Some things go hand in hand. Plaid and flannel are the terms that go together perfectly.
People bundle up the terms plaid and flannel because they are associated. Knowing the difference between them can help people to have good styling clothes with proper comfort.
Key Takeaways
- Plaid refers to a pattern of intersecting vertical and horizontal lines of different colors, while flannel is a fabric made from wool or cotton.
- Plaid can be found in various fabrics, including flannel, while flannel can be found in various patterns, including plaid.
- Plaid is associated with Scottish culture, while flannel is associated with outdoor activities like camping and hiking.
Plaid vs Flannel
The difference between Plaid and Flannel is that plaid is a pattern of various lines making a Crisscross pattern on the fabric. This design is made on the flannels, whereas flannel is a warm and comfortable fabric made of wool or any other fabric which may or may not have the plaid designs.
Plaid is a pattern of crisscross lines developed in the 16th century in Scotland. This pattern is seen in flannel fabrics. Males and females wear this pattern as it has a versatile vibe.
Flannel is a warm and comfortable fabric developed in the 17th century in Wales. Flannel has many names, like flannelette or canton flannel.
The fabric fabrics have plaid patterns on various clothing items like blankets, pyjamas, etc. The flannel fabric is available in many solid colours with many ways.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Plaid | Flannel |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Plaid is a pattern of Crisscross lines. | Flannel is a warm and comfortable fabric. |
| Originated in | Flannel originated in Wales. | Plaid was set near the 16th century. |
| Developed in | Flannels are available in various solid colour patterns with a plaid design. | Flannel was developed in the 17th century. |
| Availability | Plaids are available in different types of fibres. | Flannels are available in various solid color patterns with a plaid design. |
| Pattern/fabric | Plaid is a pattern that is seen in the flannel fabric. | Flannel is a fabric that has a plaid pattern. |
What is Plaid?
The plaid pattern originated from a Spanish word called tartan. Plaid is a fabric staple.
This design or pattern was first used in the 1970s.
Plaid is identifiable because its horizontal and vertical stripes are designed in many colours. The pattern of squares and rectangles is repeated, which makes this pattern beautiful.
Nowadays, the plaid pattern is popular. These patterns are designed on anything like pyjamas or bed linen.
Males and females wear this pattern.
Plaid means a chequered pattern on a cloth made of wool. This pattern has a versatile vibe to it. In the 90s, plaid designs were used as school uniforms.
It is a pattern that is or seen in flannel clothing.
Whether or not a clothing item has a plaid design can be determined by looking at or examining the structure. If that clothing item has bands of horizontal or vertical bars or a crisscross pattern, then the clothing item has a plaid design.
What is Flannel?
Flannel was first produced in the 17th century in Wales. In the 1990s, the flannel fabric was most by many people and became immensely popular among them. As flannel is warm, it became the best wear for people during winter.
At first, the flannel fabric was worn by farmers to protect them from the cold weather.
Flannel is used to make warm, comfortable, and winter clothing. The flannel fabric is made from wool, cotton, silk, or synthetic materials.
Flannel is a soft fabric of wool or worsted yarn. This fabric is brushed to produce fibres.
Flannel is also called flannelette or canton flannel.
The clothing materials are first woven, made into flannel with a plaid pattern, and then turned into clothing, bed, or blankets.
Flannels are challenging to determine. However, they are most common in plaid designs.
Many people get confused between plaid and flannel because a lot of flannel clothing item has a plaid pattern on them.
There are types of flannel-like baby flannel, Ceylon flannel, or cotton flannel.
Baby flannel is used for baby clothing, while diaper flannel is used for making diapers. Ceylon flannel is a mixture of wool and cotton, while cotton flannel is a cotton fabric.
The flannel fabric is available in many solid colours with many patterns.
The cotton flannel is threaded to retain heat.
Main Differences Between Plaid and Flannel
- Flannel is a warm fabric made of wool or any other fibre, whereas plaid is a pattern of crisscross lines.
- Flannels come in solid colours, whereas plaid patterns are available in different fabrics like seersucker or gingham.
- Plaid originated in Scotland, whereas flannel originated in Wales.
- Plaid was developed in the 16th century, whereas flannel was developed in the 17th century.
- Flannel fabric is used to make clothing items like blankets and jackets with a plaid pattern.
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03634529609379043
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VH9EAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA89&dq=+Difference+Between+Plaid+and+Flannel+(With+Table)+&ots=iALs7Sz5FJ&sig=wDCB0ETQGinsbrFzYfattgOGdKI
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
The article is well researched and does not leave anything behind it. It is important to know the difference between the two terms so that people can correctly use them.
This is a very intriguing topic. I think the article presents the information in a very organized way.
The article is indeed thorough and presents the information quite well.
The article gives a clear, concise, and comprehensive explanation about the difference between plaid and flannel. It’s very useful.
The way this article approaches the topic is highly intellectual.
These distinctions were not known to me before reading this article. It seems like plaid and flannel are often used interchangeably but now we have clarity.
You are right! For instance, I had always referred to anything plaid as flannels.
I agree. It is very important to set the record straight.