Suits, trousers and jackets can be made of tweed, wool, linen and blends, including silk. Each weave and type has its properties that make it distinct, and each one has its best uses – tweed for jackets and country suits, worsted for business suits, etc. One fabric that has been around for years is flannel. Like many fabrics, its name is familiar, but what is it, exactly?
The word “flannel” may be Welsh (so many weaves and names of fabrics come from the British Isles), and was first noted in the 16th century. Made of cotton or wool, flannel was popular as a fluffy material. Today flannel can be made from cotton, wool and blends.
Flannel is technically a twill weave, with a reverse and front side. Twill – wool that is – can be worsted (flat) or woolen (fluffy). Worsted is made of combed yarns (combing separates short fibres from long fibres, leaving the long fibres). Combing leaves short and long fibres together, hence the fluffy, textured finish.
Here is where it gets technical. You can have worsted flannel or woolen flannel. Worsted flannel does not have the fluff that woolen flannel has, and has a tighter weave. During milling, worsted flannel becomes smoother. Milling means beating and shaking the fibre to give the flannel the fuzzy texture.
Really thick woolen or worsted flannel can be used for overcoats. Worsted flannel is often used for light weight clothes, whereas woolen flannel is preferred for thicker fabrics and thus winter clothes.
Purists prefer woollen flannel over worsted flannel, for its depth and texture. Stripes, for example, look completely different when woven in woolen flannel from how they do in worsted flannel – in woollen flannel they look really deep in the cloth, whereas in worsted flannel they can sometimes look as if they were drawn on.
Flannel also suits certain colours more than others. Grey, navy and brown work well in flannel; the texture makes the colours more interesting. Grey woollen flannels are popular as odd trousers, and can be worn as casual or semi-formal. Worsted flannel somehow does not have quite the same effect.
Consider a pair of grey flannels as a basic wardrobe item, and have AskOkey make them for you in our classic cut.