An Organic Ventile Smock from Hilltrek

I love a Ventile jacket and have owned several over the years. A cotton cloth, Ventile, as described below, is a densely woven cloth originally developed in the UK that is weatherproof and can be further waterproofed with a coating to the fabric. I've covered the history of Ventile (and its military uses) in previous features here on the blog and more information is given below, but my purpose here is to introduce the efforts being made by Ventile to produce sustainable products.

There are of course environmental concerns about cotton clothing and Ventile have taken steps to address these with the introduction of Ventile Eco Cotton. They offered to have a smock made for me by Scottish manufacturers, Hilltrek, who have made a jacket for me before.

The smock is beautifully made and, as I did, can be ordered with a number of options relating to size, placing of zips and pockets and colour. Hilltrek make a number of different styles of jacket and other outdoor clothing from their Scottish Highland facility and their clothes are made with a strong practical knowledge of the outdoor uses to which they will be put.

My smock has withstood several hours of heavy Cumbrian rain without failing, even at the seams. Of course, no clothing is truly and completely waterproof, but one advantage of Ventile is that it seems to be more breathable than many man-made fabrics and I find it comfortable to wear on a hard walk. In warmer conditions lighter Ventiles can be used and a zip-front jacket may be preferred, but this smock is ideal for hard conditions and I would wear it in winter conditions with suitable layers.

I asked Jordan Henderson, who represents Ventile, to answer a few questions about the cloth:

Q: What is it that makes Ventile a waterproof cloth? Can you tell us something about the manufacturing process?

A: Ventile is made from densely woven 100% cotton yarns which when wet, swell creating a weatherproof fabric. The manufacturing process is so skilled that there are only a handful of mills that can produce fabric using this method. Customers can also choose to add a DWR coating to the fabric.

Q: My jacket is made from organic cotton - tell us more about that? What makes it organic and how is it different to the cotton normally used to make Ventile?

A: Ventile Eco Organic is made from sustainably grown organic certified cottons that have not been exposed to pesticides or chemical fertilisers and use low-impact processing methods and materials. Ventile Eco Organic is woven from premium extra-long-staple cotton that represents only 0.04% of the overall cotton produced worldwide and the fibres used in Ventile Eco Organic fabric are GOTS (The Global Organic Textile Standard) certified.

Q: Is Ventile very different to the earliest forms of Ventile developed in the UK? If so, how?

A: To this day, Ventile is still sold to the British and Swedish Army. The fabric construction and properties are still comparable to what it was at the time. Today, Ventile are using modern machines which enhances the quality of the fabric.

Q: Where is Ventile made?

A: In 1930 Ventile was developed by a dedicated team of scientists from the Shirley Institute in Manchester. In 1980, as dyeing houses gradually declined, Talbot Weaving, the owners of Ventile, were no longer able to dye and finish Ventile in the UK. Production moved to Eastern Switzerland which has a solid reputation for quality finishing. Today, Ventile fabric continues to be produced in Switzerland.

Q: Are new forms of Ventile being developed for the future?

Ventile has recently launched Ventile Eco Blends which use blended fibres such as lyocell, linen and hemp:  Additionally, Ventile recently launched the Ventile Eco Recycled range which is the first high-performance fabric made entirely from recycled cotton. The pioneering fabric has been designed to achieve the best balance of performance, comfort, and sustainability to reduce overall textile waste, creating a durable and environmentally friendly resource for designers and fashion brands.

Links:

Ventile 

Hilltrek

Previous relevant blog features

The smock was provided as a review sample by Ventile and made by Hilltrek, whose wonderful products I highly recommend.

British weatherproof fabrics 1 - Ventile

I've mentioned British Millerain (a waxed cotton fabric) and Ventile (a closely woven water resistant cotton) before. No doubt as a result of our love of outdoor sports, whatever the weather, many of these waterproof fabrics are British-made. To many consumers, cotton has advantages of breathability and quietness over artificial waterproof fabrics.

Ventile was designed in the UK before the Second World War, when the search was on for a waterproof material made from cotton. It was used for hoses and firebuckets and then developed for Royal Air Force survival suits (for which it is still used). Here are examples of how Ventile is now used for outdoor clothing.

