Preferring outdoor oriented clothes?

[BuntyVisitsTheMoon]

I've been a bit fed up of the poor quality of regular fashions/clothes for years now, and haven't bought very much in that time apart from PJ's and a pair of boots.

Landed in Ambleside on a trip through the north west recently and found myself becoming unreasonably excited about the shops full of outdoor stuff!
It suits me, and feels appropriate, and although some of it is on the expensive side, feels so much better designed and put together than the typical urban, fashion related offerings elsewhere.

So far I have found a few decent things in the sales - a couple of Patagonia warm tee's, some Fjallraven cargo trousers and some excellent walking shoes.

I am outdoors quite a lot in regular life as don't drive, although I don't see so much of this stuff where I live (Shrewsbury, dresses are popular here!), I am tempted to dress this way for most of the time and just give up on the usual clothes shops.
Also recently located a fabulous wool knit online at Finisterre, much more affordable and better made than offerings at Whistles or John Lewis, etc.

Anyone else like this? Possibly out of place in S&B maybe as some might call it style-less, lol.

You've found clothes you like, and of decent quality. Excellent, get stuck in. That's the holy grail for many people. Outdoors wear has very much been 'in' for a while. I see loads of it in the city I live in. I'm a fan of Finisterre myself.

On a lower budget, I wear a lot of Rapanui. V good quality.
I dont have a car- by choice-and spend a lot of time walking.

Ooh, yes I like Rapanui too. Excellent t-shirts

I wouldn't really consider Shrewsbury to be the fashion capital of the UK, so just wear what you feel comfortable with and you won't look out of place - unless you're doing a school run to one of the public schools, which may have their own school gate dress code!
But otherwise, I can't imagine anyone will give a second glance at what you're wearing.

Not sure where I said I care what others thought? Or that Shrewsbury was fashionable. I observe more people in dresses the past few years, becaude I notice stuff.
I see more outdoor gear when I travel further north, which is possibly to be expected!

Was interested in anyone else who likes this stuff and what your favourite brands are. Some are unfathomably expensive (Arcteryx waterproof at £550), which is likely the silly end of things really..

I have similar preferences for casual clothes. Have a look at findra.

I am eying some Berghaus walking boots in the sale. Usually above my budget but I plan to hike more in 2025.
I also like some Passenger stuff. Though too much recycled polyester for me.
I like the outdoor look in general.

I think Arcteryx and The North Face (and Patagonia to some degree) have leant into the wealthy finance bro market recently, I don’t know how much they’re actually making outdoors clothes any more! I like Howies and Alpkit for this kind of stuff.

Tog24?

Weird fish?

Saltrock?

Rab?

All brands I wear

Me too! I generally hate "fashion" because it tends to be utterly useless for doing anything other than sitting around in. Rab are my favourite outdoor brand but they are £££. Having said that I have never had a piece from them that didn't exceed my expectations in terms of performance and wear. Peter Storm have amazed me with their £25 insulated jacket (still on offer now I think) though it wouldn't win any style awards. Hard to justify a £300 price tag for one especially if you choose not to wear down. For items that look less outdoorsy but still perform well I have had some nice pieces from Rohan. Again they are expensive but last for years. They do linen-mix shirts, dresses and trousers in the summer that don't crease which is great.

This is great, thanks! I agree about the' finance bro' market, lol.
Rohan not bad, and DH has some excellent Peter Storm stuff that has lasted many years. If you can locate anything you like at GoOutdoors, the membership deals are excellent.

One thing I don't much like are the hip length rain jackets (across brands), usually stupidly overpriced for what they are and always have an awkward fit on me.

I plan on building up a nice collection of Fjallraven things but usually only buying one item once per year.

I like Paramo myself; partly due to the fact that I am smaller than average and they do short options for trousers but also because you can get reconditioned stuff at reasonable prices from their ebay shop. Also like Rohan - got a great midi length coat which is smart enough for office wear but also packs down to nothing for holidays. My house is cold so I wear what many people would consider outdoor clothing indoors - shetland sweaters & jumbo cord trousers along with Ecco boots.

I still like Barbour stuff - I have an old wax coat of theirs that has lasted ages and they often have great stuff in the sale

I like Patagonia, Rab, Montane. All expensive, but not quite Arcteryx prices, and the quality is excellent.

