The Daily Telegraph

THE BEST OUTDOOR-WEAR FOR A WET BRITISH WINTER

You can go for style without compromisi­ng on practicali­ty, says Stephen Doig

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There’s never a more polarising snapshot of what the world of edgy high fashion thinks men wear and what men actually wear than the strange microcosm that is the bi-annual men’s fashion show circuit in London, Florence, Milan and Paris, from which this weary correspond­ent has just returned. Because, as chic Florentine­s go about their business in sub-zero temperatur­es wearing handsome checks and swaddling scarves (like normal human beings), the more avant-garde catwalks will be proposing mesh. While Parisians look suitably, well, Parisian in sweeping black coats and tipped hats as they ponder Baudelaire in Les Deux Magots, a fashion editor will careen past in a puffer jacket and shorts as biting winds howl across the capital.

Back in the real world, one of my new year’s resolution­s is to spend more time in the great outdoors, away from the inner city grind. And while the wet, the cold and the early nightfalls don’t exactly invite a yomp across the marshes, there’s something pleasing about wrapping yourself up against the elements and heading into the gloaming.

Fortunatel­y, brands are responding in kind; while a dusty old Barbour will do you just fine, a range of labels are evolving their outdoors offering. Trump showed up at the Davos summit in Switzerlan­d with snow grips over his brogues, but a sturdy pair of boots would have been more on point – I can’t think of any man who wants to faff about putting footwear- condoms over their shoes.

While I don’t hold with the notion of shooting season, which ends next week, there’s a quiet hive of activity around outdoor pursuits. James Bond, for all his handsome suiting, has a fine line in outdoors get-up – see the solid, heavy-duty Danner boots worn in

Spectre. He also shows how to do outdoor dressing without being overly encumbered in this outing, with layers of insulating material – a polo neck and gilet for a more dynamic stance instead of something heavy-duty – and jeans. This time around, in the

No Time to Die trailer ahead of the film’s release this year, he’s once again in N.peal sweaters, Mil-tec gloves and pristine white puffers; there are worse examples to follow than his mix of serious outdoor jackets with more sporty attire. Accessorie­s are a key point here; a trusty old bobble hat will work fine for a bracing walk, but a trapper will keep the wind off your ears and lends the appearance that you’re off to grapple with the wilds of Colorado as opposed to the local park in Canterbury.

Recent technical innovation has also done wonders to marry the kind of protection you need from outdoor clothing with lightness of touch; Patagonia might have become the clichéd attire of choice for festival-going hipsters and cool dads, but you can’t detract from the fact that its fabrics – made using recycled materials – are unbelievab­ly lightweigh­t, while the fleece linings provide insulation. After three weeks of watching fashion folk in flyaway layers brace arctic winds as their bare knees turn blue, I’ll take a solid Patagonia jacket any day.

 ??  ?? Wrapped up: Belstaff’s rugged take on solid outerwear
Wrapped up: Belstaff’s rugged take on solid outerwear
 ??  ?? therealrea­l.com 007 cashmere polo neck, £295, npeal.com
Quilted gilet, £145, jaeger.co.uk
therealrea­l.com 007 cashmere polo neck, £295, npeal.com Quilted gilet, £145, jaeger.co.uk
 ??  ?? Filson wool trapper hat, £89,
Mil Tec padded gloves, £14.95, military1s­t.co.uk
Filson wool trapper hat, £89, Mil Tec padded gloves, £14.95, military1s­t.co.uk
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 ??  ?? Patagonia Ripstop quilted down jacket, £220, mrporter.com
Patagonia Ripstop quilted down jacket, £220, mrporter.com
 ??  ?? Jag Carbon boots, £129.53, danner.com
Jag Carbon boots, £129.53, danner.com

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