A Good Day for Flannels

New handloom flannels for colder temps and a day in Marin.

My preference for clothing has evolved slightly in the past few years. I want to own things I can wear in a lot of different scenarios. I need shirts that I can wear with a sport coat or over a T-shirt on a plane—specialization be damned! Everything needs to work with what I already have in my wardrobe, or it’s not coming aboard. The previous handloom items I have made with the Original Madras Trading Co. have become the foundation of my warm-weather wardrobe. I love the ease and versatility of those shirts, but also just selfishly wanted something for cold weather.

With this in mind I thought we could make some new shirts that retain the comfort and classic look of the plaid shirts I have been wearing but with winter weight and colors. While looking through the extensive OMTC archive in New York, I found a lovely series of patterns that would become the exact shirts I was hunting for. Together, we created four earth-tone-driven patterns made specifically for colder weather. Made in small batches, these shirts have the handfeel of traditional flannel and a depth of texture from the handloom construction.

I knew when these special shirts arrived that my friend Spencer Wells would like them. He’s been wearing the other ACL x OMTC madras shirts often, so I sent him these new flannels to incorporate into his daily looks. Together with our friend Tim Marvin behind the camera, they helped bring these shirts to life in Marin. I think the photos help to illustrate the versatility and ease of these shirts. Hope you like them as much as I do.