally, avoid overly casual details like
flapped pockets, snaps, or contrast stitching. This is just going to make
your flannel look more like work wear than something that can truly be
incorporated into the classic men's style cannon. Now that you've found the
flannel shirts you would like to wear, let's tackle the main question of
today's video, how to best wear those flannel shirts. Keep in mind that by and
large, the nature of flannel shirts is a slightly more bold look. Using the
techniques we outlined above, you can tamp down some of that boldness a bit
and thus make the flannels more versatile. Be aware though, that you're
not going to wear flannels in very formal outfits as there's going to be a
fundamental clash of formality there, more on this later.
So assuming you'd like to wear a flannel while avoiding looking like a lumberjack,
hipster, or skater, here are our suggestions on how to do it. Overall, our
biggest suggestion is to try to dress your flannels up just a little bit. Now,
don't misunderstand here since we did just mention the fundamental
clash of formalities if you were to try to wear a flannel with a business suit.
Don't do something like that but keep the flannel more in the realm of the
smart casual dress code in how you layer and pair it and you should be good to go.
Speaking of layering, other garments that can be worn on top of a flannel shirt
are things like a sports jacket in a more casual weave, pattern, or color or
knitwear like sweaters. You could also incorporate some accessories, maybe
perhaps a knit tie, but not anything too formal like a smooth silk tie because
that clash of formalities will again come into play. And as we've already
covered, since the patterns of flannels are typically larger and a bit bolder
than most other garments, you should keep your patterns to a minimum in the
jackets or sweaters that you're layering on top of them. Of course, if you're
wearing a solid colored flannel shirt, you've got a bit more liberty in how you
incorporate patterns but overall, just make sure that things are working
harmoniously and if you are wearing multiple patterns, they're incorporated
at slightly different scales that look pleasing to the eye. As far as pants are
concerned, you've got a number of options here. You can pair flannels with anything
from denim to corduroys to odd trousers. Bolder flannels would best be paired
with denim, of course. More conservative ones would go best with slacks and those
in the middle could be worn with corduroys, khakis, or chinos. Feel free to
experiment with your different flannels to see what works best. When it comes to
footwear, you can lean a bit more to the casual side, as well. Try something like a
loafer, especially in suede. If you want to incorporate a bit more texture, you
could also wear flannels with different kinds of boots such as the chukka boot,
chelsea boot or the leather boots I'm wearing here today. In essence then, while
we recommend that you look for flannels that incorporate a bit more of a
conservative dress shirt like styling, you still shouldn't treat a flannel
exactly like a conventional dress shirt. Don't pair it with a worsted wool
business suit and a silk tie as that clash of formalities will be too great.
Your flannel shirt should be more on the conservative side
but if you pair it more with garments that go well in the smart casual dress
code, that will be your best bet. Essentially here, you should let the
flannel shine for what it is, a great smart casual garment that's worn
especially well in fall but also in other seasons, as well. To illustrate the
principles we've laid out in today's video, we found a number of flannels that
would go well with different kinds of outfits. Here's a brief rundown of the
different styles. Three of our options today came from LL Bean and the first is
the one I'm wearing here in a tartan pattern of navy, light blue, and red. The
blues here are muted while the red serves to provide just a bit of contrast
without being overwhelming. And while the shirt does feature two breast pockets,
they are only topped off by single buttons and don't have flaps, snaps, or
other such accessories. I'm pairing this shirt with medium brown slacks and a
brown leather belt. My shoes are dark oxblood penny loafers which harmonize
with the belt and also bring out some of the red tones of the shirt, as well as
the brown of the trousers. My socks also harmonize directly with the shirt as
they are red and blue shadow striped socks from the Fort Belvedere shop. You can
find them, as well as shadow striped socks in a variety of other colors, here.
Also worn with the brown trousers and brown leather elements is this blue
Heather flannel, also from LL Bean. It's solid in color and much more muted and
therefore, it can be paired with my charcoal gray herringbone sport coat.
I've chosen a pocket square that's largely blue in color and incorporates a
bit of patterning, also from the Fort Belvedere shop, so there is a slight
element of interest but nothing too overwhelming and the overall outfit
still falls directly into smart casual. The final offering from LL Bean is this
houndstooth flannel in an off-white and greenish-brown color which I've paired
with a brown cardigan sweater. It's definitely a more casually woven sweater
so everything goes together in that casual feel. I've chosen to pair this one
with corduroys in a mustardy tan color and
leather boots. This blue and gray checked flannel from Orvis has a slightly larger
and bolder pattern so I've chosen to minimize its effect by wearing it under
this oatmeal colored quarter zip sweater. I've paired this one with gray slacks to
harmonize with the gray in the shirt itself, as well as some tan suede loafers.
Finally, today, is a burgundy and blue tartan pattern flannel from Charles
Tyrwhitt. With this flannel, I've chosen to wear both denim jeans and some leather
boots to bring out the burgundy colors and also to contribute to an overall
less formal vibe.