This is the first part in a two-part series on the flannel shirt, that comfortable garment that is so highly valued for its utility and warmth. Flannel wears well alone, with sweaters, tweed jackets, hunting coats, and with down or fleece vests. In part one, we will look at the background and development of the Brooksflannel wool and cotton blend shirt, and in part two we will take a look back at L.L. Bean flannel and chamois.
If one takes the time to look through The New Yorker during the early 1950s, it quickly becomes apparent that wool and cotton blend shirts were perhaps the most popular form of flannel at the time. Brooks Brothers, J. Press, Langrock, Abercrombie & Fitch, L.L. Bean, Hathaway, Dunham's of Maine, Arrow, and others all offered versions of this type of blended flannel shirt. There were two competing fabric mills that appear in most of the advertising from this period - Viyella and Lanella. Viyella was a trademarked fabric produced in England by Hollins & Company until the early 1960s when the company name was changed to Viyella International. Though the name Viyella (for Via Gellia, a valley and road in Derbyshire) is still in use today, the name of the other competitor, Lanella, has all but disappeared. However, though Brooks Brothers also offered shirts and robes made of Viyella, it was the Swiss competitor, Lanella, that made the fabric for the earliest Brooks Brothers wool & cotton blend Brooksflannel shirts. In the early 1950s, nearly all men's clothiers offered wool and cotton blend flannel shirts made with flannel from one of these two companies.
A closer look at advertising during this period will allow us to see the emergence of the Brooksflannel shirt as a distinct and uniquely Brooks Brothers garment.The New Yorker 11/15/1952. Brooks Brothers offered their "own make" shirts of flannel woven by Lanella in a 50/50 wool and cotton blend. They were offered in a wide variety of solids, tattersalls, tartans and Glen checks.
The New Yorker 11/15/1958. Viyella also figured prominently into the advertising of the period. A Viyella man was always portrayed as a sportsman. Brooks Brothers' advertising from the 1940s and early 1950s also featured Viyella flannel shirts and robes in a 55/45 wool and cotton blend, making Brooks Brothers one of the fews companies that offered garments made from fabric by both Viyella and Lanella.
This advertisement from a 1950s The New Yorker shows the Viyella sportsman in, of course, Tan Cords with a faithful dog nearby. The advertisement also serves to highlight the Hathaway shirt company of Waterville, Maine, and thereby grounding British fabrics in a New England culture of outdoors pursuits.
The New Yorker 11/17/1956. Dunham's of Maine also featured Viyella shirts made by the New England manufacturer Hathaway. A Viyella man also knew how to cook over a campfire.
The New Yorker 11/30/1957. J. Press offered Viyella blazers. I have never seen these anywhere else, and think that they would have been a thing to behold. I can imagine a quiet blue tartan jacket with a bit of red and green.
The New Yorker 11/28/1959. J. Press also offered wool and cotton blend shirts made with Swiss fabric. These shirts may have been made with Lanella flannel.
Abercrombie & Fitch also offered Viyella in the 1950s in historically correct tartans.
As did Arrow,
As did Hathaway.
L.L Bean, too, offered a Swiss made 50/50 wool and cotton blend shirt. This looks to have been from the 1970s perhaps.
L.L. Bean continued to offer a blended shirt in the 1980s with their Rangeley Flannel Shirts made from an 80/20 blend of cotton and wool.
The clothier that was Langrock also offered Viyella tartan shirts, featuring the Royal Warrant of Her Majesty the Queen.
Langrock also offered flannel shirts made with Lanella fabric, but without the cachet of a Royal Warrant. And therein perhaps lies part of the reason for the demise of Lanella. It was probably hard to compete with the British Royal Warrant, country life, and tartan history that stood behind Viyella. What is remarkable is that Brooks Brothers began with Swiss-made Lanella and created their own unique and Brooksy "Brooksflannel," to which we now turn.
So when did Brooksflannel first appear? The only flannel shirts featured in the 1947 Brooks Brothers Christmas catalog (above) were all wool shirts. This is not to say that Brooks Brothers didn't offer a wool and cotton blend in the immediate postwar period, because they did. However, Brooks Brothers traditionally relied heavily upon imports from Great Britain, and the Second World War disrupted the importation of such goods. So perhaps for this reason, Brooks Brothers sought alternative sources of textiles.
By the late 1940s Brooks Began to again offer such goods again from Great Britain. However, five years later in 1952, Brooks Brothers featured Swiss-made Lanella flannel shirts. The advertisement above from 1953 shows such shirts made with Lanella flannel (The New Yorker 11/21/1953).