Ventile Private White VC mac

Nigel Cabourn Mallory jacket with Ventile patches

S.E.H Kelly Ventile mac detail

Dark green Ventile rainproof mac from S.E.H. Kelly

Nigel Cabourn Ventile Everest parka

Nigel Cabourn Ventile Everest parka detail 

Orvis Ventile shirt

Nike Ventile anorak

Nike Ventile anorak (detail)

Westwinds Airdale Ventile jacket

Joe Caseley-Heyford at John Lewis Ventile mac

Brooks Bicycles + John Boultbee, Ventile Blackwell cycling jacket

Hilltrek Ventile cycling jacket

Hilltrek: Outdoor Wear Made in Scotland

Hilltrek are an outdoor clothing company making off-the-peg, customised and made to measure clothing for the great outdoors at their workshop in Scotland. They design jackets, smocks, windshirts, trousers, breeches, shirts and accessories in Aboyne in Royal Deeside on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. They use largely cotton-based cloths, Ventile®, high performance Karisma Technical Fleece and Hilltrek developed Cotton Analogy® and export to over 30 countries worldwide. 

Harry and I testing the superb Talorc Hybrid Ventile jacket on the Cumbrian fells

Hilltrek tell me that their customers are, "discerning outdoor enthusiasts who want garments of superb quality and craftsmanship. Our clothing is used from the polar regions, to high mountains to deserts by photographers, birdwatchers, walkers, climbers, naturalists, bushcrafters, hunters, anglers and cyclists". The Cairngorms National Park is their testing ground and they appreciate feedback from outdoor enthusiasts about their products.

They made me a Talorc Hybrid Ventile jacket to test. I wanted something lightweight, intending to use it for lower mountain walks and outings with Harry in the parks of London. I was looking for something water and windproof that could be used for most of the year and specified a very attractive cinnamon colour that is perfect with autumn leaves and the year-end bracken of the Cumbrian fells. The jacket is made from single-layer Ventile, doubled at the shoulders and hood for added water and weather protection. With a hood, four external and one internal pocket, it can be specified to different sizes and colours.

The Talorc comes in several other colours

I've become very attached to the Talorc. Comfortable, practical and weatherproof, I'm a great fan of Ventile which is not only a natural material, but is much quieter to wear than modern synthetics. Walking silently through woodland reveals so much more in the way of wildlife than rustling and crashing your way around. The jacket isn't designed for the most extreme conditions (Hilltrek offer other jackets for that), but is a stylish and adaptable coat for most UK conditions, urban and rural. It's a fairly tailored fit (but still with room for a thick pullover underneath) and looks great in the pub or on the hill.

I can highly recommend both the product and Hilltrek's service. Whether your expeditions are to walk the dog, to the South Pole, The Karakoram, Snowdon or to the pub, they will provide you with suitable outdoor wear customised if needed to your particular needs.

The jacket was made for me for the purpose of this review. Priced from £325 at Hilltrek.

Staying dry naturally and stylishly - Barbour, Ventile, British Millerain, Grenfell

Spending a few days in the wild and woolly north disclosed a few gaps in the Grey Fox outdoors wardrobe. I have plenty of clothing suitable for climbing mountains and rambling along country footpaths, but these are mainly made artificial materials such as Gore-Tex. I have no problem with that, they are the best materials for extremes of weather. However, if the going is not so tough, they are rarely as comfortable as natural materials such as wool and cotton which are softer and more breathable. Furthermore, I don't really want to rustle like a paper bag as I walk a country path. It scares off the wildlife and makes me feel like a jolly anorak-clad rambler on a Sunday outing.

So, as autumn approaches, what is available that is stylish, breathable, quiet and made from natural materials to keep off the worst of the weather? Many of the traditional rainproof garments, made from fabrics such as cotton, were first developed here in the UK by Barbour, Belstaff, Ventile, British Millerain and Grenfell among others (many still going strong in the UK). Could this have been something to do with the British weather and our love of being outdoors walking, climbing, shooting, fishing or sport? This long practical heritage has appealed to British explorers and mountaineers, royalty and the quintessentially cool (i.e. Steve McQueen).

Here are a few examples of outdoor clothing made from natural materials (cotton or wool based) that offer stylish alternatives to more technical artificial fabrics.

