Striking the perfect balance between being snug, smart and comfortable, flannel acts a man’s close confidant in
winter. Not definitively used for jackets and trousers, flannel pays its dues in shirt form to great effect. The
originator of the ‘new bespoke movement’ Timothy Everest is well-known for his outré fabrications and although
simple as it seems – it’s rare to find a cotton flannel twill white shirt cut from Japanese cloth and where the
cotton has a brushed finish for extra warmth. A suitable weight for winter, it is the perfect casual shirt to be
worn around the house with jeans and loafers – and all being well unless there’s icicles dangling from your window,
you won’t be needing a coat indoors. Handmade versions in flannel from Italian shirting specialists Fralbo, Santillo
1970 and Cordone 1946 are also shrewd options.
Trying to find shirts that exude informal elegance, whilst keeping warm is no easy feat. Christmas and new year
lunches will be more low-key this year, but you may still want to don a garment with a whiff of sophistication.
Constructed like a dress shirt, but in a pop-over style that has a three button placket, Byrne & Burge’s
off-white brushed cotton polo shirt straddles the right blend of casual and formal. Its cashmere and cotton blend
makes it warm and extremely comfortable on the skin. Elsewhere, Emma Willis, one of the UK’s most prestigious
shirtmakers, has a lengthy selection of blue shirts in brushed cotton ranging from an Indian ink shade to a sky blue
hue.
The overshirt is an amalgam of three or four different casual garments, ranging from military undershirts to civilian
work jackets. However, there is a cut-off between wearing one for the purpose of a shirt or a jacket. Still very
much a shirt, but with the utilitarian attributes of something more substantial and less overbearing is the beige
Japanese wool twill overshirt from Timothy Everest. Its bellow patch pockets provide the perfect alcoves to safely
store your phone whilst your outside fetching logs for the fire. Paired with Barbanera’s blue light Bandito jeans
and Kerouac brown suede/deerskin boots, the look will certainly be a stylish nod to one of the icons of American
masculinity, Burt Reynolds.
Barbanera’s designs perfectly encapsulates the fusing of refinement with a myriad of cultural influences. Dedicated
to the great Italian intellectual Pier Paolo Pasolini, their selection of cashmere long-sleeved polo shirts are a
cool alternative to the conventional shirt. Additionally, any one of the brand’s checked Japanese cotton Augusto
workshirts will aid your case for proving that you’ve diligently done all of the outdoor chores and earnt yourself a
few mince pies with a glass of Churchill’s 10-year-old Tawny port. Finally, there is neat overshirts from Gaiola and
two made in Manchester Reporter shirts from outerwear specialists Private White V.C., which are ideal to be worn
over a T-shirt and dare I say it, if your house is warm enough - as the top layer with no need to rummage through
your coat rack.
