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From runway versions to vintage pieces you can discover online, the workwear classic is being reinvented as a symbol of stylish relaxation.
In many wardrobes, the iconic shirt thick squares is usually reserved for gardening clothingor perhaps used as an extra layer on a bitterly cold day.
In many cases, we will even have one or two pieces of this classic piece of clothing somewhere in our closet, which we haven’t worn in years.
But in 2026, for the first time since the 90sthe “lumberjack shirt” is becoming a real fashion piecenotes the British newspaper
Lately, the flannel shirts have appeared both in the front rows of fashion shows, dressed by fashion editors and stylists, and on figures such as models Adwoa Aboah – The Best Of Adwoa Aboah e Emily Ratajkowskior even the Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola. Brands like Marni, Chloé and Chanel included versions in their most recent presentations.
And, significantly, promotional images from the highly anticipated new season of the Gen Z youth drama show Nate Jacobscharacter played by Jacob Elordwearing a Bottega Veneta “flannel” shirt made of leather.
The piece, originally presented in the spring/summer 2023 collection and worn by Kate Moss on the catwalk, costs 5,300 euros in stores. But of course most people not using the catwalk version from the shirt to the squares.
The piece became popular on vintage platforms:a says that searches for “lumberjack shirts” increased 47% since last year.
One, on sale for 109 euros, became a favorite during New York Fashion Week last year, worn open or tied at the waist over a satin dress.
Hitanshi Kamdardeputy commerce editor at , has noticed this style trick. “What we have seen in fashion lately is this dichotomy between a relaxed piece and others that are more composed,” he says. “It gives an air of someone who understands fashion without requiring a lot of forethought.”
This is not the first time that the “lumberjack shirt” has been in fashion. Grunge made it extremely popular in the 90sbut its history goes back to American outerwear brands such as Pendleton and Woolrich, which, in the 19th century, took patterns from both Scottish tartan and Indian madras.
“What is happening now is that all these references are collapsing each other,” he says. Andrew Grovesdirector of the menswear archive at the University of Westminster, told The Guardian. “A flannel shirt might suggest tradition, rebellion and banality at the same time”.
The , from the Swedish brand Our Legacy and priced at 310 euros, helped to consolidate the idea of the flannel shirt as statement pieceor in the men’s wardrobe.
Mahalia Changeditor of GQ, argues that this is due to the contrast with the tighter clothes that her colleagues tend to wear. “I really like this look at Pep because he looked very relaxed… it made him look a little younger, a little cooler“, it says.
Fundamental to this, and to this more fashionable interpretation of the flannel shirt, is the cut, which must be wide, in the image of Kurt Cobain 90s, not tight and buttoned up, preppy style.
Chang sees the lumberjack shirt as part of a broader trend linked to workwear. “Looks authentic, casual without being sloppy“, he says. “The checkered shirt symbolizes a everyday masculinity. It may seem trite, but it is intertwined with ideas of work, rebellion and authenticity.”
For a more authentic result, Chang advises first trying to look for in your own closetinstead of buying new: “Flannel shirts are cool because improve with time and use. You can tell when one has just left the store.”
Kamdar, on the other hand, wears a piece he particularly likes. “One of my favorite plaid shirts is a very old Ralph Lauren piece that was from my father’s closet,” she says. “I use it until I can no longer”.
