Brittany H.
This is seriously my favorite thing to wear. It fits perfect, is super comfy, and is snuggle friendly. Bonus points because it washes great, and with a baby on hand that is key! My only complaint is that I don't own an entire closet of them.
Shane P.
Al would be proud!
Mark F.
More borlands please!
Adam C.
I Like this shirt a lot. It is soft and cozy like flannel but it’s also stretchy and not stiff like some flannels. The colors are great. Always gets lots of compliments.
Chris R.
They say perfection is unattainable…that’s not the case with this Borlandflex. 10/10 highly recommended. Flawless victory!
Tony M.
These flannels are now my favorites! They’re getting lots of love this winter
Kevin C.
Everything I wanted in a flannel.
Kerry P.
Great shirt for a cool winter day. Material is nice and warm and great quality. Stretch is forgiving for those of us that can’t stay away from all of the holiday snacks. Shirt could be a tad longer. I definitely plan on getting a few more.
Simon H.
The best flannel I’ve ever had
Ryan S.
Excited to have winter options!
Andre A.
The material is so soft and gets better with every wash!
Adam L.
Great shirt and can’t wait to wear in Montana.
Joey F.
The quality of this shirt is beyond unbelievable. At first I thought they were a little pricy but after feeling the quality I now know why. The only thing negative is they do not have more flannels for sale. Come on RSVLTS :)
Jordan S.
Perfect fit for those who have an athletic build and just enough stretch for plenty of mobility. Will definitely buy another one!
Josh D.
Go Green! Love this new fit too!
Russell S.
When I was a kid, my dad was in the navy and we moved, on average, about every 1.5 years. There was no stability, no internet, and definitely no consistency. Friends were constantly traded, family outside the four of us were visited when able (but rarely enough for it to feel more like an obligatory trip to meet strangers), and I could count on nothing but perpetual change.
Except for Home Improvement. Due to its popularity, it didn’t matter if we were in a country that only featured one English channel (provided by the military) or in a country that offered three local channels that spoke English but was mostly filled with local shows - Home Improvement and The Simpsons were always guaranteed to break through.
But Home Improvement had something that The Simpsons didn’t and that was arcs for all major characters over the seasons, the most impressive being Tim Taylor’s character.
Today, most protagonists are stuck in their ways and beliefs, but the truly great shows showcase development and progress. Tim, the 1990s version of a man’s man, started episodes with strong convictions and beliefs but was open enough to realize he might need to see things from other peoples’ perspectives, or that he might need to update his beliefs, or that he was just plain wrong and had been operating in a purely selfish manner. But he never stopped improving himself as a character, showing more vulnerability and desire to improve for the benefit of his loved ones (which would often be passed on via Tool Time to masses of men who might be in similar situations).
The core of the show is characters being there for others regardless of whether they wanted to initially and improving not just the home, but the community.
I love it. Yes, I have nostalgic feelings wrapped up in it, but I think it delivers a message that’s kind of rare today. King of the Hill did the same thing, but I think the most recent example I can think of is Schitt’s Creek. In similar fashion, characters are often dragged to the realization that they’re wrong and improve consistently as a result. In all of these examples, protagonists are malleable in their attitudes and beliefs and adjust for the world (more often than not) rather than the world adjusting for them.
Anyway, I rewatch HI every couple of years. It’s fun to revisit not just for the over-arching philosophy, but because it’s a time capsule of fashion and era-specific outlooks on social issues. And it’s still funny, but the jokes I loved as a kid are replaced by the ones I can relate to as an adult, husband, and parent. It’s fun to think of myself laughing as a kid because Tim hurt himself and laughing as an adult because he offers horrible budgetary advice when it comes to how much of the family budget should go to tools.
My oldest child is not nearly the fan I am. They’re 13 and finding themself and their place in the world. They’re also gay and non-binary so a lot of the jokes don’t hit the same, but I’m quick to point out the progress we’ve made since the 90s for hope in the future and that, since the philosophy for Tim is constant improvement and an increasing level of empathy, most social causes would be initially resisted-against until someone made a good argument or illustration and Tim would see the light. 90s Tim Taylor cracks the occasional LGBT joke, but in all likelihood would probably be okay by 2021 with a gay guy coming to poker night (probably after he found out that the guy was into muscle cars and therefore enough of a man’s man to start changing Tim’s mind about whether a gay guy could still be the stereotypical man’s man).
The point, I say, is that we can all be more empathetic and we can all admit that we don’t know everything - that our strong beliefs don’t have to be carved in stone and should be constantly reevaluated to see if they still really benefit us or the people we love around us. We can all be better. We can constantly improve and the best place to start improvement is at the home.
So now my kid and I are rewatching the series, inspired this time by the BorlandFlex shirts, and they’re liking it a lot more watching it through the lens of improvement rather than thinking the characters are stagnant or that the show is just some old sitcom. I got the email from RSVLTS about the shirts and showed them to the family and my kids said they looked like shirts from “that one show,” and my wife’s look said she knew what was coming before I went upstairs to grab the DVDs. They also love the shirts and I get the impression I’ll need to keep an eye on them or they’ll “disappear.”
They (my kid) are already saying the shirts are super soft and comfortable. I tell them to save their allowance, but I’ve noticed a lot of my fun tee shirts in the laundry when I haven’t been wearing them, so I’m keeping an eye on these!
When RSVLTS announced them, I was 100% sold. I like that it’s HI merch without screaming it to the world and I like buying into something that means so much to me in the first place. It feels genuinely good to have these shirts and that sounds a little ridiculous because at the end of the day they’re shirts, but to me they’re like a tangible reminder of philosophy and I really like that. I may be the only one who digs this deep into HI, but I love the idea of constantly trying to get better and be there for the folks I love and, in a really cheesy way, these awesome shirts keep that idea closer to me.
So that’s my super long story about why I love these shirts. Thanks for reading. I can’t wait to see the next colors!
Beth G.
My husband likes this flannel a lot. He tucks his shirts in, so no pockets are a plus.
Paul M.
Perfect for the colder weather. Roughly 38 degrees outside but this BorlandFlex with a good thermal undershirt was more than enough to brave the cold. Now I just need to get one for my little guy to match.
Fredrick M.
Definitely a big step up in the COMFORTABLE department over previous flannels, the BorlandFlex is the most comfortable flannel i own.
Brian M.
This shirt is life! Fit and material are spot on perfect
Caleb C.
I absolutely love the fit of this shirt! Bravo!
Adam C.
This is the best fitting flannel I’ve ever owned. I went with a Large Slim fit and it fits great on my shoulders and the sleeves are long enough while not being oversized through the torso. The fabric is soft like flannel but it has just the right amount of stretch. I will be ordering the other color option soon.
Jackie D.
Great RSVLTS quality and design we’ve come to know and love in our family.
Marie B.
These are really soft, warm shirts. Great for this season of the year.
Michael M.
These 3rd gen flannels are great. Love the fit and the stretch.
Noah R.
If Tim Taylor were here, he would ask Al, “isn’t this the most comfortable flannel ever made?” And of course, Al would say, “you betcha Tim!” Get this classic look with an updated feel today!
Kyle W.
BorlandFlex button-up is awesome! One of those items you NEED if you were a Home Improvement/Tool-Time fan back in day!
