Flannel worth flaunting: from Billie Eilish’s love of plaid, to Barack Obama’s comments on Tim Walz’s attire, and Kate Moss’ trompe l’oeil Bottega Veneta look – this staple has high fashion moments too
A look that never goes out of style, flannel in 2024 alone could fit everyone from the ‘cowgirl aesthetic’ crowd to the grunge-inspired devotees of indie sleaze
If there’s one working-class symbol that has won over the world of high fashion through the decades, it would have to be the humble flannel shirt, a reliably comfortable, effortlessly cool wardrobe staple loved by lumberjacks and fashionistas alike.
Bottega Veneta spring/summer 2025. Photo: Handout
Virtually synonymous with versatility thanks to its workwear origins, it’s one of the first styling tools many of us unknowingly learned how to use. Whether worn sleeves rolled up or down, buttoned or not, tied around the waist or over the shoulders, used as an undershirt or a shacket, a flannel shirt continues to be a statement piece for all seasons.
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In another testament to its enduring popularity, it’s probably one of the few items hiding in your wardrobe that finds new life across many trends year on year. In 2024 alone, flannel could fit everyone from the “cowgirl aesthetic” crowd to the grunge-inspired devotees of indie sleaze.
Kate Moss at the Bottega Veneta spring/summer 2023 show. Photo: Handout
It’s so ubiquitous, in fact, that people conflate the soft woven fabric with the plaid patterns usually printed on them: Bottega Veneta, a champion of the trompe l’oeil effect, nodded to this when it famously sent supermodel Kate Moss down the runway in a flannel-like leather shirt paired with “denim” leather trousers.
Gigi Hadid is seen upon arriving at the Haneda Airport in November 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: WireImage
An easy way to add colour, texture or a touch of edginess to any outfit, flannel counts a wide range of celebrities among its fans too, from the Hadid sisters – who frequently rock high-end flannel pieces as part of their off-duty street style – to singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, who prefers a more androgynous, streetwear-infused look.
Billie Eilish is seen watching a game between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in May, in New York City. Photo: Getty Images
Democratic in essence, flannel owes its perpetual longevity in fashion to its evergreen status as a symbol of the everyman. At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, even former US president Barack Obama alluded to that when pointing out vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz’s flannel shirts in making an appeal to blue-collar voters.
