Alan Paine - 'English Explorer' Collection

Alan Paine's 'English Explorer' Collection was inspired by a connection with the eminent British mountaineer, George Mallory who famously died on Mount Everest in 1924 when he and his partner, Sandy Irvine, were last seen climbing towards the summit. Mallory's frozen body was discovered years after his disappearance with knitwear that bore the label WF Paine, High Street Godalming; the shop owned by Alan Paine’s father, William Paine, and the place where William founded his knitwear business in 1907. 

The 'English Explorer' Collection features updated classic garments reminiscent of those worn by Mallory on his ill-fated final expedition. Apart from this collection, Alan Paine specialise in a wide range of colourful knits of all shades and hues - for more information see the Alan Paine website.

Ventile - a classic waterproof revived

Ventile is a pure cotton material used since the thirties when it was developed for use by pilots operating from aircraft carriers. It was designed to keep them warm and dry for long enough to enable them to be rescued before they were overcome by exposure.

Photo Ventile

It was widely used as a breathable and waterproof fabric before materials like Gore-Tex were developed. Since more modern fabrics have become available its use has gradually declined among outdoor types, although Ventile claims that it is still used by fighter pilots in their flight suits. Others still prefer Ventile, claiming that it is quieter, more breathable and robust.

Ben Fogle wearing Cabourn Ventile parka

The recent resurgence of interest in vintage work clothes has seen its revival by modern designers. Private White V.C. is one of several companies that markets garments made from Ventile. Ben Fogle used a Nigel Cabourn recreation of Edmund Hillary's Ventile Arctic parka when he went to the South Pole a few years ago. My Nigel Cabourn Tenzing jacket has Ventile shoulder and arm patches which enhance its shower-proof capabilities to the extent that I only leave it at home in persistent rain. 

Nigel Cabourn Tenzing jacket

I bought an old Survival Aids Ventile jacket last Autumn to see how it compares to my modern breathable mountaineering jacket. It is very wind-proof and keeps out all but very heavy and persistent rain. The cotton fibres that make up the Ventile expand when wet, which means that the jacker becomes slightly heavier and stiffer and takes a while to dry out.

Vintage Survival Aids Ventile jacket

Overall my modern jacket is slightly more waterproof, but it does get damp inside from condensation, something that I haven't experienced with the Ventile garment, which is also quieter and more comfortable to wear as the cotton is softer and warmer to touch.

Ventile jacket

To sum up, I would take the modern technical waterproof into very wet conditions, but would use the Ventile for shorther or more sheltered use or where quietness is needed (bird watching, wildlife photography, field sports). An added advantage of Ventile is that it does not readily take up dye during manufacture, so it develops a lovely distressed patina of age with use!

Keep out the chill with classic tweeds

There was a time when I would reach for the Gore-Tex, fleece and gilet with the onset of cold weather. In the search for something a little different I sought inspiration from the more traditional clothing worn in the past by those pursuing sport and adventure in snow and ice or or on cold, windy moorlands. Here are pictures that inspired me.

Mallory and Irvine prepare for Everest 1924
courtesy of National Geographic

I've already mentioned tweed, and my first purchase at the beginning of this quest for a personal style was a Nigel Cabourn Tenzing jacket, named obviously after Tenzing Norgay, who climbed Everest in 1952 with Edmund Hillary. (It now seems to be called the Mallory jacket, after George Mallory, pictured top, second from left, before his death with Sandy Irvine, top left, on Everest in 1924).

From Nigel Cabourn

Below I am wearing the jacket on a very chilly December day, walking the dog in the local park. I have never felt cold in this jacket (layered up with woolly jumpers), it is reasonably windproof and the Ventile shoulder patches make if at least showerproof. Tweed wears more comfortably than artificial materials and is silent to wear - no swishing with every movement. I also like it because it is a natural material, why not take environmental issues into account when dressing?

It is difficult to forget the British sporting tradition behind tweed, an added attraction for me. Maybe it looks a little different and more stylish than a warm anorak?

So busy posing I haven't noticed incoming, but at least the jacket is snowball-proof......