UKC

Designers are mimicking climber-style like it's going out of fashion. Carabiners on the catwalk, gorpcore in the streets: the looks, fabrics and paraphernalia associated with climbing and the outdoors are turning heads. Louis Vuitton chalkbags have a price tag of £1,020 (or £1,300 in black). Prada dabbles in technical fabrics. Elsewhere, 18 karat gold diamond-encrusted carabiners bear a load(ed) rating of $18,000. In street parlance, climbing has become 'Gucci.'

I remember a time when Crispin Waddy was camping down in the Leap dressed in rags. It inspired me and my mates to have an informal competition to see who could dress like Crispin when we went cragging, the scruffier the better., seems like a lifetime away now.

He still does. 😏

Still easy to spot a real climber though.  They’ll be the one not wearing a face like slapped arse.

Hilarious stuff! We can be all high horse about this fashion non sense, but some prana or 3rd rock trousers prices are not a million miles away from those Ralph Laurent ones tbh

I can't take anything like this seriously until someone flounces down a catwalk in a pair of designer Ron Hills tracksters.

Then I'll know that climbing clothing is having a serious influence on fashion. Plus making Tracksters a cool fashion trend might be the only way to stop some of us wearing them.

T.

OMG I would absolutely wear the sleeping bag dress, so snuggly

There's a distinct lack of gaffer tape in all these pics...

Isn't the first picture close enough?!

Something Johnny Dawes said about the Peak being like London in being full of brands just popped into my head. 

"Others might be permanently scarred mindful of the short shorts, headbands and tight and bright Lycra craze of the '70s and '80s."

Don't worry, you can still experience this today - just head on down to Mile End Climbing Wall where a certain member of staff is very much keeping the short shorts passion alive! (18+, children's eyes should be shielded.)

Great article Natalie, some good moments in there. I especially enjoyed the picture of the chap who looks like an alpaca racked up to lead a sport route.

As someone mentioned above though, some of the vile luminescent stuff that E9 and 3rd Rock put out makes it hard to tell what's real and what's 'fashion'.

​​​​​​​​​Reads like the Authorised Version of how fashion happened, with tell-tale tropes such as 'RunDMC' pioneering Adidas lol

And I wouldn't wear my mountaineering stuff on the High Street anyway, 'no crampons to be worn' as the sign says on the East Face of Booths supermarket in Keswick!

The opening night of "Touching the Void" (in Sheffield) was hilarious.  I don't think I saw anyone wearing crampons or carrying an axe, but the queue to get in looked like this: https://assets-cdn.ekantipur.com/images/third-party/miscellaneous/everest1_...

It's like a Star Trek convention.

I stumbled across Mammut's Delta X range earlier today. Perfectly designed for "urbaneering" (a horrific term I'd never heard before). I mean it's nothing new to see outdoor brands worn for fashion rather than function, but this range is aimed at the hip  fashionistas. 

Don't even get me started on that new Berghaus range mentioned in the article.

Wait... you mean tracksters aren't a cool fashion trend? 

I only go to stuff like Reel Rock and Best of Kendal to play "RAB-watch". I see it getting tribal, with some punters wanting to be seen wearing more "definitely 4 REAL" macho outdoors garb, so no brash TNF Puffa jackets for them, far too common and obvious. This introduces the paradox of trying to be more subtle but more noticeable. 

Of course I turn up in a suit and espadrilles. 

In Sheffield Rab seems to be the default brand of jacket for those who's total outdoor experience is to get from their car to the office door. Very much a fashion brand round here despite the climbing and brand background.

My gay friend says 'no'.

My straight friend says 'yes' and my bi-sexual friend says they're not sure...

Why not ? Outdoor brand clothing is all I ever wear - in general its way more comfortable than jeans. 

After all, it still rains on Keswick high street, even if the consequences of a soaking are less drastic than in the mountains.

What does your friend's sexuality have to do with whether the blue leggings in the first photograph are acceptably similar to Ron Hill Trackster Classics? 

Ah, he thought you meant the fellows in the leggings being in a larger picture right at the end. 

They do look like Ronhills... 

Now you are focusing on the leggings and a misunderstanding of what "first photo" means. I am actually more interested in how your friend's sexuality comes into this. You seem to be ignoring that aspect (really the ONLY aspect) of my question. Could it be that you realise what a clumsy and archaic bit of stereotyping you've done, and you're hoping I'll just get bored trying to get you to face that?

Is Timmd your new The Lemming?

If you think that is Full on go to Keswick Ambleside for the full on fashion.

Keith s

Ironically, Joe dipped his toe into the fashion arena around 1987. I think I've still got a pair of 'Cunning Stunts' branded short-shorts somewhere.

I'm wondering why you are so keen to make Timmid (someone who strikes me as being the opposite of unpleasant or bigoted) 'face' up to his crimes.

Is "gay male=fashion forward" a stereotype? Absolutely

Is it a negative stereotype? No

Is it a positive stereotype? In context, yes ("I consulted an expert")

Is it without foundation? No, its the sort of stereo type the producers of "queer eye for a straight guy" rely on. 

Do I have figures to prove it is without foundation? No

Did your two posts strike me as someone either having a dig at someone because they wanted to or someone hopelessly virtue signalling? Yes, but then I'm not gay so maybe it is offensive and I'm even more archaic than Timmid, that well known homophobe.

How do you know that Timmd has got a gay friend?
He tells you...

seems related https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/oct/30/gorpcore-why-people-who-rar...

No, he is his own man, he is an individual 

I never implied that Timmd is unpleasant, bigoted or homophobic. I said that his comment smacked of archaic stereotyping, which does not automatically imply homophobia or bigotry. We’re all guilty of stereotyping from time to time. I just thought that this example was particularly cringeworthy and warranted being called out. Incidentally I don’t think it is as simple as “is it a negative or positive stereotype”? I know gay men who don’t particularly appreciate the whole “oh you’re gay, great, you can help with these fashion decisions” thing. Therefore it is not a helpful stereotype and perpetuating it is not always a good thing. 

There is quite an irony in me being accused of virtue-signalling for calling out a guy who often tries to validate his outlook by describing various “minority” aspects of his acquaintances. I am finally realising just why I found David Brent’s “Equality Street” song and video so funny.... 

Saw someone at work wearing a Patagucci t-shirt the other day. The end is nigh...

Are you not just Brummie version of a "Finance Bro" Misha?  Do you wear a Patagonia vest to work yet?

Nah dude. Way too cool for that. 

Fashion represents many things that are bad in the world. The encouragement of dissatisfaction, waste of resources, people spending money (often that they don’t have)for the sake of it, exploitation of both those that make the clothes and those that buy them and the whole bullshit narrative about it all. Can’t stand it. 

Absolutely. It is basically a conspiracy to encourageme low level bullying to get people to part with money to buy crap they don't need. I find it particularly distasteful that it tries to masquerade almost as art. Evil stuff.

Ironically, one of the things that attracted me to climbing in the first place (in the late 70s) was its distinct freedom from fashions, strict conventions or rules. You just wore what you had in your wardrobe. I guess it was always going to go this way though, once climbing started to become a marketable lifestyle component.

Yes, I always thought of it as very healthily different from skiing in that respect. Sadly, the gap has narrowed or perhaps disappeared.

WeWork starter kit:

• White Patagonia t shirt
• Apple Airpods
• Gucci trainers 

The end is already here