Soft but rugged, smart or casual, the flannel shirt is one of the most versatile items in menswear and ought to have a place in any capsule wardrobe. It’s got your back when you need an extra layer to get through those frosty winter days. Or it can be worn as a breezy top layer – sleeves rolled up and draped over a T-shirt – as days turn to nights during summer beer garden sessions. Some can even be paired with a tie for business casual offices.

Few garments in a man’s rotation can take him from season to season, smart to casual. But the trusty flannel shirt is one of them. It’s an essential through and through, and if you don’t own at least a couple, now’s the time to change that.

Here, we round up Ape’s favourite flannel shirt brands and offer some insight into what you should consider when shopping.

Buying a flannel shirt: what to consider

Material Quality

Ensure the fabric is high quality because low-grade flannel will tear and develop holes. Look for 100% cotton for softness and breathability, or a cotton-wool blend for added warmth and durability. Also check for reinforced seams and quality stitching.

Weight and Thickness

Taylor Stitch

Flannel shirts come in various thicknesses, from lightweight for layering to heavy-duty for colder weather. Choose based on the climate and intended use, but for this type of shirt, we’d always go thicker.

Fit and Style

Wax London

Decide whether you prefer a classic fit (roomier and relaxed) or a slim fit for more tailored outfits. Also, consider whether you want features like chest pockets, button-down collars, or cuff designs.

Bear in mind that flannel can shrink in the wash, so either buy up a size or look for pre-shrunk shirts.

Pattern and Colour

Velasca

Flannel shirts are known for their plaid patterns, but they come in various designs and colours. Choose a pattern that complements your wardrobe and suits your style.

The Best Men’s Flannel Shirt Brands For 2024

Wax London

When it comes to tactile, well-made shirts, Wax London does it better than most. Best known for their knitted overshirts and interesting colour choices, the flannel section is well worth a look, too.

It offers checked and plain versions, both made from 100% cotton by a family-run mill in France. The label’s flannel shirts come in the relaxed fit it does across the board, so you can wear them open over a tee or on their own.

Shop now at Wax London

Velasca

Italian label Velasca manufactures everything in the mother country, and the quality shows in the materials and construction of its garments. The brand’s extensive collection of flannel shirts is a testament to that.

Soft and relaxed in fit, they’re meticulously put together and come in an impressive range of colours, checks and patterns—including houndstooth and gingham alongside the more common plaids and windowpanes.

Shop now at Velasca

Tailor Store

Forget off-the-peg sizes. At Tailor Store, you can get a flannel shirt custom-made for your body simply by entering a few particulars into the brand’s clever sizing algorithm.

The label goes classic with its flannel: handsome and 100% brushed cotton crafted in timeless plaid patterns and autumnal colours. The selection also includes some with workwear-style chest pockets if you want to go authentic on the details.

Shop now at Tailor Store

ASKET

Asket isn’t really a fashion brand. Instead, it only produces the clothes you need. Simple Oxford shirts with the perfect tailored cut; selvedge denim jeans that will last a lifetime; and T-shirts that will form the backbone of your wardrobe.

Its flannel shirts are the same. Featuring a classic button-down collar, a square hem perfect for wearing untucked, and a soft, 100% organic cotton fabric, they may be among the best on this entire list.

The brand’s fabrics are always a strong selling point. This particular flannel is brushed to perfection, having been custom-developed in collaboration with a family-owned Italian mill; it’s lightweight yet robust enough to ensure it’ll look as good now as it will in a decade.

Shop now at ASKET

LL Bean

Much-loved American label LL Bean has been producing handsome, outdoor-friendly menswear for generations. You’ll find a lot of its gear in vintage stores, a testament to its durability.

The brand’s famous flannel shirts undergo a tough test from a master weaver to ensure they’re strong enough, and we’re not sure you’ll find a better cost-to-quality ratio anywhere else. They also feel lovely on the skin, and if you’re outdoors a lot, you could consider a fleece-lined option.

Shop now at LL Bean

Woolrich

Another historic brand that’s been doing great flannel shirts since before your dad was a boy, Woolrich prides itself on the quality of its materials. Its 100% cotton flannel feels like a blanket and usually comes in a mid-weight option that works on its own or open over a T-shirt.

Classic buffalo checks and simple block colours are available, as are outdoorsy design details like button-down chest pockets.

Shop now at Woolrich

Apposta

Italian shirtmakers Apposta creates custom-made products using an online fit guide and thousands of fabric and design choices. And the prices are frankly astonishing for the service.

Its flannel options are a mix of classic and unexpected (polka dot anyone?), and you can customise everything from the collar type to the fit, as well as pockets, plackets and button options.

Shop now at Apposta

Ralph Lauren

Of course, the undisputed king of luxury Americana does flannel shirts. Ralph Lauren’s extensive collection of butter-soft, pre-washed plaid shirts includes rugged work shirts and more formal, fitted options. The former looks great with canvas carpenter pants, and the latter you could quite easily tuck into some tailored pleated trousers.

Bold, colourful checks are Ralph’s trademark, but you’ll also find more muted options if that’s your thing.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Carhartt

Workwear hero Carhartt is well-known and much-loved for its mix of style and practicality, so it’s no surprise to find quality flannel shirts among its rails.

The brand does chunky overshirts and midweight workshirts in flannel, usually but not always in a classic check. Generous across the body, they also hit that sweet spot between soft, easy-wearing comfort and long-lasting durability.

Shop now at Carhartt

Uniqlo

It’s probably fair to say that Japan isn’t a country known for its commitment to minimalism and simplicity. This is what makes high-street retailer Uniqlo such an anomaly. The Japanese brand has slowly taken over the world with its tightly curated seasonal collections of high-quality wardrobe basics.

