Taylor Hassa
Staff Writer
The weather is finally transitioning from the heat of summer to the cooler, more crisp days of fall. These days are full of clear blue skies, the pretty colors of the changing leaves and of course, flannel shirts.
These are the days college students go to bed praying for, just because it is the perfect weather for the most comfy shirt known to fall fashion.
And, of course, with such an iconic article of clothing comes an interesting history. The fashion dictionary says that flannel was originally made from carded wool. Carding is the process that breaks the wool fiber up so the fabric lays parallel with one another.
Flannel is said to have first appeared in 17th century Wales. Farmers used to wear them to protect themselves from the elements. As the popularity of flannel grew, it was worn by all blue collar workers.
Some people tend to confuse plaid with flannel, so to clear that up, flannel is a fabric and plaid is a print. Plaid is often found on flannel, hence the 20th century “lumberjack” look associated with the plaid flannel.
Nowadays, people associate the flannel with hipsters, because the flannel gives off a very “I don’t care” look. This is because they don’t understand how comfortable and stylish flannel really is.
The No. 1 reason to keep this shirt in your wardrobe this fall is because it keeps you warm. Fall weather is so unpredictable; it’s nice to have a shirt you can just throw on over whatever you’re wearing and have it keep you warm.
Flannels are also easy to wear because you can wear them with anything. Flannels also come in every color under the sun. With a solid long sleeve or short sleeve shirt under them, they are the perfect look for fall.