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How to Style a Flannel Shirt?

by Shunzhi Nie 13 Nov 2024

Flannel shirt—stylish, original, and always fashionable. The plaid flannel shirt is a basic closet item for men and women. This model has been appearing on the world's catwalks for many years. It is worn by women who appreciate timeless solutions and are fans of fashion experiments.

Depending on the density of the fabric, it can be worn at any time of the year - both solo and over tops, T-shirts, and turtlenecks. The flannel shirt becomes especially relevant in the cold season. With a flannel plaid shirt, you can create a lot of original stylizations. It is the perfect addition to free casual looks, as well as to an elegant bow to work. The flannel shirt is also a great base for sporty stylizations.

Practical, comfortable, and versatile - the flannel shirt never goes out of style. It is worth knowing what a flannel shirt is, as well as how and with what to wear it to look fashionable and stylish. We have prepared for you proven images for different occasions. We assure you that styling with a plaid flannel shirt is the key to an original, stylish look.

History of the Flannel Shirt

Flannel was invented in Great Britain back in the 17th century as a replacement for the usual woolen clothing of Welsh farmers and the working class. This soft material with fluffy fleece quickly spread around the world due to its unique properties. The fact is that it is not only pleasant to the touch but also has heat-saving properties, durable, and inexpensive. Initially, flannel was made exclusively of wool of twill or plain weave, but in the 20th century, they began to use cotton.

For a long time, flannel was used for army needs. In the Russian army, it was used to make winter sweatbands instead of socks, and in America and England, it was used to sew work clothes for cold weather. It was characterized by durability and warmth, suitable for bad weather, but it looked unsightly.

But in 1924, woolen factories in the town of Pendleton tried to change the colors of flannel shirts to brighter. Checkered models in saturated colors had not been on the market before, so they quickly began to gain popularity. Many Americans began to wear Pendleton shirts - to work, vacation, hunting, and fishing.

After World War II, flannel becomes part of everyday life. But if flannel suits were worn by respectable gentlemen, the plaid flannel shirt combined with baggy pants and broken shoes became a symbol of the beat generation. After all, this is how the American writer Jack Kerouac, who was called “the king of beatniks”, dressed. The author was looking for freedom, trying to break social patterns, and that's why the protagonist of his novel “On the Road” also wore a plaid red shirt.

But the peak of popularity of the plaid flannel shirt came in the 90s. It became a kind of sign of nonconformism, and it happened thanks to famous rock musicians. Kurt Cobain from the band Nirvana, and musicians from Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains repeatedly appeared on stage in flannel shirts. Teenagers and young adults picked up on this fashion and began wearing flannel in support of the music and culture they identified with. The flannel shirt became a way of self-expression, not just work clothes. So if you don't have a flannel shirt yet, it's time to get one!
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Wondering How to Style Flannel? Here Are Some Outfit Ideas to Try, According to a Fashion Editor

If you're already in the mood for a new fashion experience, we suggest you try a thing that can add coziness to any of your looks. We are talking, of course, about the flannel shirt, which has literally taken over the trends of recent years. By the way, this is the shirt that Wendy wore in the TV series “Gravity Falls”. Since then, much has changed, but fashionistas of all ages and styles still adore this piece. It is added to layered looks to add extra volume. For example, put on first a T-shirt or a shirt, then a flannel shirt, and after the outerwear.

When choosing such a shirt, you should pay attention to two indicators—style and composition. Give preference to oversized shirts made of natural materials, such as cotton. The voluminous cut will allow you to combine it with many things, and high-quality fabric will provide comfort and convenience.

The big advantage of a flannel shirt is that it goes with almost everything. It can be combined with over-size jackets of classic cut, straight coats, jackets, leather bombers, and down jackets. It also looks great as an extra layer under a sweater.

So, let's first understand what kinds of flannel shirts are in fashion now. First, let's talk about classic casual models. A windowpane shirt (“window frame”) made of 100% cotton in a large plaid is perfect for every day. We suggest wearing it half unbuttoned over a white or cream turtleneck. Wear it with high-fit jeans (vintage-style or slouchy models are ideal), lace-up, or Chelsea boots. The final detail of a comfortable casual look will be a leather belt and a smooth leather messenger bag.

