If you鈥檝e ever skied out West, chances are you鈥檝e come across a Sam Elliot lookalike barreling down a double-black on a pair of Hart Gremlins from 1985, dressed neck to ankle in denim, head topped with an old Stetson. The skiing cowboy cares not for 900 goose down fill or hydrophobic polypropylene. He鈥檚 got his own style, and it gets him down the mountain just fine, partner.
We bring this up not to knock synthetic fibers (you know we love them), but to point out that you don鈥檛 have to sacrifice your own look just because you鈥檙e playing outside鈥攁n idea that Steve Kang has built a career around. He owns , a clothing store in St. Paul, Minnesota, that sells rugged, quality-made apparel, bags, boots and accessories from classic, outdoorsy brands such as Filson and A.P.C. Carhartt. The majority of Kang鈥檚 inventory is made of strong, natural fabrics such as wool, waxed cotton and canvas, and all of it looks great, especially when scuffed up by nature.
Kang practices what he preaches, by the way. He skis in wool sweaters and hikes in handsome Red Wing boots. Here, he offers suggestions on how to look smart while doing whatever it is you do out there. 听 听 听
Outerwear:听Waxed cotton jackets from and .
鈥淏oth brands have a long history of designing outerwear intended for use while hunting,鈥 Kang says. 鈥淏efore there was Gore-Tex, the method of keeping your outerwear weather-proof was to use oil or wax. I like to refer to this and a lot of stuff in the shop as 鈥榦ld technology鈥.鈥
笔补苍迟蝉:听Duck canvas chinos by ; rip-stop cotton pants by .
鈥淔or a rugged pant that鈥檚 great for everyday use, try Chinos made of a thick 12-ounce duck canvas. A couple of us had those up in the Boundary Waters this past summer. Another favorite is the rip-stop cotton Fatigue Pants made by Engineered Garments. These are thick and durable enough for some pretty serious bushwacking.鈥
听Bags:听Anything by .
鈥淥ne of my favorites from Duluth Pack is the Scoutmaster Deluxe, made of a heavy 15-ounce canvas with leather for the trim, bottom, and straps.鈥
Boots:听Anything by .
鈥淎 good alternative to the hiking boot look is a pair of Red Wings鈥攑articularly the 1907, which has a sole stiff enough to carry heavy loads on portages. And the outsole just sticks to rocks.鈥
Sweaters:听Wool knits by听.
鈥淚鈥檓 a fan of using wool sweaters as a mid layer for alpine skiing, in particular. Wool is insulating and can hold a great deal of water before it becomes saturated and keeps you warm even if it does become wet. We carry a very hard to find brand of sweaters that are knit in Denmark called SNS Herning. It is some of the best-looking and highest quality knitwear on the market anywhere in the world.鈥