How to Style a Flannel Shirt (+ 16 Outfit Ideas)
If you’ve been reading CCCH for a while, you KNOW how much I love a good flannel shirt. I’ve owned many flannel shirts (in classic plaids as well as solids) over the years I’ve been documenting my style here. They’re one of my favorite shirts for fall and winter because they’re so soft and cozy, and all I want to wear in the colder months are things that are soft and cozy!
Below, I shared how to style a flannel shirt and rounded up 16 flannel shirt outfit ideas to inspire your next look. I’d wear any of these outfits to the office! I also shared a few things to keep in mind next time you’re shopping for a flannel shirt and a list of my favorite brands to shop for flannel shirts.
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How to Style a Flannel Shirt
Flannel button-down shirts are fall/winter staples. When you think of fall, you probably think of apple and pumpkin picking in the northeast U.S. wearing a flannel shirt and drinking hot apple cider surrounded by beautiful foliage. I don’t even live in that part of the country and that’s immediately where my mind goes when I think of flannel shirts! 😆
Flannel shirts most often come in various plaid varieties, but there are also a number of retailers offering striped and solid flannel shirts. I’ve owned a bunch of different plaid, striped, and solid flannel shirts over the years!
When you think flannel shirts, you probably immediately think to pair them with jeans. A flannel shirt + jeans is a classic, no-fail fall/winter outfit idea. They worked well with the skinny jeans of years past but can be tucked into wide-leg or flare jeans if those are more your style! Also try pairing flannel shirts with other types of bottoms, like ponte pants, corduroy pants, and skirts.
Finish your flannel shirt outfits with any type of weather-appropriate shoes (ballet flats, loafers, ankle boots, lace-up boots, rain boots, snow boots, etc.). Top it off with a cozy cardigan, lightweight jacket, puffer coat, wool coat, etc. I love adding a beanie, too!
Mix up your outfits by styling your flannel shirt in different and exciting ways, such as layered over dresses, layered under sweaters, open and layered over a fitted tank top or bodysuit, or tied around your waist.
Flannel Shirt Shopping Tips
Things to note when shopping for a flannel shirt:
Thickness—go thicker for colder climates
Material(s)—should be 100% cotton in most cases
Body length—some might be too long on petite frames
Sleeve length—especially if you have long arms like me
Colors—plaid or solid? Neutral or colorful?
Extra features—POCKETS are always fun!
Be sure keep these things in mind when you browse online stores. Read ALL the reviews if you can (or at least the reviews from people who wear around the same size as you), especially if you want to order from a new-to-you brand. Check for garment measurements as well.
The best time of year to shop for flannel shirts is when new fall collections are released at the end of summer! It’s also worth checking back throughout the fall and winter to see if any of them go on sale.
My favorite brands for flannel shirts:
Now that you know how to style a flannel shirt, I rounded up 16 flannel shirt outfit ideas to inspire you! I bet you can make most if not all of these outfits with similar items in your own closet. There’s a shopping widget below each outfit with exact or similar items if you’re in the market for a particular item. Some of these flannel shirt outfits are quite a few years old now (I’ve been blogging since 2013!) and may seem more dated. I shared ideas to make them on trend for 2024!
What is your favorite way to wear a flannel shirt?
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Flannel Shirt Outfit Ideas
Wear a Leather Jacket
Give your plaid flannel shirt some edge by pairing it with a leather jacket! In this outfit, I’m wearing a black and green plaid flannel shirt with a black (faux) leather jacket. I recommend pairing a dark leather jacket with a flannel shirt that has a dark base color (black, brown, navy, burgundy, forest green, etc.). If you have a white or other light-colored leather jacket, pair it with a similarly light-colored flannel shirt!
Light Layers + Flats
During the fall months (or winter if you live in a more mild climate) is the perfect time to layer lightweight coats and jackets over your flannel shirts. These third pieces can help your outfit feel finished while providing some additional warmth! My collarless coat allows for the collar of the flannel shirt to peek out. And, since it wasn’t too cold, I wore flats! Definitely take advantage of that if the weather is nice.
Transitional Mini Skirt
I wore this flannel shirt outfit early in the fall many years ago, and it’s still a favorite of mine! If it’s warm but not too warm out, roll up the sleeves on your flannel shirt and tuck it into a mini skirt. Another option is to wear a bodysuit with the mini skirt and layer an opened flannel shirt over top. In that case, the flannel shirt acts as the third piece and finishes the look! This would also look adorable with tights if it is cooler out.
Classic Jeans + Boots
Classic blue jeans are probably the first thing you think of when you think of what to wear with a flannel shirt. It’s definitely my default outfit! If skinny jeans aren’t your thing, flannel shirts work just as well with straight leg or even wide-leg jeans. I still wear my skinny jeans when I wear specific pairs of boots in the fall and winter. These lace-up boots look best when I can tuck my jeans into the boot and elongate my leg line.
