Lancashire Pike Ventile cycling jacket: a fifties classic reborn

Last year I was approached by Stephen Ball of Lancashire Pike, a business that designs classic outdoor clothing, making it in Bolton, Lancashire. Stephen had spotted that I own a vintage cycling jacket, a Bertram Dudley Greenspot, the staple of every cyclist in the fifties and sixties and he asked to borrow it in order to remake this cycling classic in Ventile.

Bertram Dudley & Son Ltd cycling jackets

After some weeks the jacket was returned and Stephen sent me a sample of his Ventile homage to the fifties British cycling jacket to try out. I wore it at L'Eroica last year (image below) and it was warm and comfortable on a chilly day's cycling. Sadly I had to return it afterwards as it would have been stylish, waterproof and wearable on or off my bike.

Wearing the Lancashire Pike Ventile cycling jacket at L'Eroica Britannia 2015

This is a superb updated version of a classic cycling coat. It has arrived just as the popularity of classic cycling has taken off, with rides like L'Eroica Britannia going from strength to strength and driving demand for retro cycling jerseys, cycling shoes and equipment. Available in green, blue stone or cinnamon from Lancashire Pike £330. See also their range of up-to-date retro climbing and ski wear.

Manufacturing the jacket

Lancashire Pike's modern classic Ventile cycling jacket

Country Attire - outdoor clothing made in Britain

It's always a pleasure coming across a supplier of British-manufactured menswear. Country Attire sells a wide selection of brands which importantly include its own range of country wear (marketed as Country Attire) made in the UK from Scottish tweed and British Millerain waxed cotton. They sent me a few jackets to try and I took them up to Cumbria, in north west England, to see how they got on in the environment for which they were designed. 

The weather veered (as it does up there) between pouring rain, sleet, mist and glorious sunshine. I found that all the waterproof jackets kept out the water and all were well-designed and made. Careful thought had gone into placing zips, poppers, buttons, neck closures, pockets and belts to ensure the best fit, practicality and closure against the elements. Some are at reduced prices at the moment and offer excellent value (see below).

Crosby Slim-fit Jacket - Country Attire

The Crosby slim-fit jacket (shown in the above two images) was one of my favourites. Designed in that popular motor bike jacket style so favoured by Steve McQueen, it's stylish, comfortable and useful for town or country. Reasonably lightweight, the exterior is made from waxed cotton with a waterproof lining, Milair 5000, made by British Millerain.  It would be ideal with a vintage Tootal spotted scarf, jeans, boots and a thick roll-neck jumper on colder days. The sizing is surprisingly small on this one; check carefully as you may have to order a size or two higher than normal. I'm wearing a 40" chest (normally 38") and it still only just takes a sweater underneath. Price: £155.97 (reduced).

Ventile Shooting Coat - Country Attire

More practical in style, the Ventile Shooting Coat is a serious country jacket (above) with huge pockets, knitted cuffs, detachable hood and a wonderful robust construction. While this was designed as a shooting jacket, I'd wear it on a cold day on the hill, in the forest or walking the dog in the park. Made from Ventile, the historic fabric originally designed for RAF pilot survival suits, the closely-woven cotton is water proof but quiet, so you can move more quietly that when wearing many modern waterproof fabrics. This is a great, classic jacket for any outdoor enthusiast. Wear with wellies, tweed cap and robust trousers. Price: £389.97 (reduced).

Corby Wax Jacket - Country Attire

Next, the Corby Wax jacket (above) is made in the traditional British outdoor waxed cotton style, but with Milair 5000 waterproof lining. A huge corduroy collar, detachable hood, good-sized pockets and a robust feel mean that everything is as it should be for this country classic. I suspect this is a coat that will last many a decade. Price: £155.97 (reduced).

William Clean Tweed Jacket - Country Attire

Finally, I was very impressed by the William Clean tweed jacket. I wasn't sure how to classify this one. It's not a blazer-style sports jacket, nor purely a tweed country jacket, but it has all the makings of a Harrington-type tweed/outdoor/casual coat which would be suitable, properly layered, for colder weather in town or country. An interesting one this, and one I liked for being a little different. Wear with jeans and brogues, Red Wing style boots or desert boots. Price £329.95.

It's good to see such well-made classics manufactured in the UK and following a long tradition of durable British outdoor wear. See Country Attire for their range of men's and women's wear. Country Attire stock many other brands, including Barbour, Hackett, Loake, Drake's, John Smedley and many others.

[Note: Prices are current at time of writing this post. Country Attire has given me some of these jackets.]

Many thanks to Kirsty and Tom for helping with this post. 

Nigel Cabourn AW15 at London Collections:Men - 60th anniversary of crossing Antarctica

Nigel Cabourn's AW15 collection, exhibited at London Collections:Men, celebrates the 60th anniversary of Sir Vivian Fuchs/Sir Edmund Hillary's epic crossing of Antarctica. 

(All images Grey Fox Blog)

As ever, Cabourn takes the original clothing, fabrics and accessories and recreates them in a way that makes them almost reproductions of the originals; robust, fit-for-purpose and designed for a serious utilitarian role in a harsh, life-threatening environment. 

And, of course, they're made in the UK from materials the same as (such as Ventile) or similar to the originals. No Gore-Tex here, these are natural materials, cotton or wool, manufactured to protect against cold and moisture.

See the Nigel Cabourn website.

Cycling jacket nostalgia

What did cyclists wear in the days before lightweight and breathable rain capes (or waterproof jackets as non-cyclists call them)? A common sight was the venerable Bertram Dudley Greenspot jacket, made in Yorkshire from Gaberdine or Poplin.

