Shirts?

[robshilling]

I have been reading Charles Larpenteur. In the beginning he talks about keeping his two worn red flannel shirts and his good new blue check shirt. I conclude his blue check shirt has a collar on it, but the red flannel shirts I am unsure of. Would these have been a collarless shirt, kind of like the top of a union suit, or were these shirts also collared? I am thinking they were more of a work undershirt than an outer shirt garment. I am using too much modern thinking here? 

[TurkeyCreek]

From all the study over the years it would seem to me that since Larpenteur was a clerk he would be wearing shirts that he either purchased in St. Louis before heading out or that he purchased from the company.  In either case I believe that the red flannel shirts would be of a typical pattern for that time which would have had a collar.  Also, wouldn't the "flannel" have been wool?  Just throwing that out there.

All you more studied fellers come on and weigh in on this.

[blackhand]

Red (wool) flannel shirt made in the pattern of the day (collar & cuffs). Not a form-fitting body suit as a long-johns shirt and not an undershirt. These shirts were not blanket-weight shirts like some of the incorrect shirts sold today.

[robshilling]

Thanks for the replies so far. I was thinking it was wool flannel. The collar thing is what I was really stuck on. Thanks for clearing that up.