Wilderness chic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wilderness chic is a current fashion fad that is centered around the look of hikers, climbers, and mountaineers. This fashion fad is particularly prominent in Japan and on college campuses across the United States.
This fad has brought brands of mountaineering clothing and accessories into popular culture; this is especially true with The North Face. While North Face was once used almost exclusively by mountaineering community, it is now common to see droves of college students wearing North Face, even when the weather does not warrant it. Nalgene bottles have also come into popular culture, with many students toting them from class to class. The use of technical day packs as book-bags is also popular. Hiking boots such as those made by Timberland are worn casually even in urban environments. Carabiners are commonly used as keyrings and latches, instead of in ropework during climbing.
The rise of wilderness chic has contributed to increased counterfeiting of brands such as North Face.[1] There have also been scattered reports of muggings motivated by the desire to steal North Face jackets.[2]
Some critics have worried that increasing demand for outdoors gear from fashion-focused consumers will shift companies' emphasis from providing functional mountaineering equipment to satisfying the demand of the fashion-focused demographic.[citation needed]
This aesthetic has also been relatively popular in Scotland, both urban and rural, for a number of years. Although this probably has as much to do with Scotland's climate as it does fashion and is not influenced by fads elsewhere, the term "Wilderness chic" would not be recognised in Scotland and the aesthetic is mostly confined to coats, jackets and boots, rather than any other accessories. Cold winters and a rainy climate often make it practical clothing rather than purely fashionable. Popular brands include Norwegian manufacturers Helly Hansen and British brands Berghaus and Regatta.
