Prana Men's Essex Plaid Shirt : A New Cut on an Old Classic

When I think "plaid shirt" two things come to mind: lumberjacks and the band Credence Clearwater Revival. My new Essex Plaid Shirt from Prana doesn't fit into either of those archetypes. It's texture and modern style scream that it's of the 21 st century. I like that I can finally sport some plaid around town and still look contemporary.  

I'm kind of a texture oriented guy, so right away I was grooving on the fabric. It's wood pulp based but I wouldn't know it from feeling this stuff. It is soft.   It's sort of a unique kind of soft, too: not smooth like silk but also not fluffy like fleece. Perhaps a way to describe it would be "micro-fuzzy."

The other thing about the fabric I really like is how it hangs. The earmark of a good cape (like in a super hero movie) is how it moves. This shirt hangs and flows exactly how a shirt should.  It feels and looks very natural.  

As far as design and style go, my Essex Plaid is a pretty straightforward long sleeve button-up shirt.   With one exception... the chest pocket is asymmetrical. I couldn't really pinpoint it at first but knew something was askew. Then the 3rd or 4 th time wearing it I noticed that the button on the pocket was off center on the pocket. I momentarily thought it might be a manufacturing flaw but then realized the pocket and flap matched.  It's a unique touch that says "different" without broadcasting it.

Fabric: Polynosic (a blend of wood pulp, cellulose and rayon)

Bottom Line: A classic looking shirt with a few modern touches that make it new. --A.S. (Mar '10)

BUY ONLINE: $65, on sale now at Backcountry.com , click to shop at altrec.com

Manufacturer's Site : www.prana.com

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