Ramblecore: the menswear trend taking over the country

My father was a man who spent his working life outdoors. As a warden for the Brecon Beacons National Park, he spent his days guiding earnest huddles of hikers over the hills and valleys of mid-Wales, furnishing them with gossip about the mating habits of Red Kites, or the geological idiosyncrasies of old red sandstone. He would arrive home – often soaked through and smelling of soil and pollen – and deposit layer upon layer of outerwear onto a heaving coat rack that was as insulated and weatherproof as the flank of a woolly mammoth. His was a uniform of Gore-tex, fleece, hard-shell raincoats, gaiters, waterproof trousers and hiking boots. Hard-wearing work clothes designed for the serious business of the trail. 

This was clothing at the peak – often in a very literal sense – of practicality. What it was absolutely not, at least to a teenage boy who wanted to play drums in a band, was cool. My uniform was band T-shirts and pea coats and jeans of as tight a cut as I could fit into, and that is pretty much how it has remained (although the jeans have become considerably looser).

Even though my style may have not have evolved much since then, outdoor wear has come down from the high country and on to the high street. Brands such as The North Face, which started life in San Francisco in 1966 as a climbing equipment store, are now just as coveted on the streets of Hackney as they are on Helvellyn. Canadian-based Arc’teryx, founded on the tenet of ‘immersing yourself in nature’ is just as likely to be keeping people cosy during Paris Fashion Week as it is on walks around your local park. Along with brands such as Fjällräven and Haglöfs they have become a mainstay of many a wardrobe, thanks in no small part to staying true to their original focus on practicality above all else. Staying warm and dry is obviously important, no matter what style tribe you belong to. 

‘These products are built for all conditions with a fashion consumer in mind, which means they have become popular with many different demographics,’ says Partner & Assistant Buyer, Luke Williams. ‘It’s not unusual to see an avid, 65-year-old rambler wearing the same jacket as a mid-20s hypebeast due to the versatility, practicality and style.’

As a man of middle age, I had up until recently avoided the outerwear trend – we all have to resist that moment when we look in the mirror and see our parents – but then 2020 happened and everything changed. You always yearn for what you cannot have, and lockdown has brought a new love affair with the outdoors, with the nation racing for any square inch of outside space as soon as the opportunity arises. And with that has come the desire for appropriate clothing. 

‘Outdoor brands have become increasingly popular during lockdown,’ agrees Luke. ‘The North Face, Arc’teryx and Fjällräven have seen great success as they are respected and considered to be some of the leaders in outdoor clothing.’ And so, along with sadwear and cottagecore, a new lockdown style trend was born: ramblecore, a tribute to our newfound spirit of adventure.

My first foray into ramblecore was a fleece, bought in late February last year. It is without doubt the most durable piece of clothing I’ve ever owned and I’ve worn it almost constantly since. It’s perfect when you need something slightly warmer than a jumper, but less than a full coat, so is ideal for everything from camping trips to chilly pub gardens. Or even just to wear around the house, all day, every day. It now sits just below the kids in the order of things I would save if my home caught fire. Truth be told, I’d probably put it on before saving them, much as you would an oxygen mask in a plane crash – it’s just the sensible thing to do. It might be chilly out there.…

A decent all-weather winter coat followed and then finally, in early January this year I completed the triumvirate of ramblecore and bought a pair of walking boots. I traversed the muddy recs and woodland walks of south London as if I was eating up the Appalachian trail: warm, cosy, dry and also – even better – bang on trend. 

For an industry built on self-expression, fashion loves to corral people into a category, put us into a box marked neatly with a quantifiable style. But ramblecore is the opposite of this reductive exercise in classification. Like those studious hikers who first introduced me to the wonders of the fleece, it gives not a thought to the whims of fashion. It refuses to be penned in, there are no restrictions to where it can go (assuming you have duly checked all rights of way). Ramblecore is freedom. And as we tentatively come out of our enforced hibernation, don a lightweight waterproof jacket and step blinking into the spring sunlight, what more could you wish for than that?

Main image: Getty Images