V&A
Grey Flannel Blouson Shirt with Loose Fit
1970s · 1960s · British
Designer
Otto
Production
ready-to-wear
Material
flannel
Culture
British
Movement
Hippie / Counterculture
Influences
continental European menswear · blouson jacket styling
A grey flannel shirt with a distinctive blouson silhouette characteristic of 1960s menswear experimentation. The garment features a traditional pointed collar and partial button placket extending roughly one-third down the front, transitioning to a pullover style. The fabric appears to be a medium-weight flannel with a subtle heathered texture. The shirt displays gathered or elasticized side seams creating the blouson effect, with the fabric billowing slightly at the waist. Long sleeves with button cuffs complete the design. This represents the period's shift toward more relaxed, continental European-influenced menswear that challenged traditional tailored shirt construction.
shirt/blouseloose fitcollarlesship length
Connected To
Movement·Hippie / Counterculture
LINEAGEsame era · cross-culture→ directed
Lineage: “continental European menswear”
These two shirts trace the journey of 1970s menswear as it loosened up and dropped out. The crisp European dress shirt with its self-striped weave and proper proportions represents the establishment tailoring that counterculture was rebelling against, while the grey flannel blouson—with its casual collar, relaxed silhouette, and utilitarian chest pocket—shows how that rebellion manifested in actual clothes.
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