Admittedly it’s been quite a winter but have you noticed how omnipresent The North Face jackets have become? Once the preserve of the outdoor enthusiast it now looks as though the clothing that you need to get you to Everest base camp is the same to get you to the bus stop.
It’s not a criticism of the folk at The North Face, I’m a happy owner of one of their Gore-Tex Paclite jackets, but it does demonstrate a shift in the outdoors market. In the photography industry they came up with a natty new word to bridge the two audiences – prosumer. It seems, however, that such thinking isn’t relevant for outdoor brands as the materials used are so similar.
What becomes necessary then is to prove that the brand is a capable performer in the most hostile environments. If you can wear it at base camp it’s got to be fit for a trip down to the shops. The Bear Grylls range of clothing from Craghoppers is a great example of this.
I guess as we continue to experience odd weather patterns we’ll continue to turn to the specialist brands that can protect us. No matter where we are.
Always been a Barbour man myself – fit for purpose & all that, being a racing fan. However, the same seems to have happened there too. More seen on the high street than at Goodwood!