It doesn’t matter “what does it look like?” “, The question fashion fans are asking themselves this winter is” what’s it like? ” And “how hot is it?” as the utility jackets and pants used by mountain climbers find favor with city dwellers.
Extreme outdoor clothing, the kind suited to climbing Everest, is the dominant streetwear trend this winter and a sign that outdoor brands will continue to dominate our wardrobes, regardless of the weather.
This rise of “gorpcore” – the trend to wear outdoor labels around town, making Patagonia fleeces and North Face jackets a style staple – means storm hoods, technologically advanced Gore-Tex and underwear. – Anti-freeze layers are now the mainstays of a go to the pub or even a leisurely stroll in the park.
Browns Fashion describes its collection of successful brands as one of its “strongest categories”. “Our customers have made fashion and functionality a part of their daily lives,” says retailer athletic clothing buyer Joe Brunner. Matchesfashion notes the same interest with sneakers from former ski boot brand Salomon and outerwear from Japanese Snow Peak among its bestsellers.
Brands such as Icelandic 66North and Swiss company Mammut, which made climbing ropes before expanding into clothing and now favored by singer Frank Ocean, are the most in demand.
Vancouver-based mountaineering brand Arc’teryx is at the center of this extreme moment for our wardrobes. With the backing of rap stars such as Lil Yachty and A $ AP Rocky, the Alpine specialist has moonlighted as a fashion heavyweight. This month, proof of Arc’teryx’s appeal, the brand launched a collaboration with fashion house Jil Sander.
The collection includes jackets, overalls and a one-piece for mountain sports. He will undoubtedly become a favorite of street-style influencers attending fashion shows in cold weather. With prices considerably higher than Arc’teryx’s main product line, the collection is intended to bridge the gap between “high performance clothing and high aesthetic quality”.
Fashion platform Lyst predicts that the collaboration with J Sander is the tip of the iceberg of this trend, citing fashion with “forward-looking technology” as its main prediction of what to expect from the world of fashion next year.
“More than ever, people want their clothes to have a purpose and ask for more because technology allows us to do so,” says fashion writer David Hellqvist, founder of Document Studios and contributor to New Order magazine and Orienteer Mapazine.
We may be talking about a return to glamor, but our appetite for outdoors-inspired clothing suggests otherwise. “We have come to appreciate the great outdoors and beautiful landscapes again on a different scale,” says Hellqvist, “to enjoy the simple things in life again. Fortunately, there are clothes to buy that match this ambition.
