It’s Not Too Late for Some Flannel

The leaves are budding, the flowers are blooming, and everything is green. Spring is here, right? Time to break out those polo shirts and linen trousers, right? Not quite. For me, I tend to find spring a bit chilly, especially on those cloudy, rainy days. Sure, there’s been a day here and there where we’ve broken into the 70s, but for the most part the temperature has been hovering in the 50s around here. In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m wearing cashmere socks, heavy selvedge denim jeans, an Oxford button down, and a wool sweater. I mean, I’m writing outside smoking a cigar, but still; it’s chilly.

So, what does this mean? Well, I’m here to tell you to not put all those cold weather clothes into storage just yet. The other day I wore some flannel trousers, a royal oxford dress shirt, a flannel jacket, and some oxford brogues, and it was perfect. Maybe I won’t be layering as much, but some of those thicker, warmer fabrics are better choices than their lighter weight cousins. I heard someone say the other day that during this time of year, mornings are winter, midday is spring, afternoons are summer, and evenings are fall. This is so true! Personally, I’d rather be warm in the mornings and evenings and have to remove my jacket in the afternoon, than suffer in the cold to be comfortable later in the day. What I’m saying is that it’s not too late for some flannel.

I would suggest sticking with a lighter Italian flannel better suited to fall and spring over a heavy English flannel which is truly more suited to winter. Suitsupply has some great flannels woven in this style and are perfect when it’s cold, but not freezing out. So don’t underdressing like it’s summer out just yet. There are still some cold days on the horizon. Keep comfortable, keep warm, and dress appropriately.