Inis Meain Ireland Linen Mix Ocean Blue Speckled Tunic Boatneck Sweater

Nautical Clothing

So long as there has been a sea there have been sailors, seamen & explorers—people whose life is spent fighting the elements, holding fast and exploring the length, breadth & depth of the oceans. They have clothes adapted to the task of protecting them from the harshness of life at sea and they have long made their way into everyday menswear. They are practical, warm, and hard-wearing. Nautical clothing has an admirable simplicity—not to mention that it's usually produced in that unbeatably versatile shade navy blue. For our survey of the nautical menswear landscape, we decided for clarity to divide it into six sections.

Fishermen

Traditional Navy

American Navy

Submariners

Explorers

Leisure

Fishermen

Fisherman have long had a romantic appeal to land lubbers and their clothing has been prized for it's warmth and practicality, in the past items like the 'Greek' fisherman's cap have been staples of mens fashion but these days the most common items are woollen sweaters associated with north atlantic islanders. Recent years have also seen the fisherman's hooded raincoat gain popularity, often in bonded rubber with several traditional manufacturers offering slimmer, fashion friendly versions.

Fishermen in the north Atlantic have long worn woollen garments, likely introduced by the vikings when they settled the coasts of Ireland, Scotland and northern France. Wool was used for both its warmth and the naturally occurring lanolin in its fibres, this oil gave the wool a natural water resistance that would protect the wearer at sea. Modern sweaters rarely have lanolin as it is usually removed during the processing & softening of the wool. Despite press stories to the contrary, the modern fishermans sweaters have their roots in the late 1800s when particular styles were standardised and sold commercially outside of the small island communities where they were made. There are countless varieties but the defining characteristics were a close fit and a heavy texture in order to keep the cold out. These are three of the most versatile Fisherman's sweater styles:

Fishermen of the Aran Islands

Aran Sweater

Named for the tiny Aran Islands found off the west coast of Ireland, Aran sweaters are a staple of winter collections and renowned for their intricate textures and warmth. While originally available in a plain ecru wool and knitted by hand, they are now found in countless textures & colours and largely mass produced.

Steve McQueen in Aran sweater filming "The Thomas Crown Affair"

This example from Inis Meáin is among the best available, while sticking closely to the original sweater designs it uses a luxurious blend of wool & cashmere. As a nice bonus, it's actually produced on one of the Aran Islands. That said they're available for every budget, with mass produced models from companies like Aran Crafts coming in at around €60/$80, making them an affordable winter basic.

Inis Meáin Classic Aran Crew

Shetland Sweater

Shetland Islander photographed by Paul Strand

The Shetlands are an island chain found to the north of Scotland and south of Norway famed for their native breed of hardy sheep and its soft, highly insulating wool. While there is a variety of Shetland sweaters (the intricately patterned Fair Isle being among the most famous) the name has come to refer to the plain-knit type that found favour in the Ivy League students of the 1950s & '60s. Despite its adaptation by east coast moneyed types, its origins are very much as a hard wearing fisherman sweater. Its slightly more versatile as the plain weave means it can be worn easily with more formal clothing. A popular version is the brushed shetland where the wool has been carded with steel brushes in order to soften it—the Shaggy Dog for example. Available from countless vendors both in America & the uk but, we like Andersons of Shetland for the sheer variety of options. They will knit you one in almost any colour & style and at a very reasonable price.

Andersons of Shetland Everest Jumper

Guernsey Sweater

Traditional Guernsey

Guernsey sweaters were once so common in the British Isles that the word itself became synonymous with a sweater. Originally knitted for the fisherman on the small Island of Guernsey off the north coast of France (seeing a pattern here?) and later finding popularity throughout coastal communities. Made from a tight weave in order to repel water, they are also generally symmetrical, allowing them to be put on both ways. The Guernsey is quite similar to the traditional Aran with the difference in that it's almost always in navy, and often with a plainer, tighter pattern around the neck and base of the sweater. While its peak of popularity might have been during the Victorian era, its a classic and restrained style with plenty of strong visual interest. There are several traditional makers that sell Guernseys for reasonable prices, but we like this model from Old Town with its 'skylark' emblem.