The best boots I’ve found for hiking are La Sportivas. I don’t even feel like I’m wearing them. I’ve also managed to convert DH away from his trusty Salomons. Also 10000% recommend Silverlight socks.

We live in outdoor gear most of the time and live by that saying “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” 😁 We went to Canada earlier this summer and were amazed at the choice of brands in the shops compared to over here. We came home with so much stuff!

You are my tribe! I live in outdoor gear - in fact I rarely wear anything else these days - and my DH is pretty much the same. It suits my lifestyle and, like you say, although it can be expensive, it's also generally very well made and lasts a long time.

My favourite brands are Montane, Rab and Patagonia, and more recently 3rdRock. I've got some great bargains online, including on some of the second-hand selling groups on FB, and also from the Rab factory shop.

My idea of a good shopping trip is a visit to Outside in Hathersage, and when we go to Scotland, instead of stopping at the services we go to Tiso instead for a good browse. Even if I don't need/want to buy anything, I love to see and touch it all!

I'm lying on my sofa here in my Finisterre cords, Isobaa merino top, Darn Tough socks.... I have been out today I promise!

Alpkit do a small range of outdoor/casual wear and you might like. Also look at Acai.

SportPursuit is really good for outdoor brands at reasonable prices.

My idea of a good shopping trip is a visit to Outside in Hathersage, and when we go to Scotland, instead of stopping at the services we go to Tiso instead for a good browse. Even if I don't need/want to buy anything, I love to see and touch it all!

DH used to work at Outside. It wasn't very profitable job!! Still love popping in for a gear fondle. Tiso in Perth and Fort Bill are favourites too.

OMG, working there would be my idea of heaven - but awful for my bank account! I used to live less than a minute from a very well-known outdoor shop in the Lakes and had to walk past it every time I went to and from the house. That was bad enough!

I live in outdoor clothes because i'm outdoors for hours every day.
My clothes mostly come from Farm supplies shops, camping shops and country stores so I guess I'm pretty much at the bottom end of the outdoor clothes spectrum. I never thought I would be interested in or post on a thread in the Style & Beauty section.

Gear Fondle

has anyone ordered from Fjallraven online? A store who sell them in Ambleside told me today that they ship from the Netherlands and it takes a long time. I want something in a colour that isn't in the shops here..

Great thread OP! I love outerwear too and will follow this thread for ideas. That brand you are chasing - I bought one of the jackets and it wasn't waterproof, which put me off buying more of their range.

I’ve recently got a few bits from Passenger, which are a bit style over substance but the waterproof has worked well, and fleeces are nice and warm.

My job is outside and most of my hobbies are outside. So need hardwearing.

I struggle to find outdoor clothing to fit my curvy short figure. It’s getting slightly better but it’s very expensive and caring for them can be a bit of a faff.
(I’ve shrunk merino base layers from findra, de waxed waterproof coats, ripped jackets on barbed wire which I have gaffer taped then sewn up.)

found best buy for me is my lucy and yak corduroy dungarees which I can layer up or down depending on weather.

I'm so glad to see this thread!
I used to be massively into fashion, but honestly have come to the realisation over the last decade or so that the things I used to love just don't suit my lifestyle anymore. I spent some time going through my wardrobe and realised it was silly to have spent so much money on clothes that whilst beautiful, just don't get worn nearly as much as my outdoor stuff.

I'm in Scotland and spend most of my time outdoors walking dogs or hiking often in rain and wind!

I'm well aware that the old me would probably be shocked at my everyday clothes now, but they actually suit me, are practical and hardwearing and so much better quality than the clothes in the more fashion based shops.
Rab, Montane, Patagonia, Berghaus and sometimes Mountain Equipment or Craghoppers are my go to brands for things that I know the sizing will be consistent and always look good on me.

I'm about to move house and am actually planning on a walk in wardrobe for all my outdoor gear. Especially boots and trail shoes which are my weakness.

Agree that Passenger is a bit style over substance, although I do like some of the colours etc. I have a few items from them and they are ok but quality not as good as I would like. I feel like they are more about a much younger influencer type market.

Tiso, Trekitt and absolute snow are probably some of my favourite shops and I'll nearly always buy ahead of time and previous seasons stuff as reductions are always so good.