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You’re familiar with performance dress shirts — those sweat-wicking, odor-eliminating, slightly stretchy button-downs with 2% of this, 3% of that — maybe you even have a couple in your closet right this very moment. But chances are they’ll never replace an impeccably tailored Oxford made out of high-quality cotton, because that really is one of the things humanity has been able to get right.
So what about performance flannels? I was introduced to the style a couple years ago courtesy of Mizzen+Main, the athletically inclined menswear company. The idea sounds ridiculous and potentially oxymoronic, I’ll grant you, adding modern fabric technology to the shirt of lumberjacks. But after years of wear, I recommend them to anyone who will listen — your closet needs a performance flannel, and stat.
In fact, Mizzen+Main is throwing a big sale on a bunch of layers, and you can pick up any two for $200 with code 2FOR200 at checkout. And if you grab two flannels that are normally $145 a pop, that comes out to a savings of $90 on shirts that’ll last you years, even when you reach for it every day.
What’s so great about it? Just ask my girlfriend. Literally every time I wear it (not hyperbole), she comments on how great I look. I’m not trying to brag, that’s merely a comment on how well Mizzen+Main has designed the athletic fit of its shirts — slim but not skinny, tailored but still casual. And while performance shirts often feel more comfortable to the wearer, they can come off as cheap to others because of sheen or a kind of plastic-y quality. That’s not the case with these flannels. Yes, they are 100% polyester, make no mistake, but M+M’s proprietary blend, with brushed fabric paired with temperature regulating qualities, creates a shirt that is much more than the spec sheet would have you believe.
And thankfully, if you’re not into the plaid flannel look, they do have a solid navy available as well.
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