A decade ago, some people were still observing a trend for dressing like outdoor fanatics from 1912. Brands with genuine provenance like Woolrich and Pendleton rose to the peak of prominence in fashionable circles as a result and the heritage trend took root.
Now it’s the turn of the more contemporary contenders, who prefer to innovate when combating the cold and rain. There’s still a place at the top table for the brands founded before the rise of synthetic fabrics, but a mix and match approach is surely the best one to employ. With that in mind, sitting next to the elder statesmen with 200 years of history are the younger brands whose progressive attitude to the outdoors has won them appreciation not just in their natural habitat, but with the same people who were rocking Red Wings and selvedge not that long ago.
Outdoor brands like Klättermusen are clearly enjoying a moment in time when fashion and the great outdoors are aligned. Maybe it’s a sense of pragmatism that is prevailing. Maybe it’s fuelled by the increased appreciation of the outdoors following lockdown. You can be sure though, that once the moment has passed and trends have moved on to something else, Swedish stalwarts like the Climbing Mouse will continue to do their thing just as reliably as before, and with the same understated panache too.
The Asynja Jacket is one of several examples we could call on. Coming in a winning spectrum of colours, this is a lightweight outerwear piece which performs like a heavyweight.