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A flannel shirt.
A flannel shirt.
Indefinitely Wild

An Extremely Opinionated Rant About Flannel

It鈥檚 a material, not a pattern, damnit

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We've written it before and we'll write it again: a听good flannel shirt looks as good in the office as it does in the mountains. Layered appropriately, such a top听can be worn in sub-zero temperatures, as听well as into the 70s. A good flannel shirt is capable of keeping you dry in rain and snow, or when you鈥檙e getting sweaty. It can be worn daily for a decade or more.听

The trouble is, most of the 鈥渇lannel鈥 shirts you see mentioned on outdoors websites like this one can鈥檛 do those things. And that鈥檚 because most people don鈥檛 understand that flannel is not a pattern鈥攊t is a material.听

Why Flannel Works

It鈥檚 believed that that material was , in response to that nation鈥檚 notoriously unpredictable cold, wet weather. Made from long, fine sheep-wool fibers that were spun into a tight yarn, then woven to form a dense fabric, flannel was strong and utilized the natural properties of wool to provide a barrier against the weather and stink. That tightly-woven wool fabric was then to expose the ends of the fibers, giving the resulting material a hairy texture. This process adds warmth by creating loft that traps air, makes the fabric softer, and increases听moisture wicking.听

To this day, flannel must be made from wool if it鈥檚 going to be as comfortable, functional, and durable as the material is reputed to be. You see, wool is something of a wonder material.听You may think of wool as water-resistant, because you can often see rain bead up and run off its surface. That鈥檚 due to the tightly-woven nature of the garment, along with , which is hydrophobic. The inside of wool fiber is actually hydrophilic, meaning it attracts and absorbs water molecules. Once inside, water vapor is trapped within听the wool fiber, making the material dry to the touch, even when it鈥檚 soaking wet. Splash a bucket of water on a proper flannel shirt and it stays dry.听

Something even cooler happens when water vapor gets inside wool. There, H2O molecules bind to the microscopic structure of the fibers, breaking the bond between the hydrogen and oxygen molecules in that actually produces a tangible amount of heat.听In warm weather, wool absorbs water vapor from the wearer鈥檚 body, then releases it into the atmosphere through evaporation, providing a cooling effect.听

Because the natural crimp of its fibers traps pockets of air within a tightly woven fabric, wool is a good insulator. It holds the heat generated by the wearer in cold, damp conditions, but when it鈥檚 hot out, it traps the cool, dry air created by evaporative cooling, thus insulating the wearer鈥檚 body from the heat. Unlike other materials, that process takes place not just through tiny holes in the fabric, but through the wool fibers themselves. This makes the material exceptionally breathable.听

Wool is also naturally antimicrobial, thanks to the lanolin wax that occurs in its fibers, which kills bacteria it comes into contact with. This, combined with wool鈥檚 ability to manage moisture, creates an environment that's not at all friendly to odor-causing bacteria. Which is why wool doesn鈥檛 stink, ever after days of wear.听

That means you can wash garments made from wool far less often, which is part of why garments made from it are so long-lasting. The other factor in wool鈥檚 durability is that it鈥檚 largely composed of keratin, which can stand up to stretching, bending, and abrasion far better than other types of fiber.听

Some properties of wool have been replicated by cheaper synthetic materials, but no single synthetic fiber can achieve all the things wool can, nor is any synthetic fiber used in clothing as durable as wool. Cotton fibers work in almost the opposite fashion as wool, absorbing vast quantities of water, holding onto it, then听exposing the wearer's skin to that moisture. 听and feels clammy and gross in hot weather.听

That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 positively insulting to call any material made from cotton or synthetic fibers 鈥渇lannel.鈥 Flannel should only ever be made from wool. To suggest that other materials can work as well, by giving them that name, is dangerously misleading.听

Unfortunately, cotton and synthetics are cheaper to produce than wool, so now most supposedly 鈥渇lannel鈥 shirts are not made from the correct material听and the brands who make them intentionally mislead consumers by suggesting their 鈥渇lannel鈥 shirts are good to wear outdoors. Allow me to provide some more appropriate guidance.听