Shirts are something Uniqlo is renowned for, offering unbeatable quality at such low prices. The brand’s Oxford button-downs have a glowing reputation in menswear, but its flannels aren’t far behind. Expect super-soft brushed cotton, incredible value and just the right amount of variety.

Shop now at Uniqlo

Filson

The iconic red-and-black checked flannel shirt is just as heavily linked to American woodland culture as chainsaws and bushy beards. For the heritage workwear label Filson, it’s a style that’s embedded in its DNA.

The company was founded in Seattle in 1897 to cater to fortune hunters heading north during the Klondike Gold Rush. Heavy flannel shirts and thick blanket coats were, and still are, the label’s bread and butter. This makes Filson a good choice for those looking to stay stylish and warm while owning a slice of authentic Americana.

Shop now at Filson

Taylor Stitch

Californian outdoors specialist Taylor Stitch was born out of three friends’ frustration at being unable to find the perfect shirt. The founders took their quest extremely seriously, approaching the country’s oldest family of shirtmakers to learn what makes a truly great button-down – from “fit and balance to the importance of French seams to why 22 stitches-per-inch matters on a shirt.”

This technical DNA is now central to every single product the brand produces, including its superb range of flannel shirts. Built for the long haul, using only the highest-quality sustainable fabrics, Taylor Stitch is sure to give you your money’s worth.

Shop now at Taylor Stitch

A Day’s March

A Day’s March is an ethical, sustainable brand that believes we all should buy less but better. Shunning fleeting fashion trends, which cause waste that is harmful to the environment, the Swedish label instead focuses on creating timeless wardrobe basics—the type of clothes designed to be worn day after day, year after year.

Its flannel shirts are the epitome of this ethos: coming in solid block colours and traditional checks, they are cut from a quality heavyweight cloth and made exclusively in Portugal. Featuring a comfortable, relaxed fit, they’re ideal for layering during the colder months and make excellent overshirts when the temperature creeps back up.

Buy now at A Day’s March

Fjällräven

Legendary Swedish brand Fjällräven is no stranger to the great outdoors. Since 1960 the label has been producing hard-wearing kit that embodies the philosophy, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. As a result, much of Fjällräven’s output has a touch of the retro about it and its flannel shirts are no exception.

You’ll often hear people say, “They don’t make them like they used to,” when talking about modern clothing. Well, this is a brand that still does. With garments as durable and timeless as they are stylish, Fjällräven’s flannel shirts are equally suited to tackling the countryside or city.

Shop now at Fjällräven

Portuguese Flannel

You might assume that by having the word “flannel” in its name, Portuguese Flannel is a brand that knows a thing or two about the stuff. And you’d be correct. Despite being quite warm, Portugal is Europe’s chief producer and exporter of fine flannel fabric and is widely regarded as the best in the world.

Helmed by fourth-generation shirtmakers Antonio and Manuel Magalhães, Portuguese Flannel produces the high-grade, brushed cotton that can only be achieved through decades of experience. If you want the real deal, this should be your first port of call.

Shop now at END.

NN07

Although it boasts a full range of menswear, Swedish label NN07 is first and foremost a shirting brand. It’s all casual stuff, with Oxfords and flannels making up the bulk of the selection. In terms of the latter, options aren’t limited to classic checked versions. There are also plain designs and the odd grandad collar here and there if you’re looking for a modern twist.

Team this variety with premium materials and solid build quality and you’ll understand why NN07 is renowned for its contemporary flannel shirts.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Mr P.

Mr P. is the in-house clothing line from premium menswear e-tailer MR PORTER. If you aren’t familiar with the products, imagine everything MR PORTER stands for – luxury, quality and good taste – and condense that into a range of ready-to-wear wardrobe essentials.

Given that the flannel shirt is nothing if not a staple garment, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to find out that it features heavily in Mr P.’s seasonal collections. Expect simple styling, meticulous attention to detail and prices that won’t bankrupt you.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Gitman Vintage

The United States’ legendary Gitman Bros. is a brand firmly rooted in traditional American shirtmaking. Meanwhile, Gitman Vintage is a sort of subdivision, paying homage to the label’s rich heritage. It takes throwback styles and brings them up to date for the modern man with contemporary design tweaks and eye-catching prints and patterns. In addition to the Oxford button-down, the classic flannel shirt is one of the brand’s signature pieces, featuring heavily from season to season.

Gitman is also one of the few remaining shirtmakers with all production still based in the US, which means you can buy knowing you’re getting a garment made using the same traditional techniques that have been tried and tested for almost a century.

Shop now at Huckberry

A.P.C.

How many times have you wished you could bottle that effortless cool that Parisian guys just seem to naturally exude? Unfortunately, it can’t be done. But your next best option is shopping at A.P.C. The French label has earned a global reputation as the leading destination for stripped-back wardrobe staples and its range of shirting might just be the best part.

For your money, you’ll be rewarded with European production, a great fit straight off the rail and timeless style appeal. In short, these are shirts that you can keep reaching for season after season, year after year. And they’ll look after you as long as you look after them.

Shop now at SSENSE

Patagonia

Sustainability is the biggest buzzword in men’s fashion at the moment. More and more brands are becoming aware of environmental and ethical issues and altering their production methods as a result. However, Patagonia has been an advocate since day one, with the planet and its good health at the core of everything the label does.

One way Patagonia reduces its footprint is by making sure its clothes are built to last a lifetime, with an extensive repair service in case they don’t. As an outdoor brand, flannel shirts are always part of the collection, and you can wear them 100% guilt-free.

Shop now at FarFetch