The New Yorker 11/14/1953. As information about Lanella is scarce today, this full-page advertisement introducing Lanella to the American public offers a bit of insight into this manufacturer. First of all, Lanella had Midtown Manhattan corporate offices at 185 Madison Avenue in New York City, not terribly far from traditional clothiers such as Brooks Brothers and J. Press and Chipp. Lanella flannel was a 50% wool and 50% cotton blend, made from Australian wool and long staple Egyptian cotton. It was Sanforized and mothproofed, as well.
The New Yorker 10/30/1954. Brooks Brothers offered Lanella flannel shirts made by their own shirtmakers for men, women and boys during this period. Brooks Brothers tradition of making many of their own garments is perhaps what led to their eventual branding of the Brooksflannel line.
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The New Yorker 11/22/1958. Curiously, a month later, the name "Brooksflannel" is absent from an advertisement that continued to feature the Lanella name. There is no reason why the two names could not exist in the same advertising copy, as Brooks Brothers did this with DuPont Dacron and their Brooksweave and Brookscloth shirts.
The New Yorker 11/7/1959. Whatever the reason, by 1959 the name Lanella had been dropped from Brooksflannel advertising, and from this time onward Brooksflannel was marketed as a distinctively Brooks Brothers fabric used for both shirts and robes.
The New Yorker 11/9/1963. Several years later in 1963, Brooksflannel was offered alongside other shirts as a part of Brooks Brothers wider shirting offerings.
Brooks Brothers catalog, Christmas 1971. This catalog featured Brooksflannel in a paisley design of 80% cotton and 20% wool. I imagine that this was a printed design rather than a woven one.
The same Christmas catalog from 1971 also featured Tattersall shirts in the 80/20 weave in red-black, blue-black and gold-black color choices.
Christmas 1971. This page contains some useful information on item 153, "Our new English cotton and wool blend robe is lightweight and washable." From this information, we can surmise that Brooks Brothers shifted from Swiss-made flannel to English-made flannel in the intervening decade of the late 1950s and early 1960s. I am, of course, not sure when that change took place, but this change is significant nevertheless. The other robes offered on this page were challis (152), wool (154, 155) and silk foulard (156).
Fall & Winter 1979. This catalog read Brooksflannel is a lightweight, washable blend of wool and cotton woven in Scotland. We offer it here in button-down collar sport shirts with long sleeves. Red, navy, maize, light blue, natural or cream. Sizes 14 1/2 to 16 1/2. The manufacture of Brooksflannel remained firmly in the United Kingdom and thus probably provided excellent competition to British Viyella, while retaining that distinctively American "Brooksy" style.
Christmas 1979. This catalog featured a breathtaking array of flannel shirts woven in Scotland in a heavier 55% wool and 45% cotton that was the same ratio in which Viyella fabric from the same period was woven.
Christmas 1979. This catalog also offered a selection of robes for men that it would be hard to find in one place, if at all, today. The description of item "A" read, Brooksflannel - a lightweight washable blend of wool and cotton woven in Scotland - is shown here in our Tartan plaid robes. Royal Stewart (shown). Campbell Dress (navy-green-white). Lindsay (maroon-navy-green). Anderson (red-grey yellow) or Douglas Dress (maroon-green-white). Small, medium, large or extra large. The other robes offered were medium-weight wool (B), Italian silk foulard (C), and a notch collared medium-weight wool robe (D).
Christmas 1981. This catalog offered both solid and tartan flannel shirts. The catalog read, Exclusive long sleeve sport shirts of Brooksflannel, a warm, machine washable blend of wool and cotton woven in Scotland. Sizes 14 1/2 to 16 1/2H. Solid color Brooksflannel sport shirt without button-down collar. In red, cream, navy, light blue, maize or natural.J. Brooksflannel Tartan sport shirt with out plain point collar. In Royal Stewart (mainly red), Campbell Dress (navy-white), MacDuff (blue-black-red on white), or Weathered Brodie (red-yellow on brown).
Christmas 1982. This Christmas catalog also offered an impressive selection of robes. The description of the Brooksflannel robe (C) read, For warmth and softness, we offer our exclusive Brooksflannel robe, made of Scotch-woven, machine-washable wool and cotton blend. A most handsome and lasting gift, in Royal Stewart tartan (mainly red) or Campbell Dress (navy-green-yellow-white). Small, medium, large or extra large. These would have been the heavier 55/45 wool and cotton blend flannel. A Campbell Dress tartan robe in a 55/45 blend sounds about right in these colder months.
Christmas 1985. This catalog read, Sport shirts of our new Brooksflannel, a blend of 80% cotton and 20% wool that is lightweight yet warm, soft and washable. With long sleeves and button-down collar. Sizes 14 1/2 to 16 1/2 A. Tartan plaids in Royal Stewart (mainly red), Campbell Dress (navy-green-white), Ancient MacClean (wine-green-white), MacCluer (navy-green-yellow) or brown tone Weathered MacPherson.B. Solid colors in red, navy, green or yellow. Brooksflannel was offered here in a lighter weight 80/20 cotton and wool blend that perhaps was a reflection of warmer indoors climates and lighter weight Viyella flannel, as well.
