I’m the first to admit that I’m not what you call… outdoorsy. I think I was the only person at Plymouth State who had never skied before (and I grew up in New Hampshire). As a result of my rather girlish upbringing, I was never a flannel gal, although my mother frequently dressed us in plaid (I believe there is a photo of my debut and consequent retirement from modeling at a 1994 Walmart back-to-school fashion show that proves this swimmingly, in which I took to the runway in a matching plaid vest and skirt set, most likely meant for one of those home-schooled jungle freaks).

I don’t think I even stepped foot into an L.L. Bean store until I was an adult and needed actual boots, both of the rain and snow variety. Also once I met my bearded, pine-tree loving lumberjack of a husband it was all over – I had to give in to the call of the fuzzy flannels.

I bought my first “real” flannel last year (apparently the fake ones I got at Marshalls don’t count). I didn’t even have one the year of our first infamous humongo Christmas tree – I had to borrow one from my friend Sarah because I assumed I would never ever wear it again. Cut to a couple years later, and between the world of blogging and the resurgence of L.L. Bean (I know everyone’s been shopping there for years for high-quality outdoor wear, but let’s be honest – it’s not until the Bean boots started selling out every year that the words “L.L. Bean” and “fashion” could be used in the same sentence.

I debated over the color, fit, and style of my potential flannel purchase for a unnecessary length of time and finally settled on the Relaxed Scotch Plaid shirt in the Prince Charles Edward color – the perfect shade of holiday red (I’m kind of wanting the Stewart Victoria one too…). I actually ordered both the regular and the petite so that I could decide which fit I liked best. Even though I’m small on top, I ended up with the regular flannel because the only difference I saw was it was about half an inch longer than the petite. I like my shirts a bit long, I prefer when they cover my butt as much as possible (too-long sleeves on the other hand? Major pet peeve). Steve has the L.L. Bean credit card, so you get free shipping and free returns, which makes it super-convenient if you’re like me and can only make up your mind after trying things on in person.

It’s safe to say that my plaid obsession is now on overload. Literally over half of my Christmas list features a tartan print. And it is just the best pattern to wear around the holidays. I wear this shirt all the time – I have sported it at work, for Christmas parties, in last year’s holiday card… I can’t stop. I have a problem. I especially enjoy dressing it up with sparkly jewelry, as seen here, or pairing it with a fun skirt and tights. And Steve? Well, he has at least 17 more flannels than I do and he pretty much wears them all the same, with jeans, Bean boots, a puffy vest, and a knit hat (it’s a real departure from his wardrobe the rest of the year – jeans, boat shoes, a t-shirts, and a baseball hat).

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Isn’t there some saying, the couple who wears Bean boots together stays together? No? (I would think it would be the state slogan in Maine or something.) My Bean boots were another purchase that I considered for a very long time, but I absolutely love the pair I ended up with. I have many more thoughts on selecting the right pair of Bean boots for yourself that I’m thinking of doing a whole separate post on. Steve’s are a special edition pair that aren’t available anymore (note the red soles… like Christian Louboutin, I always say).

Thanks to Molly of Trust in Your Wanderlust for snapping these photos!