Flannels good for city weather

Summer is already here and so are flannel plaid shirts. With a weather like Bengaluru's, where rain and the chilly wind is almost unpredictable, this fabric does quite the job.

Bhavya Chawla, co-founder and chief stylist, Voonik says, "A flannel shirt acts like a jacket, especially for a city that is synonymous with untimely cold winds and rains. It is therefore advisable to have something which is a layer. The emerging trend is flannel shirts and considering that most flannel shirts are plaid or check shirts, it is the way to go. Plaids are quite in this Spring-Summer and it gives a sporty look too."

Flannel shirts can also be considered as a replacement for heavy jackets like a denim one. They can be kept in a handbag more conveniently and can be worn while travelling.

"Flannel shirts have always been popular with people who like to wear loose and peppy clothes. However, since flannel is considered more 'Yang' than 'Yin' in fashion, most women hesitate to pick one for themselves but it all depends on the way one style it," adds Bhavya.

Flannel shirts have gone through a sea change, be it the size of the checks or the plaid pattern. This trend is definitely a combination of street style and casual wear.

Saggar Mehra, Creative Director at Sunil Mehra says, "Flannel shirts are definitely a growing trend and we are going to see it more this year.

The fabric itself has gained a lot of popularity. There are different outfits other than just shirts that one can look forward to. Coats, blazers and trousers are some of them."

Not just in western outfits, flannel is catching up with Indian wear like Jawahar jackets too. Saggar points out that flannel and cashmere together make up for one of the most luxurious combinations.

"Flannel and silk can be used to create unique Indian and Indo-Western wear. We have included flannel in our collection in the classic tartan pattern and have also gone off-beat with flannel in our limited edition embroidered Jawahar jackets," adds Saggar.

For Akshay Narvekar, founder, Bombay Shirt Company, flannel shirts are synonymous with cool, effortless and casual wear.

He says, "It is considered the perfect after-office shirt and is extremely popular among men as an evening get-together. In fact, checked flannel shirts is a signature and found in every man's wardrobe today."

Bringing in the growing preference of custom-made shirts among men, Akshay says fabrics like flannel work best when it's of the perfect fit.

"People tend to opt for classic colours like red, green, black, grey, white. It's growing from being just a casual or grunge wear to a smart casual style, where we see the flannel shirts tucked in with chinos, belt and suede derby shoes."

So it is not just the shirts that are getting popular, the fabric too is a hot favourite.

"The flannel fabric is typically made out of worsted wool or cotton, which makes the fabric very soft on the skin and has its own flow making it a popular choice to go for."

Style your look with a flannel shirt

Tied it around the waist, it acts like a cool and stylish factor.
Pair bolder patterns and colours with minimal and neutral outfits.
Go for an athleisure look.
Team a flannel shirt with denim shorts, a casual tank top and sneakers.
Pullover a flannel shirt with a pinafore dress.