Country Clothing – Jackets, Jumpers, Waistcoats, Shirts
Jackets
I love traditionally-styled tweed shooting jackets. I have two of them that I wear for my outdoor adventures: a Norfolk jacket in Derby Tweed that I use for most of my activities in the colder months, and a standard-cut jacket in Harris Tweed that I use for general outdoor wear during warmer months.
Derby tweed is the most durable, but is on the heavy side. Harris tweed is lighter and more flexible, but is a looser weave and thus more prone to wear or pulls from brambles, hooks or barbed wire. Either way, tweed is the very best fabric. I like the thought that the wool in its weave once kept a sheep warm upon the slopes of a rugged mountain, that it has felt the wild winds and lived amongst the heather. You can’t get this with synthetic fabrics (the noise of a middle-eastern factory or the test tube origins of the plastics don’t encourage any nostalgia in me whatsoever). Then there’s the reassurance knowing that tweed is a proven fabric, it has kept generations of countrymen warm and will continue to do so. It looks very good, too, with its multitude of wool blends and patterns.
I’ve always been really impressed with the notion of estate tweeds – designed specifically for a family or country estate, unique from any other and worn by the keepers and guns on shoot days. I guess the principle is similar to that of tartan, where a family can have its own fabric. It gets you thinking, doesn’t it? Many a time have I wondered what it would be like to visit a tweed mill in Scotland and get them to weave me my very own Priory herringbone tweed, something like Kilberry Tweed, in green-grey or fawn-brown with my ‘trade-mark’ burgundy colouring embedded as an Overcheck pattern. Oh yes, that would be very nice indeed. Some day, some day, the dream may come true.
Jumpers
A quick fact for you – modern fleeces are warmer, lighter and dry quicker than a knitted wool jumper. So why wear the latter? Because they feel better. Not necessarily to the touch, but wearing one seems to be the right thing to do. Perhaps it’s to do with the same affection I have for tweed, that wool is a natural fabric that has life and history. The styling can be more traditional, too, with chunky or patterned knit. I especially like shooting jumpers that have leather patches on the shoulders and elbows. They go really well with Tattershall shirts and breeks of any fabric. Also, any jumper that has been hand-knitted has inherent sentimental value. The thought that someone has sat knitting for many hours, creating a garment that a loved-one will wear, just makes me feel good.
Waistcoats
Waistcoats add a touch of panache to one’s appearance. I really like waistcoats fronted with felt (wool), tweed or moleskin. I have friends who wear waistcoats fronted with leather, twill, corduroy or silk. Whereas much country clothing is in natural ‘earthy’ colours, a waistcoat can add a splash of colour to an outfit whilst looking very traditional, too.
My favourite waistcoats have burgundy fronts. The colour characterises my style (I’ve had fishing rods whipped in burgundy silk, books bound with burgundy end-papers and I write my letters in a vintage sepia-burgundy ink). If a colour were to typify the Priory (other than sepia) then it would be burgundy.
Shirts
Cotton ‘Tattershall’ checked shirts are the best for country wear, especially those from John Norris of Penrith (who also retails a fabulous fleece-lined version). These shirts offer exceptional value for money and longevity. However, a cotton shirt is better suited to the cooler months, and so for most of the time I wear short-sleeved checked shirts purchased from walking shops. There’s something nicely non-corporate about short-sleeved shirts (as a senior manager, it’s recommended that I don’t wear short-sleeved shirts) and if they’re good enough for James Bond (who, in the books, would only wear short-sleeved shirts) then they’re good enough for me.
My favourite style of shirt is a collarless ‘Granddad’ shirt. I’ve worn these ever since I was an art student and love their informality. Wearing such a shirt, where it’s just not possible to wear a tie, immediately puts me at my ease. My subconscious knows that there’s no possibility of me going to the office and so I can relax and go about more leisurely things.
As with trousers, don’t overlook Army & Navy stores for shirts. They have some fabulous vintage items at ridiculously cheap prices. The ‘British No. 2’, ‘French army khaki’ and Swedish GI 3-button’ shirts are a traditional fawn colour and, with any flags and insignia removed, look very traditional indeed.
If you like this blog, then you might like Fine Things, Fennel's Journal No. 8
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