Sunday, November 6, 2016

L.L. Bean black watch scotch plaid flannel | Outfit and Review

I present the L.L. Bean black watch scotch plaid flannel, the shirt of my dreams. It is warm. It is soft. The colorway is perfect. It fits well. I love it. I went from owning one L.L. Bean item -- the very sweater I am wearing here -- to five since coming to Boston. Shipping from Freeport, Maine to Boston is quick and easy. Here is a demonstration of an outfit I was pretty pleased with including those very items, as well as my preliminary thoughts on the shirt.

Sunglasses - Ray-Ban | Fisherman sweater - thrifted (L.L. Bean) | Flannel shirt - L.L. Bean | Belt - Uniqlo | Jeans - Uniqlo | Boots - Dr. Martens

Internet reviews agree that this shirt is boxy and runs very large -- fine by me, as I was looking for a looser fit. My first order of XS completely swallowed me up so I exchanged it for a XXS. At some point, I talked to a lovely customer service representative from Maine whose son was interested in applying to my medical school.

Shipping is free, but I was charged about $7 for the exchange, which I was fine with. I bought the original on sale, and that discount was honored on the exchange. L.L. Bean has a godly warranty, and I have heard that their scotch plaid flannels are still high quality and well worth the price ($45 regular, though I got 20%).


Please do forgive the weird angles and proportions -- I am a novice at outfit photos, and fashion blogger I am not. The only decoration in my room are my maps of Boston, Massachusetts, and New England, though I may put up some postcards when I have the motivation. Also, the sunglasses are there because I prefer to go internet incognito when convenient.

For more context on the fit, I am 5' 5" and have an approximate bust and waist measurement of 32" and 25". The shirt is in the Misses' Relaxed fit, and XXS supposedly fits bust sizes 31-32" with a 29" sleeve. It feels perfect at the shoulders, but I have cuffed the sleeves once in these pictures. The actual body of the shirt angles slightly outwards, it seems, and there is generally a lot of fabric at the midsection and in the sleeves.


The flannel is 100% cotton and made in El Salvador, very heavy and soft, and almost too warm to wear indoors. I wore it layered under this sweater -- 100% cotton, wooden buttons, made in Maine -- and was toasty warm on my walk to class this morning at 39F, and overheated when walking home at 52F at lunchtime. It is quite a stiff fabric, which is especially notable at the collar, cuffs, and midline.

I like to think that this shirt is one first step towards a wardrobe that I am very, very happy with. I was uncertain about buying a flannel shirt new for $45 ($36 on sale), but I have wanted this specific one for a very long time, and know I will cherish it for many years to come. The navy fisherman's sweater has long been a California winter staple since my senior year in high school, and I am happy that it will get more use in the Massachusetts autumns to come.

P.S. These grey jeans are too small for me, I know. When I bought them, I did not even lift, and I have made leg gains since coming to Boston. Upper body gains, on the other hand...


P.P.S Here I am wearing this shirt out in the field, a preview for an imminent blog post and adventure report.

13 comments:

  1. That's a great outfit, you look comfortable and practical and everything goes together perfectly. The shirt fits you really well too. I love the idea of a flannel shirt and I do have one, but admittedly I didn't reach for it at all this past winter because it's not the best cut/fit.

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    1. Thank you very much, Jane! I am very happy with this shirt and wish I could wear it all day, every day. Unfortunately, it smells strongly of camp smoke and needs washing.

      I am now a strong supporter of flannel. My pre-L.L. Bean flannel shirts were closet staples, but this one is clearly superior in fabric quality, warmth, and general appearance. I think you can wear them over short sleeves on chilly summer nights

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  2. I can totally relate to finding the perfect shirt that may be a little pricey, but totally worth the investment! Finding a shirt like that makes me so happy :) Also loving your sweater! It looks soooo cosy -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

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    1. This shirt is worth it. The weight/warmth of the fabric was an unexpected feature that makes it far better than any other shirt I have.

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  3. Plaid/flannel is my favorite for a button down. It's definitely really hard to find a well fitting button down, though. I like the shirt tucked into the pants A LOT.

    Alyse (J.X.L.) ▲ Lumière & Lens

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    1. I think I will look into L.L. Bean's slightly fitted flannel because the cut of this one is still very, very boxy. However, that is probably my only issue with this garment.

      This particular shirt is also quite long and could be easily tucked into mid-rise jeans as well.

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  4. Girl you are leaving the best comments on my blog, thank you! Will definitely check out the names you mentioned.

    Your outfit looks super cozy! I mostly forget that I could be like...comfortable..in clothes. But this makes me want to go buy a sweater because I have like no practical clothing pieces haah

    xx
    scarlettandgiselle.blogspot.com

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    1. I leave long comments on your blog because your posts are interesting, well-written, and unique!

      I have repeated this outfit a few times on non-windy days. Comfort and versatility are my ultimate clothing criteria.

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  5. The shirt looks great and I like the pairing with the dark jeans and boots. LL Bean is amazing - I grew up in New England so was always surrounded by it/ basically grew up in it. Now I mainly wear the boots and slippers (you have to try the slippers!) but as I've move into my own spaces and considered my living space more, I have also found that they are great for home goods like towels, sheets, bathmats, etc :)

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    1. This Californian has completely converted to the cult of L.L. Bean. All my flannels for eternity will be from L.L. Bean, no doubt about it.

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  6. Absolutely in love with all of these! Each top is perfect for the cold weather we are now having in Chicago =o)

    dreamofadventures.blogspot.com

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  7. Great looks for the winter days! The outfits are effortless, look comfortable, yet put together! And those sunglasses 😎

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