Love at first sight
Is it even possible not to love it? Soft and thick, warm and comforting, generous and consistent, flannel is one of those fabrics that offer a singular extra soul to the pieces that are dressed in it. As admirers of its richness, we have reserved for it on our racks the space that it occupies in our hearts: a place of choice. Presentation.
A short story of a misunderstood woman
From everyday language to the most technical jargon, the use of the word "flannel" almost always raises questions. And for good reason, the meaning of the term has largely evolved over time. Initially designating wool itself ("gwlanen" literally meaning "wooly" in its native Wales), it then characterized the woolens used in textiles and furnishings before encompassing all brushed fabrics with a plush appearance .
Formerly woven from carded wool, possibly combed, always brushed to obtain the fluffy effect that we know, flannel is understood less nowadays as a material than as a manufacturing technique. For this reason, no one will be surprised to find cotton flannels today - or even synthetic flannels - which was strictly unthinkable before the 19th century.
Like denim, flannel's success has extended far beyond its original attributes, thus decoupling its name from its primary characteristics.
Flannel today
In the contemporary sense of the term, and regardless of the fiber used, flannel is a fabric worked in plain or twill weave , brushed until it obtains a soft and velvety texture . This characteristic brushing gives flannel, in addition to its famous felting, particular properties that make it a formidable ally in winter : warmth, softness, insulation, comfort and reassurance.
By playing on the tension of the weave, the diameter of the threads or the brushing technique, flannel can then take on very different forms : loose and fluffy, dense and fleecy or even nervous and shaggy. For this reason, it dresses trousers , shirts and jackets with the same ease (to name only its feats of arms in the modern clothing sector). Versatile and polymorphous , a fabric with 1,001 faces, each softer than the last, you will find it as dry and shaven on a suit as abundant and airy on a shirt - or vice versa. Depending on its thickness and density, depending on whether it is wool or cotton , whether or not it touches the skin of its wearer, depending on the expected visual effect, it can be milky or uncombed, sometimes imitating velvet and sometimes foam.
Flannel in the Hast locker room
For those of us who are passionate about textured pieces, flannel (and its strong character) is a must-have. Unsurprisingly, we have reserved a special place for it in our wardrobe, for your greatest pleasure. At Hast, you will find it here and there, on this or that garment, always in majesty:
- on our shirts , first, available in a fine and creamy material to wear next to the skin . Flanked by an American collar , officer or hidden buttons , plain or patterned , available in a pretty range of autumnal shades , these creations are intended to bring a little tenderness into your winter wardrobe - and into this brutal world. If you (also) have trouble leaving the duvet between October and April, these beautiful cotton, cotton-linen or cotton-tencel duvets will quickly become your best allies.
- on our thick shirts and overshirts , then, worked in a heavier fabric. Designed to support a long-sleeved T-shirt , a sweatshirt or a sweater , these exploit their full potential in layering . Military-inspired , structured by chest pockets or imagined as the "winter fur" versions of our Oxford models , we have made sure to publish a very rich range, proof against the assaults of the thermometer.
- on our trousers , made from more compact wools designed to dress the legs. Navy blue with pleats or singularly chipped , you will have the leisure to choose them very sober or more original, imtely bringing to your outfits a very British chic.
- on our suits , to stay dressed to the nines even in the harshest of winter. And for good reason, the wool flannel suit is a ready-made solution to save formality from hypothermia . When others will put elegance into hibernation at the first cold snap, you will only have to take out of its cover your two-piece in gray flannel , or its counterpart in navy flannel , to show that the drop in mercury does not imply that of refinement. Not at home, at least.
Focus on our chalk striped suit
Not content with inventing the modern suit (thanks Beau Brummell), our British neighbours also forged the legend of the pinstriped suit. A key piece of the formal dress code in the 1920s, it was indistinctly adored by bankers, businessmen, politicians and gangsters of all stripes.
Ostentatious and a bit flashy, it fell into oblivion after the Second World War, only to make a strong comeback in the 80s and even more so in the 90s. Widely associated with financial ease and the Wall Street style, this surge was short-lived, as it ran out of steam before the end of the millennium.
It is only recently that this pattern has made a notable comeback, thanks to less serious and austere creations. By playing on the cut, the contrast, the spacing of the lines or the color of the stripes , the striped suits of the 21st century are freeing themselves from their bourgeois heritage to take a particularly tasty turn.
Moved by the DNA of this garment, between absolute classicism and extravaganza , we wanted to integrate it into our fall-winter 2024 collection to perpetuate its tradition.
With this in mind, we worked it in a magnificent super 110’s wool flannel , sourced in Italy from a well-known and renowned weaver (Marzotto, not to name him).
With its 310 gr/m2 , it will faithfully escort you from the first chills of autumn to the last chills of spring, passing through the coldest of seasons. Vertically on the deep blue of the wool, its " chalk stripes " (as the English say) will never have been so aptly named, the white threads appearing on this vaporous material like so many strokes of chalk.
With controlled spacing , these move away from pure British tradition to embrace Italian sprezzatura , a convenient way to distance ourselves from an overly literal interpretation of the power suit . Combined with a relatively close-fitting cut, the choice of this pattern places our suit in balance on a ridge line, with formal elegance to port and controlled nonchalance to starboard.
Its two slits in the back , its 8.5 centimeter lapel , its gusset pocket, its two-pleated pants and its 19.5 centimeter leg opening say nothing else.
Worn in one piece with a poplin shirt and a silk tie , you will touch the height of delicacy. In addition to a denim shirt open over a T-shirt , you will move the cursor towards a more casual chic register which will work no less admirably. By mismatching your suit , the range of possibilities increases even more since you can associate your flannel pants with a work jacket , or your striped jacket with your favorite jeans (for example).
There's no other way to tell it than this chalk-striped suit is a total piece of clothing: there's nothing it can't do.
The final word
Flannel is a queen. Made of wool, cotton or more special alloys, it wraps its wearer in a cloud of tenderness that looks like a cocoon. Elegant and special, it is sometimes thick and soft, sometimes fine and creamy, but always beautifully fluffy. Dressing our shirts as well as our pants and suits in our wardrobe, it is a declaration of love for versatility as well as a plea for texture. Everything we love about Hast, and everything you love about us.
