High style in the great outdoors used to entail a flannel shirt and some stout leather boots. Now you’re as likely to see The North Face on the back of an urban “explorer” attempting to flag a cab in Manhattan as on the summit of K2.
The industry caught on to this a few years back, offering “lifestyle” lines that look the part of an outdoors good, though stress style more than performance. The last two months I’ve been testing a few such items, shirts, pants, shorts and shells that look good first, and perform second.
These are a few favorites. . .
Topo Ranch Men’s Topo T-Shirt
With cotton soft as butter and a conversation piece Gopher-With-Angel-Wings graphic, this shirt has worked its way to become one of my favorite Ts. The graphic is a one-color screen print. The shirt is a plain as jane T, though comfy as can be. Topo is a Spanish slang word for gopher. The company gave him wings to “signify the rebirth of The Ranch in Southern California, circa
2004.” ($36, https://www.toporanch.com)
Topo Ranch Cattleman Trousers
Topo Ranch calls these pants an “updated, lightweight version of what our cowboy forefathers wore to manage their herds.” Made of 8.5-oz. cotton canvas, these tough pants have a leather patch sewed into the back ankle cuff to protect from wear and tear. For flair there’s a custom metal button featuring the first words that a Donner Party survivor uttered when her rescuers finally arrived: “Are you men from California or do you come from Heaven?” ($110, https://www.toporanch.com)
Men’s Twill weekender Short
These undeniably cool shorts come from a new entry in the outdoors space: Nau. The Portland, Ore., based clothing co. makes its Twill weekender Shorts with a stretch-woven mix of organic cotton and spandex, providing good looks, a soft hand, and some eco benefits to boot. Belt loops straddle the spine in back and all seams veer away from bony points for comfort under a pack. The rise is slightly low, there’s a button fly, and the back pockets zip shut. Colors and flavors include Chocolate, Olive, Oyster, Carbon. ($74, https://www.nau.com)