Real Flannels You Should Actually听Buy

They started making these in the 1800s. Where did confusion about materials enter the market?
They started making these in the 1800s. Where did confusion about materials enter the market? (Pendleton)

The Classic: Pendleton Lodge Shirt ($135 to $145)

Made from American-sourced fabric, the Lodge is Pendleton鈥檚 classic, no-nonsense flannel shirt. The Oregon-based company has been in operation since 1863 and still employs a 100-percent wool construction for this shirt.听

Heavy, rugged, simple. Exactly what you want outdoors.
Heavy, rugged, simple. Exactly what you want outdoors. (Fjallraven)

The Solid: Fjallraven Ovik Re-Wool Shirt ($160)

Fjallraven employs sustainable, recycled wool for the construction of this chunky flannel and adds abrasion-resistant polyamide panels to the shoulders, yoke, and elbows to make it even more hard-wearing. Adding to the cold-weather ability of the heavy material, there鈥檚 a hidden button under the collar, enabling you to turn that up and fasten it closed to protect your neck.听

Worried about wool being scratchy? This thing will be soft as butter.
Worried about wool being scratchy? This thing will be soft as butter. (Icebreaker)

Made From Merino: Icebreaker Lodge Shirt ($190)

Merino fibers are smaller in diameter than most other types of wool, meaning they鈥檙e softer. Merino can also be woven more finely than larger wool fibers. Together, that makes the fabric more comfortable when it鈥檚 next to your skin. That鈥檚 good, because this is a lightweight flannel that looks dressy, meaning you can also wear it in less outdoorsy environments.听

Made for mountain biking, the Icon V2 works just as well for other active outdoor pursuits, but looks good lounging too.
Made for mountain biking, the Icon V2 works just as well for other active outdoor pursuits, but looks good lounging too. (Kitsbow)

The Sporty One: Kitsbow Icon Shirt V2 ($220)

Made from heavyweight Pendleton wool, Kitsbow adds a tailored fit that flatters athletic bodies and abrasion-resistant panels on the shoulders and elbows. As good a soft shell as you鈥檒l ever find, in a package that looks, and feels like a button-down shirt.听

This thing is awesome, you will not regret buying one.
This thing is awesome, you will not regret buying one. (Smartwool)

The Shirt-Jacket: Smartwool Anchor Line ($180)

Made from an 80 percent merino, 20 percent nylon blend, the Anchor Line is thick, warm, and soft. It鈥檚 cut very generously, so you can wear it over the rest of your clothes, but I found mine a little too boxy and had a tailor slim down the torso a bit for a more flattering fit. That was the best $20 I ever spent, as it made this shirt-jacket my go-to layer for more than a year. Sadly, it was misplaced when I moved to Montana this summer听and my wardrobe just isn鈥檛 the same without it.听

How to Get the Most from Flannel

You can easily screw up most of the benefits flannel brings by wearing it with the wrong layers. Wearing a cotton t-shirt under a flannel will, for instance, impair wool鈥檚 ability to wick water away from your body. Wearing a flannel shirt under a less-than-breathable outer layer will do the same.听

To get the most out of a flannel shirt鈥檚 abilities, I like to pair it with more wool. Typically, that means layering a thin merino t-shirt (, which lasts longer than other merino fabrics) underneath and putting a thick wool sweater on听top. If I get too hot, I can just strip down to that T, while the sweater will keep me warm down below freezing.

Because flannel or a good wool sweater can easily shed light rain, I鈥檒l skip the shell in favor of maximum breathability unless it鈥檚 really coming down. (If you must add a hardshell, make it one made from Polartec Neoshell, which passively flows air, making it much more breathable than most alternatives.)听听

Need even more warmth? Over that sweater, a good down vest works best. Not only does that free your arms for movement, but it adds insulation where you need it, while allowing the wool garments to exhaust water vapor through your arms and armpits unimpeded. Going even colder? A heavyweight wool jacket will complete your all-wool upper body system. This season, I鈥檓 wearing the , which adds a layer of wool sherpa insulation for extreme warmth.听

A flannel shirt might look just at home in Brooklyn, but so long as it鈥檚 made from wool and layered properly, it鈥檚 the absolute best thing you can wear outdoors, too.听

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