Shooting suits: how to make sure you look the part

Timeless and versatile, a proper shooting suit can elevate your day in the field. However, there are things to bear in mind before you take the plunge

The old Duke of Beaufort once said that the person correctly dressed out in the field is the one nobody notices. When Master wrote those words he was talking about hunting but the same philosophy applies just as well to the shooting line. Of course, he was also writing at a time when many people wore mothy hand-me-downs from the grandparents’ attic or simply visited Bernard Weatherill or Huntsman and had a sporting wardrobe made to measure.

These days, while a minority of keen shots will still sally forth in antique thornproof tweeds that might be only a little short, tight, frayed or smelly, days on the peg are just too precious to spend in a suit of musty armour – especially if it inhibits swing or splits hilariously through the gusset when mounting the steps of the gun bus. So, my advice would be to keep Grandpa’s threads for muzzle-loading days and get yourself fitted out with your heirloom of the future. When we consider what sort of an outlay we splurge on a season’s shooting, the cost of a proper suit is very reasonable. There are, however, a few guidelines that, if adhered to, might navigate a safe route through the heavily mined waters of etiquette.

First off, although it might be novel to have wads of cash stuffed into your voluminous pockets by utter strangers at the end of the day, it is always best not to be mistaken for the headkeeper. His suit is a uniform. It will have been made by the estate’s hereditary tailor, from the estate tweed, and it will be designed by a professional, for a professional. Keepers’ suits are as smart as a carrot and ooze authority but they are perhaps not cut for shooting in and that’s what you’re going to be doing. (Read more on tipping the gamekeeper here here.)

Tweed for all occasions

Once you’ve taken the plunge and decided on a suit, there are economies of scale to be had. Why not go for a four- or even five-piece ensemble with breeks, trousers, waistcoat, shooting coat and hacking jacket? This means you can shoot in all conditions and then head to the races or to church by simply rotating pieces. I do exactly that with my battery of tweeds and it works for me. It’s also good to dress things up or down by wearing the hacking jacket with cords or moleskins and even the tweed trousers with a smoking jacket in a cold house.

The British winter is rarely as chilly as those our grandparents endured when even a three-piece hairy tweed suit was a little cool for the dining room. I always think that a well-cut pair of breeks (with a high, fishtail back) and waistcoat worn with a heavy-gauge cashmere sweater is enough for the milder days, especially on early-season partridges.

Shooting is an active sport

Next up is the need for performance. By this, I mean that shooting is an active sport and even if you only saunter from the transport to your peg, you must always have freedom of movement to swing your gun and place your feet. Whether you’re having a suit made or buying one off the peg, look for a proper action back in the coat, with bellow gussets in the shoulders that should lie elegantly when not in use. The same goes for the lower half; so much of effective shooting is in the footwork and your breeks (or trousers) will need to move with the swing. These days I often wear full-length tweed trousers out shooting as they avoid the sock-drop and garters-fullof- burrs issues that, although first-world problems, are still problems. (Read more on best ear defenders for shooting here.)

Cloth choices

Also important is the choice of cloth. Tweeds should be neither garish, too pale nor too dressy, because while your neighbouring guns might thank you, turning your birds with a hi-vis tweed might lose some of its humour after a couple of drives. The joy of a proper shooting suit is that it adds extra pleasure to a day in the field. It satisfying to wear and comfortable to shoot in. It should also look good at lunch, brush down well and be robust enough to keep its shape after a soaking. With all the technical options available nowadays, there is no need to endure a wet back all day after an early downpour on the second drive.

Sporting tweeds

Over the coming paragraphs, you will see some of the best outfitters currently offering sporting tweeds across a range of styles, designs and prices. Never have we had so much choice in what we wear and what we can expect our clothes to provide in the field. Estate tweeds have their place, as do keepers’ suits, and ours is a traditional sport that holds true to these values, but for the sporting shot to wear across the span of venues from the humble to the very grand, a proper suit will always cut the mustard.

The most important single aspect of your choice will be how it feels to lift your arms and swing hard in that garment, especially with a pullover or gilet underneath it. Try several styles and buy the one that feels right with a gun in your hand. If you’re having a suit made, then much of this will be covered at your first appointment with the tailor and then perfected during the fitting but, even so, take your umbrella with you into the shop and swing it like your gun, in every direction, to make sure of the cut.

Thing of beauty

A proper tweed shooting suit is a timeless and versatile thing of beauty that will delight for many seasons. It will make you smile when you fetch it out of the wardrobe each autumn and it will improve your shooting. If it doesn’t quite manage to do that it will, at least, enhance your enjoyment of the day. So look over the run-down of sartorial offerings available today and decide what style will work best for you and your sport while perhaps remembering his late Grace’s sage words.

Shooting suits

CORDINGS

Coat and trousers in Sporting Check tweed. Designed for total versatility across a variety of settings, these seriously smart garments have been made with freedom of movement in mind. Jacket and breeks also available.

Price coat £725, trousers £215

 

CROW AND JESTER

Vest and breeks. Snazzy sporting tailoring at its finest.

Price vest £1,200, breeks £700

CAMPBELL’S OF BEAULY

Coat and breeks in brown tweed. Made from a robust, Scottish-woven tweed, both items are packed with thoughtful features to keep the weather out.

Price coat £825, breeks £245

ALAN PAINE

Rutland coat and breeks in Oakley tweed. Understated and timeless, the green tweed is as pleasingly deep as the cartridge pockets.

Price coat £279.95, breeks £139.95

EJ CHURCHILL

Coat and breeks in Thorn tweed. From lambswool to Teflon, this set is full of surprises while the subtle mauve running through the cloth is perfect for the moor.

Price coat £405, breeks £246

HÄRKILA

Kenmore GTX breeks and coat in Terragon Brown tweed. Featuring all the technical bells and whistles while maintaining a classic look, this set guards against the most extreme weather without compromising aesthetics.

Price breeks £299.99, coat £599.99

HOLLAND & HOLLAND

Harrow trousers and Highgrove coat in Holland & Holland House Tweed. An array of rich browns lifted with subtle yellow and blue strands, the new House Tweed from Holland & Holland is as practical as it is handsome. Breeks, vest and jacket also available.

Price trousers £695, coat £1,495

 

FARLOWS

Breeks and jacket in Dark Olive Houndstooth tweed. Crammed full of glorious autumnal shades, this Cheviot wool tweed in houndstooth is as old school as it gets.

Price breeks £300, jacket £750

HOUSE OF BRUAR

Saxony jacket and breeks in Heritage Gun Club tweed. With a combo for any occasion, this mix-and- match tweed suit is eye-catching without being loud. A coat and waistcoat complete the look.

Price jacket £295, breeks £175

PURDEY

Raglan coat and two-pleat breeks in Tom Purdey tweed. Made from the recently launched Tom Purdey tweed, this collection (which also includes a vest) is full of useful features from merino wool storm cuffs to mobility-aiding raglan seams.

Price coat £1,495, breeks £495

 

MASSY BIRCH

Jacket and trousers in Cornflower tweed. Mossy tweeds perfect for hill or lodge coupled with precise made-to-order tailoring give this suit a crisp, contemporary look. The range also features matching breeks.

Price jacket £425, trousers £260

WESTLEY RICHARDS

Lightweight waistcoat and breeks in Harpton tweed. This distinctive tweed is perfect for romping around the uplands on warmer days. Trousers are also available.

Price waistcoat £495, breeks £395