Anoraks - The return of the mountain smock

Sunday, 6 January 2013

A man's tastes in clothes are undoubtedly shaped by the pleasant experiences of life. As a schoolboy I loved mountains (and still do). In those days, kit was in transition between cotton Gaberdine and Ventile on the one hand and Nylon and Gore-Tex on the other.

My favourite jacket was a cotton climbing smock - I've no idea what make, but Belstaff, Selrig and others made similar. It was khaki with bright yellow lining, large chest pocket and a leg strap and I'm on the look-out for another. I just missed something similar on eBay recently. If anyone has one going spare, please let me know.

Edmund Hillary and friend

Belstaff sales brochure

These vintage jackets are being reproduced, inspired by the mountaineering anoraks and smocks of the mid-twentieth century - here are a few

Fjallraven
Merrow
Merrow
Norsea Rudda
Vintage smock - image eBay
Vintage Belstaff Dalesman


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3 comments

  1. Monique Low6 January 2013 at 06:48

    Strangely drawn to the Merrow Yellow, which is odd as I can rarely be seen in anything but navy or grey.

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  2. Anonymous26 November 2015 at 00:24

    I had the Belfast smock anorak as a kid with the yellow lining. At the time I was in a milwaukee brace that consisted of a leather corset with three steel upright attached to a steel ring around the neck, a chin pad under the chin and a large pad at the back of the head. The brace was adjusted until my neck was held at an unforgiving extension 23 hours a day. This anorak hid most of the brace with the hood up but also because I wasn't very compliant it was found that this anorak would make me compliant by threading the hood draw cords through the top of the zip fastener, pulling up the neck zip until under my nose then pulling the hood draw cords as until the hood was very tight around my head leaving only my eyes and nose exposed. The hood draw cords were pulled tightly to the back of my head and securely tied. The waist draw cord was fastened in the same way. With the anorak fastened up in this way I had to be compliant to the brace as it was impossible to gain access to loosen or lower the brace. I was pretty well kept in this anorak day and night. I had to have a size to big to fit over the bulky brace.

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  3. Peter Mcguigan13 February 2016 at 07:45

    hi,i make a smock that is very similar to the old time design,i think that cotton gaberdine works really well for keeping you warm and dry i wish i could post a pic,but if you want to see the look of it see wilderness utility smocks on facebook

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