[Edit: 2016 - I'm pleased to say that the Grenfell shooting jacket, a vintage example of which is shown below, has been recreated by a revived Grenfell, see here].

Barbour Sapper wax jacket

Hilltrek Ventile windshirt

Joe Caseley-Heyford at John Lewis Ventile mac

Orvis Everest Jacket - Ventile and Scottish tweed

Grenfell original Harrington jacket 

A vintage Grenfell outdoor/shooting jacket - no longer available!

Boden Biker, British Millerain waxed fabric

Boden Reefer, British Millerain waxed jacket

James Darby Smocks: Made in Manchester

It's over seven years since I met James Darby on a visit to Manchester (see here). James is a designer tailor who works with his team from his Manchester studio where he individually hand cuts and makes the garments he designs. On that visit I was struck by his creativity and skill and by the novelty of the garments he created, which have a strong outdoor/workwear element to them, as befits their origins in the city of Manchester which was at the heart of the growing cotton industry from the eighteenth century.

James Darby Ventile FaceSmock

James sent me a couple of his FaceSmocks for me to try, one in bright yellow Ventile and the other an orange cotton drill. Although both are similar in design and construction, they are very different garments. The Ventile smock makes a practical, water resistant and breathable jacket which I've been wearing to walk my dog Harry in all but the heaviest of rain. The green and orange cotton smock is more of a stylish fashion jacket, providing a colourful layer with a strong work/outward bound look but no particular weather resistance.

James Darby cotton drill FaceSmock

I've been a lover of the mountain smock style of jacket since I wore one as a young teenager exploring the mountains of Wales, Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Cumbria. The smock is highly weatherproof and usually has capacious pockets for map, camera, sandwiches etc. It can be less convenient than a zipped jacket as it has to be removed over the head and can be warm on hot days. However, I love it as a practical protective coat with a strong heritage.

If I further tightened the hood it would give even greater facial protection

James designed and engineered what he calls the C19 FaceSmock to enable the hood to give your face full protection from the elements and easily adaptable for use as a face mask if required. They come in a variety of cloths from the yellow weatherproof Ventile to cord, denim and a variety of colours in heavy cotton drill. Mine are well-made, fit beautifully and have some nice details around the pockets, hood (with its highly effective facial protection)  and cuffs that add to their practical nature. 

It's a pleasure to own and wear something a little different in design and tailor-made in Manchester. Prices vary from a reasonable £115 to £250. 

Website https://www.jamesdarbyclothing.co.uk/ where you can see more from James Darby's clothing range

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jamesdarbyclothinguk/ 

See also my recent post on the Ventile mountain smock from Hilltrek.

Cycling jacket nostalgia

What did cyclists wear in the days before lightweight and breathable rain capes (or waterproof jackets as non-cyclists call them)? A common sight was the venerable Bertram Dudley Greenspot jacket, made in Yorkshire from Gaberdine or Poplin.

Happily, as modern cyclists discover the joys of tweed and cotton fabrics (when they're not blasting around the roads on lightweight racers wearing Lycra) there has been a revival of the vintage cycling jacket. Hilltrek has been selling a Ventile version for a while (called the Greenspot to honour the original) and Brooks sold an upmarket, Timothy Everest Ventile design, called the Criterion cycling jacket. Here they are.

Hilltrek Greenspot Ventile cycling jacket

Brooks Criterion jacket

An original Greenspot (photo eBay)

Made in These Isles - craftsmanship from the British Isles

Made in These Isles sells craftsmanship, new and vintage, from within the British Isles - including clothes, accessories, homewares and furniture. Their selection process involves,

'Attention to detail, quality of materials, great design, simplicity of form, complexity of construction, trusted production techniques and like minded people all help to shape the selection process'.

Here are some of the clothing items that caught my eye, all British made. They have recently added items to their Autumn/Winter collection.  See the Made in These Isles website for more information.

Common People waxed Mackinaw jacket

Vintage Goverall duffle coat

Hilltrek Ventile cycling jacket

To Be Frank waxed jacket

Fallow Japanese pink selvedge hand made British jeans

Eastie Empire Tailors Winston overshirt

Antiform reclaimed belt