How to Wear Flannel Shirts in a Business Casual Wardrobe

If your idea of flannel shirting begins and ends at “weekend,” you’ve got some re-thinking to do.

Flannel shirts may be most closely identified with lumberjacks or hipster baristas in the popular imagination, but shirts made from this cozy and characterful fabric can easily fit into a business casual wardrobe as well.

First, consider the shirt itself. Tartan (aka plaid) patterns are readily associated with flannel shirting, but not all flannel shirts must be tartan. For a flannel shirt that can be more easily worn with chinos or even a suit in an office setting, seek out a solid-colored flannel shirt or a flannel shirt featuring a more subtle, smaller-scale pattern such as houndstooth.

Depending on the formality of your workplace, you can wear tartan flannel shirts to work as well. Tartan flannel shirts easily pair to crisp chinos or dress trousers, and can even be matched to suits so long as you keep the tie subdued and solid.

And then there’s the matter of fit. One reason that flannel shirts are associated with the casual end of the spectrum is because they often have a loose, even boxy fit. But a custom-made flannel shirt will be just as fitted as your go-to dress shirt, allowing it to factor into a business casual wardrobe with far more ease.