“The fashion calendar has four main seasons: Spring/Summer (SS), Autumn/Winter (AW), Resort/Cruise and Pre-Fall. The first two are the main runway seasons presented at fashion weeks, and the latter inter-seasonal collections have been introduced to bridge the gaps between the main two seasons and introduce newness more frequently.” – Retail Dogma

I don’t have the money, the inclination, or the sense of style to wear the “proper” clothes for the official fashion seasons. So, I have no need for an expert to help me do a twice-a-year “closet swap” to keep what I’m supposed to be wearing easy to pull off the hangar. I have clothes for two seasons of the year stored at opposing ends of the closet, flannel season and denim season.

The flannel season begins when things (the weather, letters from the feds, people’s expressions) get frosty, i.e. about November 1. Denim season begins in the spring whenever the hell that turns out to be. Flannel comes from places like Land’s End and L. L. Bean. My wife finds denim jeans and shirts (always Wrangler) at various online sites now that I can no longer shop at Sears.

I’m currently wearing this “Men’s Scotch Plaid Flannel Shirt” from L. L. Bean. This is a buffalo plaid and one of my favorites in addition to the Stewart and Campbell plaids. I probably wear the Campbell “Black Watch” pattern the most because it is, after all, the family’s colours.

Now these shirts serve as light-weight jackets, though when I lived in northern Illinois, they needed multiple layers of additional jackets on top to be somewhat warm. One didn’t worry too much about fashion when commuting an hour to work on show-covered Chicago freeways, mainly the Edens.

Denim season ended on Hallowe’en. I know the Levi name is famous, but Wranger, which came on the scene in  1947, fits better for those who work rather than those who want to look like they work. Seriously, Wranglers are much better than Levis if you like horses. Wrangler advertises its denim with this picture which–trying to be modest here–looks like me.

Suffice it to say, Wrangler clothes are tough and functional. According to the company’s website, “Wrangler® is enduring American freedom; it’s in the spirit of people who work hard, have fun and recognize courageous individuality.  As a company, we believe in solid commitments and perseverance in the face of obstacles and challenges.  Most of all, we respect ourselves, each other, our western heritage and the environment in which we live.”

So there it is flannel and denim.  There’s nothing else I need in my closet.

–Malcolm