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What would Katharine Clifton, Kristin Scott Thomas’s character in The English Patient, wear if she were walking the Haute Route instead of riding a camel into the Gilf Kebir plateau with Count László Almásy?
It’s a question I ask myself every August as I pack for my annual stomp in the French Alps, a palate cleanser for the mind and a reset before school and work ramp up a notch.
Disclaimer: I am not scaling Mont Blanc with my husband and three sometimes moany children. Nevertheless, we embark on punchy, all-day — all-day because we are quite slow — 1,300-metre ascents with the odd stay overnight in a refuge hut.
Perhaps you are wondering why I give a fig what I wear given that I meet no one other than the occasional Ibex goat? Mostly it’s about the family photos: delighting in the fact that my kids have finally come to appreciate the sheer joy of walking high above the tree line, stuffing their faces with wild blueberries on the way up and enjoying truly leisurely conversations without the distraction of a screen.
Mountain-hiking garb needn’t be confined to hot pink body-skimming athleisure, or the sort of trainspotting slacks your granddad wore. My alpine attire is more akin to what I’d wear in everyday life: a combination of utility separates but with sturdier fabrics and a smattering of rakishness that recalls a summery Margaret Howell campaign or what Mrs Clifton might opt for. Conjure in your mind a rolled-up shirt sleeve from Sunspel, the glimpse of a bare (sun-kissed) forearm, the jaunty angle of a Toteme neckerchief, Hepburn-esque twill trousers and a foldaway Borsalino hat.
For trousers, I recommend looking at Gramicci’s Voyager Pant, which comes in good neutral shades with a built-in belt and is cut slouchy enough to accommodate a picnic lunch and yet robust enough to sit on rocks or withstand spiky shrubs (£120, gramicci.co.uk).
Up top, it’s a lightweight merino ribbed tank from Uniqlo or Icebreaker worn under a very light cotton shirt from Caramel womenswear (£235, caramel-shop.co.uk). I know that recycled nylon and polyester wick away moisture better, but I’ve always found that light cotton offers more pleasing-to-wear hot sun cover and doesn’t feel as sweaty or constricting as sports gear.
Paramount is wearing layers which you can add or subtract. The weather moves very quickly in the mountains, and scorching sun in the morning can become cold rain by afternoon. Warm and waterproof layers are the difference between a great day and being uncomfortably cold and wet.
My jumpers of choice are the Edith polo shirt or the Eske Aran sweater from & Daughter (from £195 on sale, and-daughter.com). Both are warm but not so bulky you can’t wear them around your waist. Wool is also water resistant, making this excellent in a quick shower.
When it comes to waterproofs, I’m a big fan of K-Way’s Le Vrai 4.0 Claude jacket. These stripy zip-ups pack away to nothing, and in brighter colours offer a contrasting “pop” to sombre neutrals (£120, k-way.co.uk).
If, however, you are venturing on a more technical climb, consider Patagonia’s Nano Puff Hoody. This jacket is incredibly lightweight and crucially very warm, with 100 per cent recycled PrimaLoft Gold insulation, and is yet small enough to be stuffed into a backpack (£220, eu.patagonia.com).
My backpack of choice? It’s canvas bags all the way for me. My favourite — largely because it remains undiscovered — is a Hungarian brand called Ykra (pronounced Eek-rah).
Founded by Balázs Lakatos in Budapest in 2011, his aim was to create vintage-style hiking backpacks for everyday wear made from thick and durable cotton canvas originally made for tents (€269, ykra.com). Its delicious Yves Klein blue colourway also features on a bum bag and is very practical for your phone, SPF and that extra bar of chocolate. I have four and wear them pretty much every day in London too as a belt around a trenchcoat.
Another good option is Sacai x Carhartt WIP’s pocket bag, which can also be worn across one shoulder and is still available on eBay.
To further avoid the faff of having to take off your rucksack, carrying a flask carrier is always a good idea. My decade-old staple is an artisan woven version from Crossbow leather, sadly no longer in production. Equally portable and stylish is the foldable raffia crochet hat from Borsalino (£230, mytheresa.com).
On my feet are Salomon trainers, which I have affectionately christened my “Lego trainers” because they remind me of the Lego colour fashion shoots that Lucinda Chambers used to direct for British Vogue in the Noughties (£122, goat.com). It’s that or a pair of Karhu walking trainers, which are very comfortable and thick-soled (£106 on sale, uk.karhu.com). I find both preferable to a pair of leather walking boots as they still offer robust ankle support but are lighter to wear and don’t require breaking in.
None of the above deviates drastically from what I wear day to day. The clothes are practical, comfortable, and exude an effortlessness or what the French might describe as “bien dans sa peau”. I don’t think Katharine Clifton could argue with that.
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