Fall and winter are optimal seasons for flannel coziness. We can’t stay in bed all day in our flannel sheets (I suppose we can, but go with me here), so the next best thing is flannel clothing. Whether we’re traveling or at home, it’s a way to carry comfort along with us.
Lately, I’ve been living in the Outdoor Research Kulshan Flannel Tunic.
The button-down tunic is made for women, and is an optimal cover-up over tanks and short-sleeved shirts when the weather is variable and you need an extra layer. The Sorona polyester fabric is made of 37% plant-based materials and is exceptionally soft. It’s also lightweight, breathable, and wrinkly resistant. I’ve had mine balled up in my truck or thrown over a chair back, and it still looks like I just got it off a hanger.
Like a standard flannel shirt, the Kulshan Flannel Tunic has a shirt-tail hem, back shirring detail, and a chest pocket that closes with a button. But unlike those standard shirts, it also has roomy hand pockets (the right one is a security zip pocket). I have packed my phone, keys, mask (pandemic times) and cash in my pockets and still had plenty of room for my hands.
The shirt is tunic length, and it’s a nice to have feature when you’re used to flannel shirts that reach only to your waist. It’s versatile enough to move beyond just a cabin cover-up as an excellent technical piece for light hikes and outdoor activities. If you encounter rain or snow during your adventures, while the tunic isn’t waterproof, it does dry quite quickly when you’re out of the weather.
The Kulshan Flannel Tunic comes in three plaid themes: fir (green), twilight (blue), and overcast (red and brown). It lists for $89 on the Outdoor Research site.