Fall & Winter 1986. This catalog read, Brooksflannel makes possibly the softest, most comfortable sport shirt you can find. This imported blend of 80% cotton and 20% wool, is warm and washable...and its light weight is ideal for wear indoors. B. Rich solids in green, yellow, red or navy.C. Authentic tartans in Lochcarron (brown-tan-blue), Ancient MacClean (wine-green-white), Dress Campbell (navy-green-white), Royal Stewart (mainly red) or MacCluer (navy-green-yellow). Sizes 14 1/2 to 16 1/2. Brooks Brothers did a great job of continuing to offer both solid and tartan flannel shirts in standard color choices along with new color choices for tartan every year.
Fall & Winter 1987. This 1987 catalog read, Our Brooksflannel makes, we feel, the softest shirts you will own. This imported blend of 80% cotton, 20% wool is warm...yet it is a perfect weight for comfortable wear indoors. Made in USA on our exclusive long sleeve button-down collar model. Sizes 14 1/2 to 16 1/2H. Rich solids in red, navy, maize or our new teal.J. Authentic tartans in MacCluer (navy-green-yellow), Royal Stewart (mainly red), new MacLeod (black-yellow) or Buchanan (blue-yellow-red). Buchanan is a great tartan that wears well across the decades.
Fall & Winter 1988. This catalog read, Our long sleeve button-down collar shirt is made in the USA for us in collar sizes 14 1/2 to 16 1/2A. Distinctive plaids in mainly red (on figure), navy-green, grey-red-yellow or white-green-red.B. Sold shades of green, Winter white, red or navy. This is the first fall & winter catalog after the purchase of Brooks Brothers by Marks & Spencer. One would think that the tartan shirts would have continued to be offered by clan name as the owner was now an British company. Go figure.
Christmas 1988. The text of this catalog read, These exclusive Brooksflannel sport shirts are as colorful as they are soft and comfortable. Made in the USA for us exclusively using lightweight imported cotton and wool. Plaids in mainly green, red, yellow or white. Collar sizes 14 1/2 to 16 1/2. The blend was still a cotton rich 80/20 blend.
Autumn 1989. Clan names for tartans were back the following Fall in the Autumn catalog in the 80/20 cotton and wool blend. From left to right, MacCluer, Lord of Isles, MacFarland and Weathered Campbell (on the model).
Holiday 1991. The "Holiday" catalog read, Brookflannel Tartans. We developed the Brooksflannel blend (80% cotton and 20% wool) for lightweight warmth. The Scots created these colorful plaids. MacCluer (blue-Green), Lindsay (burgundy-green), Dress Campbell (green-navy-white), or Black Stewart (black-green-yellow-white). All with button-down collar, horn buttons, chest pocket, long sleeves. USA made for us alone. 14 1/2 to 17 1/2. Made "for us" rather than "by us" or "own make" is perhaps a significant change pointing to the beginning of outsourcing of manufacturing for some garments. To be honest, I never really liked the horn buttons. One thing that I always found unique about Brooks Brothers "sport shirts" was that they often shared the same construction as dress shirts, even down to the clear dress shirt buttons.
Holiday 1993. Twenty years ago seems like yesterday in some ways, and this catalog still featured Brooksflannel in an 80/20 blend. However, sizing had changed from measured neck sizes and R and XL sleeve lengths to the more commonly accepted S-M-L-XL sizing format. Another strike against the "dress shirt as sport shirt" concept.
After this retrospective look at the development of Brooksflannel in advertising and catalogs through the early 1990s, let's take a look at examples of these shirts in the different blends in which they were offered.Early-mid 1950s. This is a Lanella 50/50 Wool & Cotton blend flannel shirt. I have never seen a button down shirt from this period in advertising. This had removable collar stay slots on the reverse side of the collar and a breast pocket of the left side.
The 'Makers' tag predates tags bearing the "Brooksflannel" name. For those keeping track of size labels from this period, this label dates from before the 1958 "Textile Fiber Products Identification Act," which mandated fiber content on all garment labels. The shirt bears no indication of the fiber content, care instruction or country of manufacture, which were all mandated by various laws beginning after 1958. The name "New York" on size tags was changed to "Makers" somewhere around 1955 (going by advertising), so this shirt likely dates from somewhere in the early-mid 1950s. This is a very soft shirt.
Deep 1950s tails.
Shirring on the cuffs. Basically a flannel dress shirt.
1970s Brooksflannel woven in Scotland in that hearty 55/45 wool and cotton blend in a yellow & black Tattersall.
