SN Style: Flannel makes leap to 'lumberjack chic'
Jordan Berman, a retail, fashion design and art history, said he’s been wearing plaid and flannel for the past two or three years, much of which he accumulated at his job at a local clothing store. “it’s a hipster thing, I guess,” Berman said. “And i like hipster stuff.”
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With the winter wonderland outside of our doorways every morning, staying warm is on the minds of every student lucky enough to be stomping through the snow on a daily basis. Keeping this in mind, the fashion world has been forced to take a more practical turn with heavy coats, big boots and the latest winter staple to go trendy: flannel.
On the bright side, style isn’t becoming a sacrifice of practicality as of yet, since the pattern is quickly being taken out of the realm of backwoods adventuring to what can only be described as lumberjack chic.
“I’m from the (Upper Peninsula) where everyone wears flannel,” said preveterinary medicine freshman Valerie Takala. When venturing into the city, Takala said the number of people wearing the pattern usually drops drastically, but this winter, she has noticed it’s fans are on the rise.
“This winter I’ve definitely seen a lot more people wearing flannel patterns,” said Takala.
The fabric, which is now generally made from wool or cotton, also is no longer restricted to a shirt being worn with jeans. With flannel, if there’s a willingness to try it, there’s a new way to wear it.
With flannel’s roots in an outdoorsman category of wearers typically looking to stay warm while working, the increasingly popular item is making some students feel right at home.
“I’m from the backwoods, so I guess I kind of grew up with it,” said Chris Bowker, a civil engineering senior. “Also, it’s kind of rural looking, which is kind of the look I like to do anyway.”
Celebrities are now becoming synonymous with the trend. Lindsay Lohan can be spotted in most photo-ops sporting a men’s style button-up paired with anything from stiletto boots to leggings to leather pants.
The pattern evokes a sort of urban-country feel that also can be seen in ladies button-front dresses and scarves.
But with flannel taking every shape from coats and shirts right down to shoelaces, shoppers can find something in virtually every price range, making it not only weather-smart, but wallet friendly. After all, flannel is nothing if not a fabric for the everyman.
Forever 21, 3017 Preyde Blvd., in Lansing’s Eastwood Towne Center, starts tops and other items at $12 and goes up from there. Their Web site also features men’s styles beginning right around $20.
As with anything, if you have the funds and are looking to splurgeUrban Outfitters, 119 E. Grand River Ave., has really got the flannel trend down to a science and is putting it to use with men’s button-up shirts ranging in price from $45 to $80 and ladies’ winter jackets priced up to $200.
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