Fear not! While it's true this is a traditional pursuit with well-defined customs, you need no longer appear in top-to-toe tweed in order to be accepted. (In fact, in some cases, you are best advised not to appear in top-to-toe anything if you wish to steer clear of ridicule.)
If you visit us at 9 Pall Mall, our staff will ensure you are perfectly outfitted, whatever the occasion. Of course, we recognise that some of you don't have the luxury of stopping into our shop, so for you we have drafted a few pointers.
Here, then, is our guide to contemporary shooting sartorial convention.
Although traditionally styled jackets are still a feature of today's shooting field, modern, lightweight fabrics are in many cases replacing tweed.
Regardless of which material you opt for, be certain the jacket is designed with a view to performance-the cut should allow for plenty of movement through the arms and back, and pockets should be spacious. The jacket should be green or brown.
Beneath the jacket, one generally wears a tattersall shirt, a tie and, depending upon the weather, a simple jumper.
Here you have two options.
Convention dictates that you don breeks, plus two's or plus four's, and these are certainly very popular in the field. (Should you be wondering, breeks end just beneath the knee and have no excess fabric; plus two's offer a slightly fuller cut and deeper rise and have two inches of fabric beneath the knee; and plus four's are quite baggy and have four inches of fabric beneath the knee.)
According to personal preference, these may be in either a woollen tweed or a lightweight, water-repellent modern fabric. Breeks typically end just below the knee, and long shooting socks are pulled up over the breek cuffs and secured with garters.
Alternatively, you may wear conventional trousers, preferably in green or brown. These typically come in moleskin and corduroy.
Flat caps, generally in tweed, are by far the most popular form of headwear. That said, you may also wear trilbies or deer stalkers.
Because shooting outdoors sometimes entails braving inclement weather, to say nothing of squelchy, spongy terrain, we recommend sturdy, waterproof boots. Farlow's offers the capital's best selection of wellies, from fashionable Hunter to uncompromising, heavy-duty Le Chameau, for men, women and children.
