My favorite brand flannels to thrift

If I see a guy wearing a flannel literally anywhere, I'll likely whisper the flannel brand name to whomever I'm with. Since I shopped for flannel as my job and thought about flannel 70+ hours a week, it's a hard habit to break. If I don't know the brand name, I'll be able to tell the fabric makeup (cotton, polyester, wool, etc) and how the flannel feels just by looking at it.

Over the years I've become drawn to certain brands of mens flannel because I know their quality is high, consistent and that the flannels just generally fit well. That being said, there are also brands I tend to stay away from too. I call myself a professional and I'm here to spill the quality beans.

Since I'll be out of business and you'll have to thrift your own flannels, here are some things I've learned about certain brands (my personal but self proclaimed professional opinion).

Let's start with the good. The brands of mens flannels I call my favorites.

1. St. John's Bay

   Hands down my all time favorite brand of flannel to buy. I can spot these across the thrift store and they're always the first flannels I pick from the rack. The cotton fabric flows so nicely, the length is there, perfect "tail" in the back and great colors/patterns. Even though I bought everything used, I could tell the fabric doesn't shrink a lot and they hold their shape well. The best place I've found to buy them new is JCPenny

2. Croft & Barrow

   Their shirts have a more slender, long and tall fit. Their colorways are so good (a lot of neutrals) and they make a lot of white flannels (great for wedding parties) that they're always at the top of my list. Also 100% cotton. They were a Kohl's brand but I think they got discontinued so you might only be able to thrift them now.

3. Sonoma Goods for Life

   Another great brand that has a lot of muted colorways. Their fabric hasn't been consistent over the years, not that it's bad, you'll just come across some that have a heavier almost linen type feel. For the most part they're all a soft cotton flannel. This is Kohl's main flannel brand now.

4. Faded Glory

   An old Walmart brand, and a flannel I would only thrift if I were a girl looking for flannel at the thrift store. These 100% cotton shirts shrink lengthwise so the torso is a bit shorter. They don't have long tuck tails either, but as a girl wearing them they fit just fine. THeir old flannels have some really great colorways too and stand up over time.

5. Arizona Jean Co.

   Old Arizona Jean Co shirts I find at the thrift store are great. Beautiful colorways, great fit, 100% cotton. They're also a JCPenny brand, but their new ones on their website are a boxy fit so they don't have a tuck tail.

There are a lot more really great brands, these are just the most common brands I see that I really loved to purchase. The most important thing is to check the material composition of the shirt and make sure it is 100% cotton.

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That being said, below are my least favorite brands to purchase (in my personal self proclaimed flannel professional opinion):

1. George

   A Walmart brand and the brand I find most often at the thrift store. They are a cotton & viscose (fancy name for rayon) blend shirt. I have come across so many "x-large" flannels that actually measure x-small because they shrank that much. I gotta give it to Walmart, they created some really beautiful colorways and patterns with this brand but wow do they shrink. Not something you should buy if you're looking to keep it for years.

2. Weatherproof Vintage

   Another common brand I've found thrifting, mostly because it's sold at Costco, has fooled me in the past. I've been able to find some of their old flannels, ones that are made of 100% cotton, but the newer ones at the thrift stores and Costco are made with a cotton & polyester blend. They are thin, snag easily, and pill constantly. If you like shaving your shirts, this might be a winner for you.

The thing these brands all have in common is their use of man made materials.

It's not like the brands I mentioned are bad necessarily, they have their place, they're just the ones I see most common that I know I don't like to purchase.

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I always look at the material care tag found inside the shirt to make sure it's 100% cotton. It's found sewn inside the left seam along the torso. It's in the same location for every shirt and I can always find the material makeup there.

Basically anything that is not 100% cotton is not something I'd recommend purchasing if the plan is to keep it for years. If I touch a flannel and it feels super soft and silky, I know it is more than likely made with a synthetic material and is going to feel like a pilled mess after a couple washes.

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Hopefully this helps you be successful on your flannel hunt out in the wild, or even online!