Outdoor clothing is still on the rise. A venerable Icelandic label is leading the way
For some years now, fashionable shoppers have been likely to make ethical as much as aesthetic choices when choosing what to buy, and rightly so. The climate crisis has driven a boom in considerately made clothing that uses low-impact, recycled or organic materials, and it’s a big driver of the popularity of vintage clothes, a sector projected to be worth £39bn — 10 per cent of the overall retail market — by 2023.
In menswear, no trend seems to better embody the rising stock of eco-conscious apparel than that for technical outdoor clothing. It’s not just that it’s eco-conscious in itself, but that it suggests of its owner a love of the great outdoors, and an adventurous spirit — even if it’s often only worn to the pub. Rare is the stylish modern man who doesn't own a pair of Salomon trail-running trainers, or a Patagonia fleece, or an Arc’teryx shell jacket. But despite its current boom, the style may have been over a decade in making.
“I believe people started to re-evaluate their priorities after the 2008 financial crash, and that everything that followed has led to the rise in technical gear,” says Helgi Oskarsson, the CEO of Icelandic adventurewear brand 66°North. “People didn’t have the same money as they did before. They are seeking safe havens by being out in nature, and we see that very clearly in Iceland, where nature is close — people all around the world have started to appreciate that.”
Technical clothing and the hobbies and sports it is designed for (hiking, climbing) have traditionally been seen as niche pursuits, but the likes of North Face and Arc’teryx — brands ostensibly focused on making foul-weather adventure gear — have never been so popular. “Gore-Tex”, a breathable, waterproof fabric used by numerous brands, has an average global monthly search rate of 136,000; North Face has an ongoing collaboration with Gucci; and Patagonia, the brand that founder Yvon Chouinard recently “gave away” to a trust and non-profit devoted to fighting climate change, reported sales of around $1.5bn this year. So it makes sense that 66°North i
