Everything You Need to Know About Our New Heavy Flannels
We know that nothing goes as well with heavy selvedge as flannel. It’s a neck-and-neck race between flannel and canvas, but, at the line, flannel takes it by a whisker. Canvas looks great, but plaid flannels bring a logger’s breakfast worth of touchable softness to denim-heavy outfits–and without losing an ounce of that rugged character.
From the beginning, we have included flannels among our shirting fabrics, but it quickly became apparent that these lightweight flannels were no match for our heaviest denims–especially not when we compared them to some of the world’s heaviest flannels coming out of Japan. We needed something beefier, something that would add even more weight to our reputation for heavy and rugged gear.
It might not surprise you to learn that fabric suppliers don’t have rolls of heavy flannel just hanging around the shop. We had to work with our partner mills to develop a trio of heavy flannels from scratch, starting with the Australian cotton that we’ve been using in our proprietary denims for the last few years.
By spinning this Australian cotton into extremely thick yarns (7s yarns–even thicker than the 5s yarns in our 33 oz. selvedge), we were able to weave a robust and exceptionally warm shirting fabric. The herringbone pattern allows for a subtler blending of tones (more complex and striking by far than the classic buffalo plaid).
The fabric is double brushed on the inside and single brushed on the outside. As warm as it is comfortable, it’s definitely not an all-season fabric, but we didn’t design it with year-round use in mind. It’s a fall/winter staple that really comes into its own when the leaves start to fall and remains essential until patio season is in full swing.
We debuted the blue/black ombre in 2024, and, almost immediately, early adopters were clamoring for more. We had two more colours waiting in the wings, so we pulled the trigger on the red and green versions that, since their release, have become our most popular shirting fabrics by a wide margin.
We field a ton of questions about our heavy flannels, most of which deal with fitting and styling. Here’s everything you need to know about how our heavy SOSO flannels.
Fitting Your SOSO Flannel
Our stock fits are cut generously. Before picking a size, you should do some quick measurements. The perfect fit starts with knowing your numbers down to the decimal point. Measure your best-fitting shirt and compare those numbers to the chart below. If this is your first time measuring, you can find info about how we measure here.
If our stock sizes aren’t a perfect fit for your frame, you can tweak any of the measurements. As far as we know, SOSO is the only brand to offer fully customizable heavy flannels. If you’ve struggled with short and boxy Japanese sizes, it’s likely that these are the heavy flannels you’ve been waiting for. No matter what your measurements, we’ve got you covered.
Expect them to snug up in the wash. We conducted tests and found that, after either a cool or a cold wash, the shirts lose around 1.5-2 centimetres in the length and the sleeves. With a bit of tugging while the shirt is damp, you can get some of this length back, but it’s best to just prepare for some shrinkage when ordering.
If you’re going with a stock size, choose the one that gives you a bit of extra length and room in the chest and shoulders. If you’re going with custom measurements, add a couple of centimetres for a perfect post-wash fit. Remember that the shirts are designed to be used as layering pieces, so, rather than a skin-tight fit, shoot for a generous and comfortable fit that can easily accommodate tees, henleys, thermals, and sweatshirts.
Finally, make sure that you’ve got enough length in the sleeves and body so that you can raise your arms without exposing either your forearms or your stomach. If measuring another shirt, use one with sleeves that cover your wrist completely. The body should be long enough to cover the entry point of your pockets. The last snap or button should sit around the point where you fasten your jeans, allowing the tails of the shirt to spread over your hips.
Styling Your SOSO Flannel
Heavy flannels are meant to be worn with the tails hanging loose. They don’t drape so much as they fall straight down towards the floor. If you prefer to tuck in your flannels, one of our lighter-weight fabrics will probably be a better choice. The 13.5 oz. flannel fabric will, if tucked, add a considerable amount of bulk to your waist, making you look like a well-padded mall Santa.
They can pair easily with a wide range of casual and rugged pieces. They’re a natural fit with selvedge jeans and jackets, especially heavy ones. For best results, pair the flannel with jeans or jackets that are at least as heavy as the flannel. For best results, pick a selvedge that is north of 15 oz.
Denim is only one option among many. We’ve seen our flannels paired brilliantly with canvas, sashiko, leather, and waxed fabrics. Be aware that the heavy flannels seem to work better with solid colours than with patterned fabrics. Pattern mixing is a delicate and difficult art. Keep things simple by pairing your flannel with solid, complementary colours.
We picked each of the colours carefully so that our heavy flannels would work with a wide range of tones. Still, some combinations will work better than others. The red ombre will work exceptionally well with blue, brown, white/cream, and black. The blue ombre will look excellent with yellow, orange, brown, pink, or red. The green looks amazing with black, white, brown, and orange.
You can fasten as many (or as few) of the snaps as you like. When closed (especially if buttoned all the way to the throat), the shirt will substitute nicely for a light jacket. Whether closed or open, the flannel looks its best when worn over a light under-layer. It feels great when worn next to the skin, but it somehow looks incomplete without something underneath it.
Finally, a word of advice for those who are planning to pair their flannels with waist-length jackets and vests. Traditionally cut denim trucker jackets, workwear vests, leather biker jackets, and bombers usually sit on the belt-line. When paired with longer shirts, the result is an unsightly apron of fabric that extends below the jacket.
If you already have a jacket or vest you’re planning to wear with the flannel, keep this in mind when picking your length. Anything more than about an inch of shirt extending below your jacket will be too much. If you’ve followed our sizing advice above, your flannel will likely hang a few inches below your waist, so you might want to consider adding a hip-length jacket like our chore coat to your collection.
The Flannels of the Future
The heavy flannels have been such an immediate fan favourite that we’re expecting them to be a dependable member of the SOSO line-up going forward. We are planning to add more colours down the road, but these three colours will likely be the backbone of our flannel line-up for a long time to come.
As with all our pieces, we feel strongly that you’ll get more out of our flannels by wearing them than you ever will by collecting them. Try a SOSO flannel and you’ll see that it’s the only flannel you need. Wear it at every opportunity. In time, it’ll start to feel like a member of the family.
It won’t fade like some of our other fabrics, but it will improve with steady wear, becoming softer over time. When, after years of steady use, the elbows are threadbare and the cuffs are frayed, come back for a replacement. Until then, enjoy the journey with your new SOSO heavy flannel. We’re sure you’ll feel, as we do, that it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done.
