Today I am going to inform you, the masses, about a necessary textile and clothing based distinction. Flannel and plaid are not synonymous terms. Flannel can be plaid and plaid can be plaid, but they first function independently of each other.
Flannel is a type of fabric.
Flannel is a textile made, typically, from wool or cotton. What makes it different from other fabrics is that is is treated through a process called "napping." I happen to know a lot about napping. Napping, in this context is when a fabric is mechanically brushed back and forth to create a slightly raised texture. The combination of thick fibers, such as wool, that are brushed to a raised point, generates a textile that is conducive to preserving warmth.
Plaid is a type of pattern.
Plaid is an easily identified pattern that is defined by crossing parallel and perpendicular lines that are of a contrasting color to the solid base of a garment. While there are multiple varieties of plaid, each with their own signature features and representative name, plaid is almost always made of lines that form boxes or squares in a linear fashion. You might recognize plaid from kilts, Frat Stars in the colder months, or smarmy hipsters at any given time of the year.
In summation, a plaid shirt may very well be made of flannel and a flannel fabric may very well be made in to a plaid shirt. That said, flannel can exist without plaid and plaid can exist without flannel. So check the tags on your clothes and get your shit right because when you don't distinguish between the two you make my ears bleed.
You're welcome.
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