Nigel Cabourn AW15 at London Collections:Men - 60th anniversary of crossing Antarctica

Nigel Cabourn's AW15 collection, exhibited at London Collections:Men, celebrates the 60th anniversary of Sir Vivian Fuchs/Sir Edmund Hillary's epic crossing of Antarctica. 

(All images Grey Fox Blog)

As ever, Cabourn takes the original clothing, fabrics and accessories and recreates them in a way that makes them almost reproductions of the originals; robust, fit-for-purpose and designed for a serious utilitarian role in a harsh, life-threatening environment. 

And, of course, they're made in the UK from materials the same as (such as Ventile) or similar to the originals. No Gore-Tex here, these are natural materials, cotton or wool, manufactured to protect against cold and moisture.

See the Nigel Cabourn website.

Friday Favourites: men's boots for winter

Winter means a man needs a pair of boots, comfortable, warm, robust and reasonably weather-proof. Here are a few I like. From the high street on a wet day to muddy winter walks on rock or mud, I've selected boots for most needs except the high mountains. Priced from £85 to £400, these are classic styles for all ages.

Loake Dovedake

These are the boots I wear regularly. Made from Loake's last 024, a last they use for their Chester and Otterburn brogues which I also own and which fit me well, I knew they'd be comfortable before I acquired them. I wear them around town or for muddy dog walks. After gentle drying, mud-removal and a good wax, they come up like new.

British-made, they are available from Loake outlets or their website £235.

Trickett Grey Paw boots

I like the look of these from Trickett, who always seem to find interesting and well-made designs. They're made in Northampton, are Goodyear welted and come with a crepe sole, in a British tanned Brown leather and presentation box. 

Iain Trickett told me,

'They are a mixture of all things I like about boots, Kickers, Red Wings and Clarks Wallabees. Perfect for winter and go with any outfit. We are short on words around these parts, we prefer the goods to speak for themselves I guess!'

 The Trickett Grey Paw boots cost £180 from Trickett England.

Oliver Sweeney Danby boot

From Oliver Sweeney, these buffalo and country grain hide boots cross the town/city divide by effectively combining black and brown in a robust Goodyear-welted construction with a bellows tongue.

They have a rubber commando-type sole and look good on city or village streets. From Oliver Sweeney £259. I own a pair of shoes to a similar design which I will review shortly.

Grenson Marcus

For those looking for a boot for wear in town, the Grenson Marcus black chukka is ideal. Elegant, yet suitably boot-like to be warm, comfortable and reasonably dry (they have leather soles) on draughty city streets, these could be worn with a business suit or jeans.

These boots are in the Grenson G:Two Collection; designed in England, made to high standards in India and checked and finished back in England. This enables them to sell a high quality shoe at a more accessible price. I applaud Grenson's openness about the origins of these lovely boots. We see too many brands fudging the issue of origin to suggest British manufacture when a product is actually assembled abroad and finished in the UK. Grenson also make shoes in England. Grenson Marcus £195 from Grenson.

Vandra High boot by Lunghans

From a favourite supplier of mine, Lissom & Muster, these are a single-layer, high shaft, shell boots with a padded top edge that is made from Tea Green Nubuck Leather giving a stable and reliable boot with a modern design. Being unlined, they are for use for layering on warm or cold days. For genuine tough use. Lissom & Muster has a small but beautifully-curated collection of outdoor clothing.

From Lissom & Muster, priced £213.75 with 24% off at present.

Aigle and Nigel Cabourn collaboration Le Godiot boots

Like the Vandras above, these boots are serious bits of kit, as you'd imagine from a collaboration with Nigel Cabourn, whose products are often based on robust military or outdoor clothing of a very practical design.

Manufactured from rubber with leather uppers, these are made in France by Aigle, cost £400.

M&S Collection leather hiker boots

I like the slightly retro look of these leather hiking boots. They are probably more suited to wet and muddy winter walks than the high fells and mountains, but look robust and comfortable. 

Made to M&S's usual high standards and available from Marks & Spencer stores or online.

Rockport

From the Rockport Heritage Collection, I like the robust look of these Umbwe Trail boots. They contain ADIPRENE® by adidas Sport Technology in the heel which provides shock-absorption and comfort. With a Vibram sole and Hydro-Shield waterproofing, these boots will stand up to most lowland walks and trails.

The waterproof construction is guaranteed to seal out moisture - even in heavy rain, sleet, or snow. This style is priced at £150 and is available online now at Rockport and elsewhere. 

Nigel Cabourn The Army Gym shop opens in London

Some weeks ago a reader from the US e-mailed me firstly with an offer to freeze my sperm (so that I could use it once I was too old to produce an effective product, which was very thoughtful of him) and secondly with a request that I visit Nigel Cabourn's new shop once it had opened. 

