How to Wear a Flannel Shirt: 7 Ways to Style the Burly Menswear Classic
StyleWhen your look needs an extra hit of warmth and vibes, it’s tough to top a big, brawny flannel.By Coleman MolnarJanuary 13, 2025Photographs: Getty Images; Collage: Gabe ConteSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.Winter is the perfect time for cozy sweaters, nogs of various flavors, and learning how to wear a flannel shirt. Like a crackling fireplace, there’s something entirely approachable about flannel. Maybe it’s due to its texture or the fact that it’s often presented in plaid, but the flannel shirt ranks high among the staples of Americana—right up there with blue jeans and white tees— in terms of sheer wearability.The first flannel garments were fashioned from woven and brushed wool to keep farmers warm in 17th-century Wales, but it was the industrial revolution and a Pennsylvania brand named Woolrich that helped bring the style to the American masses and evolve it into the fashion staple it is today. They’ve had plenty of help since from the likes of Pendleton, L.L.Bean, Carhartt, Filson, and more.These days, flannel remains as hardworking a material as ever, with nearly as deep of roots in pop culture as it does in workwear. Don’t believe me? Close your eyes and picture a fella in a flannel shirt. Are you seeing Kurt Cobain or A$AP Rocky? Bruce Springsteen or Tom Bunyan? LeBron James or Al Borland? Because they’ve all worn it well—and now you can, too. Here’s how to wear a flannel shirt in style.Keep It SimpleBenicio Del Toro, 2005 Jean Baptiste LacroixThere’s a classic element to the flannel shirt that plays well with other staples such as leather and denim. Here, vaunted Hollywood villain Benicio del Toro gives it his effortless bad-boy spin using things that you probably have in your closet: relaxed, worn-in jeans and a slick black leather jacket.Beat the ChillErnie Hudson, 2005 J. VespaWhen it's extra chilly out, there's no topping the windchill-busting qualities of a brawny flannel work shirt layered over a slim turtleneck or even a wooly sweater. Ernie gets it.Prep OutJohnny Knoxville, 2019 SMXRF/Star MaxA bright, brash plaid flannel can help knock the fustiness right out of otherwise grandpa-y garments like a slouchy cardigan or stiff chinos.Size UpDevin Booker, 2023 Gary Dineen/Getty ImagesWanna feel extra cozy? Follow in Devin Booker’s chill footsteps and pull on a big, boxy flannel over a similarly relaxed crewneck sweatshirt and baggy jeans.Go With the FlowGeorge Clooney, 1995 Vinnie Zuffante/Getty ImagesMost PopularJewelryThe Best Signet Rings Will Make You Twice as InterestingBy Toby StandingGQ Recommends63 Ingenious Gifts for New Dads (Recommended by Less-New Dads)By Ali FinneyGQ RecommendsThe Best Baggy Jeans Are Taking Their Victory LapBy Leon HedgepethYou rarely see Clooney in anything but a sharp gray suit these days, but even a tailoring aficionado as committed as he is can't resist the laidback allure of a flannel shirt on occasion. His zip-up version is deployed here perfectly over a crisp white T-shirt and eternally cool shades.Hit the BeachThe Beach Boys, 1962 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesThink flannel shirts are only for cold climates? Think again. The style has long been embraced by West Coast surfers, the ideal layer for warming up and kicking back after a bracing sesh at the crack of dawn.Embrace HistoryMatty Matheson, 2023 Raymond HallFlannel shirts have deep history in the worlds of workwear, western wear, and biker culture, and veritable style god Matty Matheson managed to combine all three by way of some beat-to-hell double knees, yeehaw boots, and a seriously sick leather vest. Take notes.Our Favorite Flannel ShirtsYou've seen the inspiration. Now it's time to put what you learned into action. Here are four timeless flannels we wholeheartedly endorse—and don't miss our full list of the best flannel shirts for even more great options.J.CrewWallace & Barnes Heritage Flannel Workshirt$128 J.CrewBatherMarlin Plaid Flannel Shirt$170 BatherAbercrombie & Fitch90s Oversized Flannel$70 Abercrombie & FitchWytheWashed Flannel Workshirt$188 HuckberryHow to Wear a Flannel Shirt FAQWhat are flannel shirts made of?AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronThe term “flannel” can be traced back to the Welsh word for wool, indicating the traditional material of choice. But not all brands known for flannel shirts use wool. Flannel is by definition a soft woven material, which today is typically fashioned from wool and/or cotton, sometimes with added synthetic fibres. Whether it’s made from wool or cotton, however, “brushing” the material adds more softness and warmth.For example, Pendleton’s iconic flannel shirts are made from 100% virgin wool, L.L.Bean’s daddishly handsome flannels are made from 100% cotton, and the original North American purveyor of plaid flannel shirts, Woolrich, uses both wool and brushed cotton.Who makes the best flannel shirts?AccordionItemCon
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Winter is the perfect time for cozy sweaters, nogs of various flavors, and learning how to wear a flannel shirt. Like a crackling fireplace, there’s something entirely approachable about flannel. Maybe it’s due to its texture or the fact that it’s often presented in plaid, but the flannel shirt ranks high among the staples of Americana—right up there with blue jeans and white tees— in terms of sheer wearability.
