Flannel Suits

Thanks to the materials functionality and affordability, it became popular throughout Europe and beyond quite quickly. Due to the materials use as a workwear textile over the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, flannel has often been associated with a rugged, rebellious quality; however, after World War I, the fabric was proved to have a sophisticated appearance with suiting and corporate wear.

The 1950’s saw the upswing of grey flannel suits which soon became the standard among business men as the style was made famous by the 1956 film adaptation of the classic novel ‘The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit’. It became synonymous with hard-working affluence and flannel suits of all corporate colours carry these same connotations today. The underrated benefit of a flannel suit is its versatility. It can easily be dressed up with a good pair of lace up shoes, a button-down shirt and neck tie, or dressed down with more casual styling and when worn as separates. The jacket alone can be a fantastic, classic outerwear piece for the duration of the Winter and Autumn seasons.

As a reliable, long-lasting, warm outfit, the flannel suit is the perfect addition to your Winter rotation. While the napped fabric brings the formality down to a certain degree, the suits versatility allows it to transition seamlessly from the office to social events and from day to night.

A grey flannel suit has always been a staple suit and a great way to keep warm while looking sleek and put together. Of course, an obvious choice of flannel is a medium to dark grey such as N696030 by Loro Piana. If you are not after the classic, straight grey, a nice check like Scabal’s 705880 is a great option to stay corporate. For a flannel suit that is a little bit more unique, something like a copper toned brown or burgundy makes a lovely outfit. Piacenza’s 16/36 is an excellent demonstration of this.