A red flannel shirt in buffalo plaid is the perfect base for a Canadian lumberjack bow. Wear it over a basic turtleneck or T-shirt with black straight jeans. Complete the ensemble with Cossack boots or tall rough lace-up boots. Add stylish details to your outfit: a soft quilted bag on a chain, a pair of minimalistic silver jewelry, and, for example, a neat brooch on your breast pocket.

Fans of strict oversized jackets and free cardigans are advised to take a closer look at a black flannel shirt. It will become a neutral background under the top layer, which will give the texture of the look. You can wear it under pantsuits, jackets in small plaid, denim and leather jackets. The shirt looks great with sandy cargo pants: throw it on over a white oversized T-shirt and complete the look with rough shoes. In the warm season, wear it over a cropped top with Bermuda shorts and sandals.

To add spice and boldness to the look, choose loose red shirts in large plaid. Streaming stars wear them unbuttoned with tops, turtlenecks, and high-necked T-shirts. If the fabric of the shirt is dense enough, it can be put on even over thin sweaters and pullovers.

A universal thing in the closet for any time of year will be a long flannel shirt. Try to include it in a layered look: put on a turtleneck or a T-shirt, a shirt, buttoned up a few buttons, and on top - a jacket of men's cut or a long cardigan of large knitting. In this combination, the shirt must be buttoned up, otherwise, your image will have too many verticals and it will look sloppy.
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Warm flannel shirts
For those who are a little bored with jackets and cardigans, we advise you to pay attention to warm flannel shirts made of dense fabrics, which are more like light jackets. Such models have become a real hit this season, and fashionistas around the world are already actively walking them out. For comfortable images in the style of Scandinavian minimalism, choose a flannel shirt jacket with muted weaves of gray, blue, cream, and brown. You can wear it over knit dresses with lace-up boots, with wide knit pants and voluminous sweaters, or with joggers and dimensionless hoodies.

This model may well replace your coats and jackets when the temperature outside the window will stay around +10 degrees. Thanks to the black and white large cage, the shirt becomes a universal closet item that can be easily combined with other prints and colors. We suggest wearing it with leather banana pants, creamy large knit sweaters, or woolen turtlenecks.

Oversized flannel shirts
Plus size girls when choosing a plaid shirt should pay attention to the thickness of the lines and the size of the cell on the print - they should not be too thin and small and, conversely, very large. Both of these extremes will not play into your hands: too large plaid is even fatter, and small - accentuates the problem areas of the figure.

An oversized plaid shirt in a restrained color scheme is ideal for everyday looks. Wear it with a monochrome bottom (black pants or jeans, for example) paired with a tight T-shirt. If you are going to go to a party, then this shirt will be good friends with a leather skirt and heeled boots.

A plaid shirt with a dropped shoulder line in pink colors will quite replace jackets and jackets. In winter, wear it in tandem with turtlenecks and thin sweaters, and when it gets warmer - over flying or knitted dresses with massive sneakers or elegant boots.

With country-style Cossack
Such a seemingly spring image can be put together in winter, remembering the trendy layering. Under the shirt, put on underwear, a top, or a turtleneck, and put a thin down vest and a down jacket on top. The great thing about this outfit is that it can be worn in many different ways. You can tuck the shirt and turtleneck under the belt of your jeans, emphasizing your waist. Or leave the shirt unbuttoned to give the outfit a cowboy brutality.

With teen speech cargo pants Teen style is catching on! Tie the shirt at the waist and wear a T-shirt on top. Only a bold, modern, and stylish girl can afford such an image! It is important not to make a mistake in accents and accessories. The formula is as follows: provocative print on the T-shirt + trendy cargo pants + topical glasses + stylish shoes.

Cozy Casual
Catch a multi-layered warm look with a flannel shirt for long winter evenings with friends. Mix textures and colors: wear a tightly knitted vest or a satin top. Such an image you want to look at, don't you agree?

By the way, there is another option on how to use this thing. This year fashion influencers began to actively wear the shirt, tying it on the belt. So it turns out a stylish adaptation of the trend for a skirt over pants. Such a trick looks especially winning with wide pants or jeans, enhancing the game of volumes.
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