Way off topic question

[Dan Hulbert]

Duluth, Bean, and Carhart. You can't go wrong with any of them.

[jared herbert]

LL Bean flannel shirts are the best. They seem to last forever. Sizes always run true.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I like the really heavy weight flannel shirts, but they are getting herder and harder to find. Ever since I was a teen in the 1960's, I wanted a heavy weight Pendleton shirt. Saw a few over the years that caught my eye, but I was buying groceries for a brood and spending that much was out of the question. A year ago, I went to the Pendleton store east of Lancaster PA and bought a heavy wool flannel shirt. It cost nearly $100.00 I wear a long sleeve cotton t shirt under it. My favorite shirt, although at that price, it will not be worn in the shop or out on the farm anytime soon. I attend several outdoor winter activities and that shirt is just the ticket as part of layering for being out doors. There is a heavy woven cotton shirt I like that is very rugged, but I have not been able to find them in a couple years, It is a wrangler brand called Rigg. Found some on clearance in a closeout store two years ago, but all men's small.

[Jim Becker]

Perry, Duluth has real "hanger benders" when it comes to heavy flannel shirts...

[roger wiegand]

LL Bean has been my go-to source. I have some of most of the others as well, as I live in flannel shirts 7 months of the year.

Woolrich-- nice to start, but shrink terribly after a few trips through the wash. The arms on mine shortened by 2" on washing.
Carhartt-- great if you have enormous shoulders and very short arms.
Lands End-- vary a lot from year to year, depending on their supplier. Went way downhill after Sears bought them. I find their fabric to generally be "mushy"-- no body to it and doesn't wear very well any more. In ancient times they made flannel shirts that came in dress shirt sizing (collar and sleeve length) rather than the "a couple of sizes that must fit someone, someplace" model that the world has gone over to.
Vermont flannel-- limited plaid choices, no button down collars. Heavy, high quality flannel. They make a nice henley collar model, but it has no pocket-- what the heck is up with that?
Duluth-- Like Carhartt, fine if you have short arms

[Jim Becker]

Strangely, I have not found the arms on any of my Duluth Trading flannels to be "short" and I do have reasonably long arms. Their normal fit is very generous as you mention, but for slimmer folks, many of the shirts are available in Trim Fit which deals with the shoulder thing you mention. I personally prefer the more generous sizing and actually buy XL, even though I probably could be fine in an L for many products. Most of Duluth's shirts are also 2-3" longer, too, which means they stay tucked in a lot better. It's one reason that most of what I wear comes from them!

[John K Jordan]

Carhartt-- great if you have enormous shoulders and very short arms.

Hmm, I asked a couple of friends. Like me, some others that have normal arms have never had Carhart shirts with the arms too short. The one I'm wearing now is even longer than I need. They don't short with repeated washing either. Maybe you got some from a bad batch or seconds.

JKJ

[Ken Platt]

Great thread. I wear flannel shirts most of the year, whenever it's too cool for just a T-shirt. For the milder parts of the cold season, I'm fine with the ordinary, cheapish flannel shirts , but when it gets truly cold - like November to April around here - I like the heavyweight flannel shirts that Tractor Supply sells under the brand name of C E Schmidt. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...rt-129909099-1

I've been wearing these for a few years and they seem to be holding up well, and the price is right at under $30 or so.

Ken

[Rich Engelhardt]

Well - no real health scare here - - - I just flat out got sick and tired of being "Fat-Boy-Tubbygut" (my Rap name )...
Down 89 pounds & 14 inches around my waist - as of yesterday's weigh in.

A month ago, I managed to squeeze into a pair of jeans - for the first time in like 12 (?) years. I ran out and bought 4 or 5 pair of jeans & two or three pair of shorts.
The shorts were a mistake because by the time "short weather" returns, with any luck, I'll have lost another 30 - or more pounds - and another 6 inches around the middle.

Which brings me to my advice...

Bob, hold off for now on the number of fairly expensive shirts you buy.
If you're serious about continuing to lose, they won't fit for long.

[Jim Becker]

Ken, I have bought a few of the Tractor Supply supplied Schmidt flannels and they were nice at first, but I've had shrinkage issues with them. (and I only wash in cool water) That said, the prices are certainly attractive, even more so when they are on sale.

[Chuck Ellis]

I don't wear flannel often, with winter coming I will a little more though... being a close cousin to Scrooge I usually just get the ones from Wally-world and they work fine for me... I have one that's about 15 or 20 years old and while it's getting a little thin, still wears fine. My others are a little newer.

One the idea of Made in USA, and at the risk of getting flamed... we live in a global society now and manufacturers being the business men they are, will go to where labor is the least... American works have effectively priced themselves out of the labor market... Many products that tout Made in America are products that parts are cut or manufactured then sent overseas for assembly then shipped back as American good returned at little or no duties.... After 40 years in the international trade industry, I just look at the product, if it does what I need, no concern for where it was assembled.

[Ted Calver]

At the risk of being a heretic, check out some of the micro fleece shirts offered these days. I have some from Kohl's that I actually prefer to flannel. They have worn like iron and are much softer and warmer than flannel. Some of the micro fleece is crappy, so you have to touch and feel to see the quality of the material. Just another option for staying warm.

[Bob Warfield]

Rich, Wow! Good for you. I don't know your age but if you where that much overweight you certainly would have had a health scare sooner or later. I really don't need to loose much more weight. Maybe another 2" from my waist, that's about it. As far as shirts go there's no way I'll ever get into a medium, large is about as small a shirt as I've worn since high school. I'm 65 now.


Bob

[Rich Engelhardt]

Bob - I'm 66.

[Jim Becker]

Just as a program note, Duluth Trading has their flannels on sale for 30% off right now.