We Love Plaid: Six Plaid Pieces You Need This Season
Plaid isn’t just a pattern. It’s a vibe. Wearing plaid means you’re embracing fall and winter; that you are an outdoors-person at heart, even if you sit at a desk all day.
There’s a reason Mack jackets are staples in Canadian mountain- and beach-towns. Because our outdoorsy folks get it—from lumberjack roots to today’s fashion, we just love plaid. Plus, the gear that sports this Celtic pattern is often burly, cozy and warm. Three more things we covet.
This season, let’s take a look at our favourite plaid pieces—from shirts, to socks, to jackets, to journals and even hats… long live plaid!
The Everyday
Eddie Bauer Favorite Flannel Shirt (Classic Fit) ($95)
We love this wardrobe staple because it works everywhere—dress it up for dinner, sport it to the craft brewery, toss it on after a day on the slopes, wear it to the workplace. It’s cozy and soft, with two-ply brushed cotton, and comes in 16 colours. Wash and wear; couldn’t be easier. (Men’s and women’s available.)
The Apres
OGGI Cabin Socks ($38)
After a long, cold day on snowshoes or skis, this is what we crave. A non-technical slipper-sock, the thick and fluffy Cabin Socks by OGGI cradle your tootsies in comfort. Made of synthetic fibres, they’re simple to care for and long-lasting with heavy wear. One size fits most, right up to a size 12 men’s. (Unisex.)
The Modernist
Helly Hansen Lifaloft Insulated Flannel Shirt Jacket ($210)
This one looks like an old-school Mackinaw jacket, but comes packing modern tech. It starts simply with cotton-poly flannel featuring hand pockets and a chest flap. However, it’s also packing 80 grams of LifaLoft insulation—a proprietary mashup of Primaloft and Lifa, creating a breathable lightweight insulator—so this flannel keeps you toasty right into the sub-zeroes. Available in four colourways. (Unisex.)
The Penny Pincher
B.C. Clothing Co. Quilted Flannel Shirt ($24)
Here we have the “Canadian Dinner Jacket.” A Costco-shopper’s delight, this cotton-poly outer layer is the one you can wear while you fix your snowmobile or chop firewood. (‘Cause it’s cheap enough to wreck.) It’s as cozy as an old blanket and, for us, it gets as much day-to-day wear than tops worth 10 times the bucks. (It’s categorized as “men’s” but we think it’s unisex.)
The Contemplative
The Camping Logbook: Record Your Adventures ($15)
You always pack a journal on your camping trips, right? Natural surroundings bring out the creatives in all of us—make sure you have a place to fulfill your desire to sketch, muse, write or problem-solve. And make your diary matches your vibe—which is why we love this Amazon-sourced Camping Logbook. Wrapped in plaid, of course.
The Cherry-on-Top
Buff Trucker Cap, Red Plaid ($40)
There are a lot of reasons to love trucker caps. They vent sweat. The wear well in all weather conditions. They’re tough (you know, like a trucker). But let’s be honest—we truly love them because they look cool. So when you toss aside your summer-surf trucker, grab this winter plaid version and complete the look.
