Sturdy but natty working/hiking/boating clothes: suggest brands, fabrics, anything?

[RatherAnOddball]

Sorry if this is the wrong section, but I'm really not after "street clothes," and I think denim is much too hot and maybe a little too "country-western" to really serve in relation to my question. (Nevertheless, if you have denim to recommend, please do.)

There's a lot to be found at any mall, surely - but one encounters the same problems that one does when looking for dress clothes, namely that the armscyes are too low for shirts or outerwear, there's too much fabric/billowing, the buttons are fragile, all sorts of subtle little discomforts, etc. Moreover, the quality of the stitching is so poor that even if the fabric holds up to abuse, the construction won't.

I'm trying to find clothings that would survive a month or so away from civilization, but that still are made with sufficient taste to bring some measure of civilization into the wilderness. What would Jack London or Hemingway wear today? That sort of thing.

Hot weather, cold weather, dry, wet; shoes, pants, shirts, outerwear, socks, vests -- it doesn't matter, I love to get out and so eventually I'll need a bit of everything. Whatever you can think of to recommend, I'd really appreciate.

Take care, happy Thanksgiving.

 

[bigbjorn]

Filson tin pants.

 

[countdemoney]

Filson, Orvis, JLPowell and Barbour should give you a good start on figuring out what you like. http://jlpowellusa.com/ I'm also a huge fan of North Face Paramount convertible cargo pants. Fantastic. Maybe not as stylish as you'd like though. Edit: you can always get bespoke expedition wear. I recall someone getting a belted back jacket made. Really sharp. It looked great. You could have seen it with a pith helmet when you saw the photo that inspired it, but it wasn't costume at all.

 

[Matt]

Isn't that why god and/or Reg Williams invented RM Williams boots?

 

[bluemagic]

What would be good hiking/backpacking outerwear for the current Northeast United States climate? Which affordable jackets have a relatively slim fit and high armholes?

 

[Kaplan]

Necroing this, as I'm looking for something similar.

Originally Posted by RatherAnOddball

I'm trying to find clothings that would survive a month or so away from civilization, but that still are made with sufficient taste to bring some measure of civilization into the wilderness. What would Jack London or Hemingway wear today? That sort of thing.

 

[Nicola]

I'm not sure how serious the OP (RatheranOddball) was with the requirements but

1) Layer. The complaint about billowing / oversized is off the mark. Take a look at desert robes worn by the various tribes. Lots of billowing. The air space is a positive.

2) Jeans come in all sorts of weight. Hard to beat them for rough wear . Will hold up to a great deal of abuse.

3) The smart thing is to keep a bundle of good clothes in the bottom of your backpack. Don't wear them out in the bush.

 

[Equus Leather]

I'm a fan of the more modern Barbours with GoreTex - not as traditional as the waxed cotton but still traditional, smart and comfortable and very tough. Mine is 6years old and good as new. Musto also make good technical outdoor clothing that are reasonably smart - the Musto Snug is a boating classic that will take years of abuse.

Charlie

 

[JohnShaft]

Having hunted in them in many types of weather, I can highly recommend Orvis trousers (keeping in mind that mine are a few years old, so on 'brand new' your mileage may vary).

For colder climates, or if it's brisk and you'd prefer to leave the jacket in camp, I also highly recommend silk long underwear.

I'm not really up on modern outdoor footwear but I continue to have great service out of my old leather Corcoran jump boots (get the lug sole for wilderness, not the flat parade one). You'd be surprised how a good, hard shine will stand up to potential damage in the field. Simply treat them like you would your dress shoes and they will look good for a long time.

Since my current boots are beginning to get long in the tooth, I will have some Wescos made for me in the future. http://www.westcoastshoe.com/

 

[Thanks SF (a new me)]

Filson, Barbour, and Patagonia (not sure about quality now, but my items from early 90's are still in rotation)