55/45 Wool & Cotton blend. Wear it with a shawl collar cardigan or a Harris Tweed jacket and potter about in town with the "To Do List" on a Saturday morning.
1970s Brooksflannel woven in Scotland. Dress Campbell tartan. Straight collar with removable collar stay slots on the reverse side of the collar and a breast pocket of the left side.
55/45 Wool & Cotton blend. Warm and comfortable. Pairs well with Tan Cords.
1970s Brooksflannel woven in Scotland. Solid hunter green with a flap pocket.
55/45 Wool & Cotton blend. Another wonderful shirt to wear with sweaters when walking the dog in the morning.
1970s Brooksflannel woven in perhaps either England or Scotland (based on catalogs). In December 1971 the Federal Trade Commission adopted the "Care Labeling Rule" (part of the earlier Textile Fiber Products Identification Act) regarding labels stating the care of garments. The rule basically states that one accurate, reliable care method must be provided on a permanent, legible care label that is attached to the garment. This shirt above contains an early such printed label visible in the upper right portion of the collar. Later Brooksflannel care labels were woven rather than printed labels that were located either in this collar position or on the bottom of the front of the shirt behind the bottom buttons.
An 80/20 cotton & wool blend likely from the early 1970s. Deep tails and no flap pocket. Dress shirt construction.
A mid-1980s Brooksflannel shirt in Royal Stewart tartan.
In 1983 the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act was again revised and required that "Each wool product with a neck must have a label disclosing the country of origin affixed to the inside center of the neck midway between the shoulder seams or in close proximity to another label affixed to the inside center of the neck. The fiber content and RN or name of the company may be disclosed on the same label as the country of origin…" Hence the appearance of the "Made in U.S.A." on the label of Brooks Brothers shirts after 1983.
A mid-1980s Brooksflannel Ancient MacClean tartan shirt.
This shirt appeared in the Fall & Winter 1986 catalog. This is a very nice tartan.
A mid-1980s Brooksflannel Lochcarron tartan shirt.
This tartan also appeared in the 1986 Fall & Winter catalog.
A late 1980s Brooksflannel Weathered Campbell tartan shirt.
This shirt appeared in the 1989 Autumn catalog. Weathered Campbell is another classic tartan that was also offered by L.L. Bean in all cotton flannel in the early 1980s.
A mid-late 1990s flannel shirt in an 80/20 cotton and wool blend. By this point Brooks Brothers' New Jersey shirt factory had been closed and manufacturing moved offshore, as seen in the Hong Kong country of origin, noted on the label.
This is still a very high quality shirt. I found it on a sale table at Brooks Brothers years ago, and have worn it until the collar needed turning and continue to wear it.
It's a great shirt for a day outside, or yet another walk with the dog.
A NOS mid-1980s solid navy Brooksflannel shirt with a flap pocket.
Though these shirts aren't supposed to shrink much, I would advise hang drying these rather than using a dryer if you want to keep the sleeve length comfortable.
A NOS mid-1980s MacClure (MacCluer in catalogs) tartan Brooksflannel shirt.
This is another beautiful tartan that is very representative of these original Brooksflannel shirts.
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The development of Brooksflannel shirts began in the heady days of the early postwar era as Great Britain, Europe and the United States were rebuilding their economies and marketplaces. Brooks Brothers' early wool and cotton blend shirts were made with flannel from the Lanella mills of Switzerland. However, similar to Brooks Brothers' development of new and distinctive easy-care blend fabrics such as Brooksweave and Brookscoth in the 1950s, Brooksflannel was also developed to give Brooks Brothers a product that it could also market competitively with the other well-known brand, Viyella. Though Brooks Brothers' understated manner of advertising never openly compared Brooksflannel with Viyella, the move from a Swiss mill to English and Scottish mills continued to make the comparison an easy one. Further, Brooks Brothers' tradition of offering garments imported from Great Britain or made from British textiles also continued their tradition of representing a blended integration of Anglo-American traditions. The Brooksflannel shirt was a supremely Brooks Brothers creation that wed their superior dress shirt construction to a shirt meant for outdoors and leisure pursuits. By doing so, Brooks Brothers created a shirt that was comfortable and appropriate for wear in both town and country settings. Brooksflannel shirts are still available today from Brooks Brothers, but are not really the same as the original Brooksflannel shirts made into the early 1990s. It is ironic that the closest one can come today to a US made shirt like Brooksflannel is the Viyella shirt - as offered at O'Connell's, made in either the USA or Canada. The original Brooksflannel shirts offered the very best of American dress shirt construction and a tradition of blended British wool and cotton textiles created for outdoors pursuits. More than Viyella, Brooksflannel shirts represented that "Brooksy" Anglo-American sensibility that was an easy blend of tradition and utility. It was a blending of fabric, history and culture that only Brooks Brothers could best articulate.
