Are Flannel and Plaid the Same?

BY Buffalo Jackson Insight

BY Xan Hood

Nope.

Flannel and plaid are not the same. Although flannel and plaid often go together, flannel is a fabric; plaid is a pattern. Plaid can appear in any number of fabrics and colors, and flannel can come in a variety of patterns (although, unless you’re looking at flannel sheets or pajamas, plaid is by far the most common pattern on flannel).

Flannel

What is flannel?

Flannel is a warm, comfortable fabric traditionally made of wool, but also commonly made of cotton. Due to its comfort and warmth, flannel is the fabric of choice for much winter apparel.

As mentioned above, aside from flannel shirts which are most commonly made with a plaid pattern (or solid color with no pattern), flannel can actually be found in a wide array of patterns or solid colors. See for yourself in our collection of men's flannels, featuring plaids and solids.

Because of its warmth, flannel is commonly created in blankets and sheets for the wintertime. There's truly nothing better than sitting around a fall fire with a flannel blanket wrapped around you.

Plaid

What is plaid?

Plaid, on the other hand, is a pattern. Most believe plaid originated in Scotland, where it’s called tartan. This universally recognized pattern of crisscrossing horizontal and vertical bands of color is popular in both men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, regardless of the type of fabric.

Want to see what plaid looks like first-hand? Browse our collection of men's shirts featuring plaid. There are many different types of plaid patterns, like houndstooth or window pane plaid. Whether wearing this pattern to the office or on a weekend getaway, it’s a classic fabric pattern that you can’t go wrong with.

A man wearing a shirt with a plaid print.

So, bottom line: you can have a plaid flannel, but plaid & flannel are not the same. Hope this helped clear up the flannel vs. plaid debate.

Layering up this fall? Read What Is a Shirt Jac? How Warm It Is and How to Wear It, our guide to the heavy wool shirt that goes over your flannel when the temperature drops.