Inject Color
Mix it up by injecting a little color into your flannel shirt outfit! Pair a more neutral shirt (or not—if you want to wear all the colors, please do!) with a brightly-colored pair of corduroy pants or regular denim. I did see that colored denim is making a comeback! That was very popular when I started blogging over 10 years ago. I personally love a good dark green corduroy pant. This color almost acts like a neutral!
Simple + Practical
Looking for your next fall/winter uniform? Look no further! This is probably the easiest outfit you can wear with a flannel shirt. Grab your favorite flannel, a comfy pair of jeans, and toss on your practical rain or snow boots for inclement weather. I found that I like having a variety of flannel shirts with different lengths, including longer tunic lengths like this. It’s perfect to wear with slimmer pants/jeans and leggings!
Light Monochrome
I’m all about winter whites (or early spring whites, in the case of this outfit). Recreate this outfit by wearing a light-colored flannel shirt, adding white jeans, and bookending with a neutral trench coat and boots! I really love how this outfit came together. For 2024, I’d wear kick crop or straight leg jeans and wear boots with a higher shaft (or just wear the lower shaft bc who really cares ha).
Pair with Wide Leg Pants
Most of the time, I’ve worn my flannel shirts with skinny jeans… Those were by far my most-worn bottoms of the first many years I blogged my personal style. More recently, I paired my blue flannel shirt with wide leg crop pants and loved how it looked! This outfit is perfect for the office. I recommend trying wide leg pants (or jeans) with a lightweight flannel shirt to allow it to drape more naturally.
Bold Earrings + Fun Socks
This is another variation of the ubiquitous flannel shirt and denim outfit combination. Have a little fun with your plaid flannel shirt outfit by wearing cropped jeans with your winter boots so a colorful pair of boot socks peek out, and top it all off with a pair of statement earrings. This outfit would look cute topped off with a pom-pom beanie and cozy puffer coat! You could also wear leggings instead of denim for an après ski vibe.
Layer a Cropped Sweater
Layering cropped sweaters over collared shirts was all the rage a few years ago. I feel like that sort of fell out of style and is possibly making a comeback again…? I’m not up to date on all the trends, so feel free to skip this look (or any of them!) if they’re not your style. If you want to try this outfit out, it works best with a sweater that fits comfortably over your flannel shirt. I added dark jeans and black wedges to dress it up!
Wear Your Favorite Things
This flannel shirt outfit features a bunch of my favorite purchases from Madewell! Sometimes the easiest way to put together an outfit is to grab everything you love to wear and try on a bunch of different combos until you find ones you love (be sure to make note of them somehow so you don’t forget). Can’t go wrong with a lightweight utility jacket, bold boots, a textured hat, and Transport tote!
Try A New Color Palette
If you’re stuck in a flannel shirt-and-jeans rut (no shame, I’ve been there too), try mixing up the color palette! This outfit features a cream flannel shirt, olive green jeans, black velvet ankle boots, and a brown felt floppy hat. You COULD swap the olive green jeans for plain jeans or the black velvet boots for something plain, but it’s even more fun to play around with colors and go all in on a color palette! This one is perfect for fall.
Mini Skirt + Hunter Boots
Even though the flannel, mini skirt, and yellow Hunter boot combination is a little random, this is still one of my favorite outfits from my early blogging years. It’s just a little ridiculous, which is how all the outfits were! Tuck your flannel shirt into a ponte knit skirt, add warm fleece-lined leggings, and finish with a bright pair of Hunter rain boots (add liners to make them cozier for snow and cold). It’s fun and unexpected!
Contrast Jeans + Boots
I already shared multiple classic blue denim jeans and boots flannel shirt outfits. Here’s a similar outfit but instead I’m wearing dark grey jeans that contrast perfectly with the blush pink flannel shirt. Try pairing your shirts with a pair of jeans that aren’t blue. Play around with the contrast. I especially love this outfit because the cuff is a different color than the rest of the jeans, which makes my outfit feel a bit more interesting!
Corduroy + Metallics
Some flannel shirts have a perfect holiday color combination just like the one I’m wearing here! (This plaid colorway is called Stewart Victoria and it’s from L.L.Bean.) Take it up a notch by wearing it with colorful corduroy pants (I love a dark green pair for the holiday season) and a pair of metallic shoes. Flats are great if your feet can handle the cold (or if you’re mainly inside…or live in a warmer climate!).
BAck to Classics
Now we’re back to wear we started: A classic flannel shirt outfit with more (skinny) jeans, a pair of Bean boots (perfect for rain, snow, muck, etc.), a cozy packable puffer coat, and a pom-pom beanie. There’s nothing wrong with wearing what you love, especially when you find an outfit formula that works for you! If it’s not too warm out, you could swap the coat for a puffer vest (or are those not in style now? I can’t keep up).