I'd planned to do the second anyway, so happily travelled to Covent Garden a day or two after the opening. Nigel Cabourn himself was there and he kindly showed me the collection. 

Nigel Cabourn outside his new shop - image © Grey Fox

Cabourn's inspiration comes from vintage military and expedition wear. From mountaineering and Antarctic parkas to tweed coats, hunting clothing and leather flying jackets, everything is beautifully-made (in the UK) and reflects the practical robustness of the originals.

I regularly wear a Cabourn Tenzing jacket, tweed with Ventile shoulder patches, for country and dog walks and can confirm that these are genuinely comfortable, well-made and weather-resistant garments - I've no doubt that the same goes for the whole range, reflecting the origins and pedigree of their design and manufacture.

The shop is beautifully designed; a cross between mountain hut, barrack-room, locker room and officers' mess, with bare wooden floors, vintage furnishings and books and magazines on show. 

Cabourn has worked on some interesting collaborations with labels such as Filson (below) and some of these are available downstairs in the shop.

For more on the London store click here to visit the Nigel Cabourn website.

Images by Grey Fox.

The Grey Style Project - Nigel Cabourn, Covent Garden

For various reasons The Grey Style Project, recording older men of style on our streets, has slowed in recent months. But here's my shot of Nigel Cabourn outside his just-opened Covent Garden store.

Nigel Cabourn image © Grey Fox

For other Grey Style Project images on this blog, click here. Please follow The Grey Style Project on Tumblr.

I'll be writing about Nigel Cabourn's new shop soon. Meanwhile, click here to go to Nigel Cabourn's website.

Grey Fox Models 13 - Nigel Cabourn AW13

What a superb advertisement for Nigel Cabourn's wonderful Everest parka and Harris tweed jacket, from the Autumn/Winter 2013 collection. An excellent example of the use of older models to sell menswear. More of this would encourage and embolden older men in their shopping and style choices. See Nigel Cabourn.

For more in the Grey Fox Models series, looking at older models advertising menswear, click here. 

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

October will be Made in Britain month on Grey Fox

In my search for style I've found many exciting products made or designed here in the UK - see my posts from the last week or two. As a result, I've decided to have a British-made theme this month.

I've already mentioned many British names over the first few months of this blog. Nigel Cabourn, Sir Paul Smith, Barbour, Belstaff, Harris Tweed among others - and there are plenty more (of all sizes, new and older) where they came from. All these make, design or supply clothes for the man who wishes to step out in style. Watch this space over the next few weeks.

Coincidentally, there is a Best of Britannia event in London over the next few days - visit the website here for more information. This covers every sector, from music to marmalade and celebrates British designers and manufacturers.

If you supply British-made or designed fabrics or goods, like this biker jacket from James Aubrey (more later from this company), please get in touch.

(Incidentally, the car below reminds me of a white MG I owned, down to the MG Owners' Club badge. A very British car, then unfortunately in its twilight years under the misguided management of British Leyland).

James Aubrey biker jacket - British waxed fabric

My style influences - the Nigel Cabourn design philosophy and utilitarian robustness

This video is a few months old now, but I like Nigel Cabourn's approach to the garments he designs. He talks about them being "real" in terms of their utilitarian design and the necessity for high quality. He refers to mountaineering and military clothing and, in particular, to Edmund Hillary's polar jacket, made in 1953. These are examples of a rugged and functional approach to design and manufacture.

I admire much of Cabourn's work and own a Tenzing jacket. Much of the military clothing is not to my taste, but his philosophy and the honesty of his design is an influence on my choice of clothing and is reflected in my love of Harris tweed and British-made brogues. These are not clothes to be thrown out and replaced after a season's wear.

Dry cleaning tweed jackets? Try a hand-wash for a rugged finish!

As the weather warms, a tweed jacket becomes increasingly antisocial as the wearer slowly acquires the aroma of a damp moorland sheep. So, now is the time to clean jackets for Summer storage.

Inspired by a comment by Nigel Cabourn, in which he advocated hand-washing the Harris tweed Mallory jacket for a rugged finish, I thought I'd give it a try - if only to save the costs of dry-cleaning! Cabourn advises turning the jacket inside-out, soaking it for ten to forty minutes in lukewarm water (the longer the time, the greater the shrinkage of up to half a size) and then wringing out the water before drying the jacket in the Sun (which we've recently rediscovered here in London). Here's a photo from the Cabourn blog -

I tried this with my Cabourn Tenzing jacket and with an old Marks and Spencers Harris tweed jacket which I had put aside to give to a charity shop. Both were slightly large for me, so I was interested to see if a wash would improve the fit.

