The most famous pattern associated with the flannel shirt is the buffalo check. This bold red and black design originated around 1850 and was produced by Woolrich Woolen Mills. This the classic lumberjack-style shirt which has become synonymous with the forests of North America.
The popularity of plaid flannel shirts rocketed during the 1990s thanks to grunge and bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Today, designer names like Givenchy and Saint Laurent, as well as high-street staples like Urban Outfitters, are using these references to make the checked flannel shirt a timeless item of menswear.
“If you go for checks, they tend to look either work wear or rock ‘n’ roll. If it’s the former you’re after, then slim-fit selvage jeans and heavy boots are the go-to,” says McDonald. “If you prefer the Saint Laurent, Nirvana thing, [opt for] skinny jeans with the shirt worn open over a white T-shirt or even slung around your waist to hang beneath a hoodie and leather jacket.”
However, it is possible to shun checks altogether, either sticking to block neutral colors like grey and navy or by introducing bolder shades like bottle green, rust or burgundy.
“The fabric is very forgiving,” says McDonald. “Because it’s soft and matte it doesn’t stand out too much, so even colors that might seem hard to pull off are suddenly a lot more wearable, so long as you anchor them with basics in more subtle tones.”
There’s more than one way to wear them, too. Wayne Sorensen, founder of work wear-inspired menswear label soreness suggests wearing promoting it from being a mid-layer. “Push them as an over shirt [and wear them with] a contrast plain T-shirt [or sweatshirt] underneath.
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