Happily, as modern cyclists discover the joys of tweed and cotton fabrics (when they're not blasting around the roads on lightweight racers wearing Lycra) there has been a revival of the vintage cycling jacket. Hilltrek has been selling a Ventile version for a while (called the Greenspot to honour the original) and Brooks sold an upmarket, Timothy Everest Ventile design, called the Criterion cycling jacket. Here they are.

Hilltrek Greenspot Ventile cycling jacket

Brooks Criterion jacket

An original Greenspot (photo eBay)

British weatherproof fabrics 1 - Ventile

I've mentioned British Millerain (a waxed cotton fabric) and Ventile (a closely woven water resistant cotton) before. No doubt as a result of our love of outdoor sports, whatever the weather, many of these waterproof fabrics are British-made. To many consumers, cotton has advantages of breathability and quietness over artificial waterproof fabrics.

Ventile was designed in the UK before the Second World War, when the search was on for a waterproof material made from cotton. It was used for hoses and firebuckets and then developed for Royal Air Force survival suits (for which it is still used). Here are examples of how Ventile is now used for outdoor clothing.

Ventile Private White VC mac

Nigel Cabourn Mallory jacket with Ventile patches

S.E.H Kelly Ventile mac detail

Dark green Ventile rainproof mac from S.E.H. Kelly

Nigel Cabourn Ventile Everest parka

Nigel Cabourn Ventile Everest parka detail 

Orvis Ventile shirt

Nike Ventile anorak

Nike Ventile anorak (detail)

Westwinds Airdale Ventile jacket

Joe Caseley-Heyford at John Lewis Ventile mac

Brooks Bicycles + John Boultbee, Ventile Blackwell cycling jacket

Hilltrek Ventile cycling jacket

S.E.H.Kelly - Highest quality British design, fabrics and manufacture

I visited S.E.H. Kelly yesterday and came away wishing I could have bought almost everything they had on display. In my hunt for style I felt I had found the Holy Grail, for here are British-designed and manufactured products of highest quality, using British fabrics - cottons, tweeds, Ventile, knits.

Before arriving, I wondered if the styles would be suitable for a man of middle years. Trying the garments on, I found that, magically, S.E.H. Kelly's designs suit any age. They have done this by using classic, simple shapes with muted colours that, together, give an impression of quiet elegance and quality.

S.E.H Kelly Ventile mac

The designs have been given subtle twists by the designer, Sara (whose business partner is Paul) which skilfully impart a contemporary feel. The textures of the British-made fabrics show off the clothes to good effect. The details; placing of pockets, the British-made horn buttons, the shape of collars, warm soft linings - everything feels well thought out and just right.

Detail of green cord/wool cashmere jacket (with straps for carrying on a bike)

As you can tell, I was smitten, both by the clothes and by the enthusiasm of Sara and Paul for their products. They tell me that their customers are also often interested in the fabrics, their provenance and construction; it would be difficult not to feel passionate about such British-made quality. Sara showed me some trousers that were made from a roll of tweed found at the back of one of their supplier's stores, showing the lengths they go to to find cloths for their products. Most have a limited production run.

Many men are looking for classic, durable clothing, rather than worrying about transient trends - some have moved on to S.E.H. Kelly from the big brands for these reasons. Visitors to the Shoreditch workshop receive a warm welcome and cannot help being overwhelmed by the quality and passion that has gone in to the garments. These are clothes to buy, wear hard and then hand on to your offspring.

Businesses like this deserve to flourish; if they do then British tweed and cotton mills, weavers, knitters, seamstresses, farmers, shirtmakers, designers, etc. will also thrive - and that is what we want. The prices are reasonable, the quality is the highest; you'll still be wearing these clothes when others more costly have long gone or are looking sadly dated. Get over the S.E.H. Kelly now, but leave some for me. Website here.

The thickest, chunkiest, softest jumper you'll ever own. British wool, British made.

Reversible tweed jacket

Cream brushed wool cotton shirt

Dusty green cord jacket with cashmere/wool collar and cyclist's carrying straps

Pale grey green wool trousers

Grey horizontal cord blazer

Outdoor clothes - a very British heritage

Traditional weatherproofs are made from natural materials; closely-woven cotton such as Ventile and Grenfell or the oiled cotton used or made by Barbour, Belstaff and British Millerain. British-made, they have recently had a significant revival and been much copied. With winter fast approaching, over the next few weeks I'll look at what is available to the man of style wishing to recreate an outdoor heritage from British-made or designed garments.

Their origins lie in sailors' oilskins, canvas proofed with linseed oil, and also with the British love of outdoor activities - field sports, mountaineering, exploring, motor sport - in all weathers.

Closely woven cotton, Ventile or Grenfell, is wind and water-proof

They offer much in the way of comfort over modern fabrics such as Gore-Tex or SympaTex. While admittedly less water resistant than hi-tec materials, a cotton-based jacket is softer, more robust and quieter when worn. Its design owes less to mountaineering or rambling, so it's as wearable on city streets as on the grouse moor. I remember some twenty years ago I would wear a Barbour waxed jacket (I have it still) with my city pinstripes and highly-polished brogues. There has been a revival of this, led by Barbour's recent massive reincarnation.

As with most clothing classics there is an interesting heritage recorded in old photographs - find what inspiration you can here.

The oldest jacket in the Barbour archive - 1910

Royalty and waxed jackets

Steve McQueen in Barbour

Barbour and the Royal Navy

Che Guevara in Belstaff