The Flannel Awakening

By Olof Nithenius

Autumn is here, and for style obsessives that means we can show our true colours with layers and beautiful wool fabrics.

There is one material – or fabric, if you will – that is especially close to my heart, in more ways than one: wool flannel. With its matte, lightly felted surface, it’s ideal for life in the Nordics from October to April, whether as a suit cloth or as separate trousers.

Let’s start with the basics: what is flannel? Put simply, it’s a wool fabric, often woven in twill, that is finished with a milling process which “raises” the surface to create that felted, matte handle. Historically, teasels and similar burrs were used. Today, the effect is achieved mechanically with fine hooks that produce the same result. The word flannel is said to derive from the Welsh gwlanen, roughly meaning “woollen cloth”.

There are many variations and weights of flannel. A common distinction is between woollen flannel and worsted flannel. Woollen is the slightly loftier, “feltier” quality most closely associated with the iconic grey flannel trouser. These cloths are woven from carded yarns. The more formal worsted flannel is spun from combed yarns, has a touch more sheen, and feels a little denser.

Many mills – particularly British ones – make superb flannels. The name most synonymous with the cloth is the venerable Fox Brothers. “Fox flannel” has become both a byword and a quality mark; there are few tailors who haven’t worked with it.

Fox also enjoys icon status thanks to wearers like Winston Churchill, whose chalk-stripe suits in Fox flannel are the stuff of legend. On the silver screen, style icon Fred Astaire danced his way through life in tailored flannel. He became so linked with grey flannel trousers that Audrey Hepburn is said to have made a grey flannel photo frame to house a picture of him.

There are other indelible style figures we associate with flannel, not least Gianni Agnelli. The Italian industrialist, aristocrat and lawyer is considered by many to be his country’s greatest style icon, and a defining embodiment of sprezzatura – that relaxed elegance and natural ease with clothes. Agnelli was an early setter of trends and a master of personal expression. He was often seen in perfectly tailored light flannel suits paired with casual pieces like sports jackets and suede boots.

What makes flannel especially relevant today, as dress codes relax, is how easy it is to wear. Think flannel trousers with a knit or cardigan and leather sneakers or boots. A softly tailored flannel suit worn with a denim shirt and suede loafers reads modern and appropriate across industries where ties have disappeared and formality has eased.

To close, a little inspiration from my own wardrobe: Götrich has made me two flannel suits. One is a single-breasted in a woollen flannel from Huddersfield, England. The other is a double-breasted in an Italian flannel from the legendary mill Lanificio F.lli Cerruti – it doesn’t get more Agnelli than that.

Ready to explore flannel for your next suit or the perfect grey trousers? Book an appointment at Götrich – they’ll guide you on cloth, fit and finishing details.