Generally, I try not to be a fabric elitist. If fleece is your thing and you look nice, or rather, not horrible in your dandy little North Face, then go for it. Same goes with those silk muu-muu tops or polyester pants (unless I can tell they’re made of polyester…). However, when it comes to flannel, we need to have a conversation.

Listen, I have flannel sheets. I understand the comfort inherent in brushed cotton and generally appreciate anything that is soft when you brush up against it. But just because something is soft and comfortable does not mean that it should be worn in public. Dangerous things have happened in the past because of this – sweat suits and mohair sweaters, for example – so let’s nip this horrible plaid bud before it blossoms into a fratty flannel invasion.

Though girls may also be victims of flannel, this generally seems to be a guy issue. The shirt is oversized and sloppily buttoned as he drinks a Big Cup at a certain campus bar. The shirt is tucked in and buttoned too high as he goes on an awkward first date at FlatTop. The shirt has reached ubiquity, and if you walk any further than Tech on Friday night, be prepared to be blindsided by checkers, plaids, the occasional wife-beater tank top, and of course, a whole lot of awkward.

There is of course, one caveat to this whole argument. The great thing about flannel is that it can look good – sometimes. To pull this off usually takes a bit if irony, such as when girls dress like sexy female lumberjacks or boys rock the shirt while secretly listening to Silverchair (or any other grunge bad, really). Few manage to look like a trendy rock-and-roll asshole when they put on a plaid shirt. If that’s not you – I’ve heard K-Mart has a fantastic return policy.

-Kurt Soller