I’ve seen a few postings lately ripping into the bushcraft “fashion” thing and it started me wondering if there really was a “fashion” thing going on, or whether it all comes down to people finding the same solutions to similar problems, amongst a limited range commercial options?
For example, a significant number of people are returning to wool garments because wool has properties that they feel suits the kind of things we do.
As there only a few manufacturers of woollen clothing designed for the outdoors, it creates a certain “look” amongst those people that some might call a fashion.
The same could be said of wide brimmed hats and Ventile too.
I was looking back over some pictures I had taken at meets and moots and I reckon about 35 – 40% of the people shown are wearing one or other of these so called “fashion” items.
The rest are wearing a mixture of surplus, commercial outdoor gear and street wear, but of course because this mixture comes from a much wider supply base, there often does not seem to be as much similarity amongst that mixture.
I think most people buy gear for functional purposes but some, myself included, do also favour a certain kind of aesthetic feel or look too.
Does this really constitute a “fashion” or is it down to that limited supply base?
For example, a significant number of people are returning to wool garments because wool has properties that they feel suits the kind of things we do.
As there only a few manufacturers of woollen clothing designed for the outdoors, it creates a certain “look” amongst those people that some might call a fashion.
The same could be said of wide brimmed hats and Ventile too.
I was looking back over some pictures I had taken at meets and moots and I reckon about 35 – 40% of the people shown are wearing one or other of these so called “fashion” items.
The rest are wearing a mixture of surplus, commercial outdoor gear and street wear, but of course because this mixture comes from a much wider supply base, there often does not seem to be as much similarity amongst that mixture.
I think most people buy gear for functional purposes but some, myself included, do also favour a certain kind of aesthetic feel or look too.
Does this really constitute a “fashion” or is it down to that limited supply base?
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