The first flannel garments were fashioned from woven and brushed wool to keep farmers warm in 17th-century Wales, but it was the industrial revolution and a Pennsylvania brand named Woolrich that helped bring the style to the American masses and evolve it into the fashion staple it is today. They’ve had plenty of help since from the likes of Pendleton, L.L.Bean, Carhartt, Filson, and more.
These days, flannel remains as hardworking a material as ever, with nearly as deep of roots in pop culture as it does in workwear. Don’t believe me? Close your eyes and picture a fella in a flannel shirt. Are you seeing Kurt Cobain or A$AP Rocky? Bruce Springsteen or Tom Bunyan? LeBron James or Al Borland? Because they’ve all worn it well—and now you can, too. Here’s how to wear a flannel shirt in style.
Keep It Simple
There’s a classic element to the flannel shirt that plays well with other staples such as leather and denim. Here, vaunted Hollywood villain Benicio del Toro gives it his effortless bad-boy spin using things that you probably have in your closet: relaxed, worn-in jeans and a slick black leather jacket.
Beat the Chill
When it's extra chilly out, there's no topping the windchill-busting qualities of a brawny flannel work shirt layered over a slim turtleneck or even a wooly sweater. Ernie gets it.
Prep Out
A bright, brash plaid flannel can help knock the fustiness right out of otherwise grandpa-y garments like a slouchy cardigan or stiff chinos.
Size Up
Wanna feel extra cozy? Follow in Devin Booker’s chill footsteps and pull on a big, boxy flannel over a similarly relaxed crewneck sweatshirt and baggy jeans.
Go With the Flow
- GQ RecommendsThe Best Baggy Jeans Are Taking Their Victory Lap
You rarely see Clooney in anything but a sharp gray suit these days, but even a tailoring aficionado as committed as he is can't resist the laidback allure of a flannel shirt on occasion. His zip-up version is deployed here perfectly over a crisp white T-shirt and eternally cool shades.
Hit the Beach
Think flannel shirts are only for cold climates? Think again. The style has long been embraced by West Coast surfers, the ideal layer for warming up and kicking back after a bracing sesh at the crack of dawn.
Embrace History
Flannel shirts have deep history in the worlds of workwear, western wear, and biker culture, and veritable style god Matty Matheson managed to combine all three by way of some beat-to-hell double knees, yeehaw boots, and a seriously sick leather vest. Take notes.
Our Favorite Flannel Shirts
You've seen the inspiration. Now it's time to put what you learned into action. Here are four timeless flannels we wholeheartedly endorse—and don't miss our full list of the best flannel shirts for even more great options.
How to Wear a Flannel Shirt FAQ
What are flannel shirts made of?
The term “flannel” can be traced back to the Welsh word for wool, indicating the traditional material of choice. But not all brands known for flannel shirts use wool. Flannel is by definition a soft woven material, which today is typically fashioned from wool and/or cotton, sometimes with added synthetic fibres. Whether it’s made from wool or cotton, however, “brushing” the material adds more softness and warmth.
For example, Pendleton’s iconic flannel shirts are made from 100% virgin wool, L.L.Bean’s daddishly handsome flannels are made from 100% cotton, and the original North American purveyor of plaid flannel shirts, Woolrich, uses both wool and brushed cotton.
Who makes the best flannel shirts?
It’s not easy to crown one king of flannel, but there is one name that rises above the rest due to the quality of its garments as well as its vaulted status in pop culture. Oregon’s Pendleton is inextricably tied to flannel thanks to the enduring quality and popularity of their Board Shirt. In fact, the Beach Boys were so enamored with the woven-wool shirts—which are weighted so as to be able to be used comfortably as outerwear in warmer weather or as a layer underneath a coat in cooler temperatures—that the band was originally named The Pendletons. Thirty years later, fellow West-Coast artist Kurt Cobain put a much different spin on the shirt, giving it a home in ’90s grunge as well. Since then, the Pendleton Board Shirt hasn’t changed much: It’s still woven from 100% wool in the brand’s Oregon mills and remains one of the coziest ways to look casually cool.