Both jackets ended up feeling considerably softer and with the worn, slightly creased appearance of a well-used and much loved garment. They shrank slightly and are more comfortable to wear as a result. Give it a try, but don't blame me if it all goes wrong!

Nigel Cabourn to introduce womenswear range shock

In a surprise move Nigel Cabourn has produced a range of women's wear. "Women climb Everest and go to the South Pole as well as men and are now serving actively in the armed forces so we thought it was time to recognise this in an appropriate range of clothing", said Cabourn, whose ranges are based on vintage military and explorer's clothing.

Photo Mr Mort

Photo Mr Mort

April Fuller, Cabourn's director of marketing, added, "The women's range is indistinguishable from the men's. The only difference is that we will hang a little label on the garment printed in pink with the words, Nigel Cabourn Genuine Women, so that customers can be sure they are buying the correct item".

Stockists of the new range are yet to be announced.

Nigel Cabourn DB tweed jacket - rare classic quality?

I've been looking for a double-breasted blazer or tweed jacket. Here's a Nigel Cabourn 1940s-inspired Harris tweed jacket I'd come across before and admired. Unfortunately it was made in limited numbers and is now out of stock. It would be a bit of an extravagance to own, as I already have a Cabourn Tenzing jacket (reviewed here), but if I could find one in size 48 (38") I'd snap it up - I could just see it worn with my battered jeans, cream roll neck and tan brogues.

The design is so classic, robust and wearable I'm surprised nobody else makes anything quite like this. There are plenty of clone-like pea coats and single-breasted tweed jackets, but the willingness to really explore such classic designs seems to be the preserve of only a few designers like Cabourn. Is that the middle age man in me talking? It may be, because the more I search for a style the more I appreciate classic quality like this.

The search continues - I'd probably sacrifice my Tenzing jacket for it!

A vintage man bag - a 1944 "Satchel Signal"

By "vintage man bag" I mean that the bag is vintage, not the man!

I'm laid up with a fractured knee following a cycling accident and using crutches means that I need a bag to hang around my neck to carry book, newspapers, phone etc. around the house. I have to thank my assistant for helping me get this post online.

What better than my vintage military "Satchel Signal - ZA 6282", bought at a cycle jumble a few years ago. I suspect it was used by motorbike messengers during the war. Maybe something for Nigel Cabourn to reproduce?

P.S. Having written the above I Googled "Satchel Signal" and, would you believe it, found a mine of information. Is there anything somebody DOESN'T collect? Apparently it would have been usually used for headsets for radios. Here's a link if you want to know more.

Ventile - a classic waterproof revived

Ventile is a pure cotton material used since the thirties when it was developed for use by pilots operating from aircraft carriers. It was designed to keep them warm and dry for long enough to enable them to be rescued before they were overcome by exposure.

Photo Ventile

It was widely used as a breathable and waterproof fabric before materials like Gore-Tex were developed. Since more modern fabrics have become available its use has gradually declined among outdoor types, although Ventile claims that it is still used by fighter pilots in their flight suits. Others still prefer Ventile, claiming that it is quieter, more breathable and robust.

Ben Fogle wearing Cabourn Ventile parka

The recent resurgence of interest in vintage work clothes has seen its revival by modern designers. Private White V.C. is one of several companies that markets garments made from Ventile. Ben Fogle used a Nigel Cabourn recreation of Edmund Hillary's Ventile Arctic parka when he went to the South Pole a few years ago. My Nigel Cabourn Tenzing jacket has Ventile shoulder and arm patches which enhance its shower-proof capabilities to the extent that I only leave it at home in persistent rain. 

Nigel Cabourn Tenzing jacket

I bought an old Survival Aids Ventile jacket last Autumn to see how it compares to my modern breathable mountaineering jacket. It is very wind-proof and keeps out all but very heavy and persistent rain. The cotton fibres that make up the Ventile expand when wet, which means that the jacker becomes slightly heavier and stiffer and takes a while to dry out.

Vintage Survival Aids Ventile jacket

Overall my modern jacket is slightly more waterproof, but it does get damp inside from condensation, something that I haven't experienced with the Ventile garment, which is also quieter and more comfortable to wear as the cotton is softer and warmer to touch.

Ventile jacket

To sum up, I would take the modern technical waterproof into very wet conditions, but would use the Ventile for shorther or more sheltered use or where quietness is needed (bird watching, wildlife photography, field sports). An added advantage of Ventile is that it does not readily take up dye during manufacture, so it develops a lovely distressed patina of age with use!