Traditional Guernsey

Styling Advice

Fisherman sweaters are full of texture, tend to be on the boxier side and are best seen as a casual option paired with jeans, textured cotton trousers (like corduroy or moleskin) or plain chinos in heavier weights. At the most formal you might style a shetland sweater with a sport coat (in the Ivy style) but generally keep in mind that these are workwear and fit most comfortably in that world. For something with the spirit of fishing sweaters, but a slimmer more modern styling you can check out Danish knitwear company sns Herning.

Fisherman's Raincoat

"Squall" by Andrew Wyeth

Fisherman have always needed protection from the elements and an early innovation was oil-treated cloth jackets (using resin or fat) to repel the water and keep their woollen clothing dry underneath. The early oil cloths into the 1900s were usually in dull tones, but when dyeing became easier they were created in brighter oranges, yellows & reds—the better to be spotted in if one fell overboard. The smelly, and degradable oil cloths were replaced with rubberised cotton parkas. It is this style that has gained in popularity in recent years, while the originals are a bit too shapeless and obviously utilitarian for casual use, Scandinavian rainwear companies like Elka & Grundens have created fashion friendly models, and we love the Arpenteur jacket in garbadine for something a bit more refined.

Brigg 310 Jacket

Styling Advice

Like most things nautical the raincoat is more casually orientated, the virtue of these jackets are their great weather protection, but you probably want to rock them with jeans, heavy sweaters, wool caps—fisherman style.

Traditional Navy

The Navy was probably the single most influential military institution when it comes to classic mens dressing, from blazers to peacoat's to breton shirts its a consistent staple of everyday menswear. While formal Navies as we know them today existed in Europe from around the 15th century, it wasn't until the late 1700's that uniforms were introduced, and not until the mid-1800's do we see what we would consider 'naval' clothing: double-breasted coats, striped shirts etc. Their influence on fashion from this time on was almost immediate, the peacoat, bridge coat & blazers became staples of civilian mens clothing with their trim shape and flattering dark navy colouring. The breton shirt was a little bit longer in making headways outside of naval & coastal contexts but by the 1920s had become a staple of summer fashion.

Portrait of Boris Serebryakov

Since the heyday of naval wear in the late Victorian-era it has been the uniform of bikers, beatniks, actors, writers & artists. Its outsider appeal a likely combination of smartness, versatility and affordability. This remains the case, almost all naval clothing can be had for reasonable prices from traditional manufacturers or surplus, and it's an ideal place to start building a wardrobe.

Breton shirt

In 1853 the French navy based in Brittany in the north of France adopted a ecru woven shirt with a wide boat neck, 3/4 length sleeves and a block of 21 navy stripes—supposedly based on the 21 battles won by Napoleon, which when you think about it is kind of strange for a naval shirt. They were either made from a heavy cotton jersey or wool, and became popular not just with the sailors of the navy but also local Breton fishermen, the stripes stood out among the waves if one fell overboard. These shirts would be adopted by many other European navies as well.

Pablo Picasso in a Breton Shirt

The breakthrough to the wider world of fashion would come via Coco Chanel who created, soft cotton Breton styled shirts for her 1917 collection. This created a craze for the shirts, especially for those vacationing in the French Rivera, a world away from Brittany's harsh waters. The 1960s saw the shirts adapted by Beatniks, actors of the French New Wave, bikers and artists. It had a wonderful graphic quality and paired well with jeans and casual trousers. Authentic Breton shirts remain an affordable and versatile staple, being produced in a number of variations by companies like: Armor-lux, St.James, Orcival & Le Minor. While the example we have chosen hews toward the traditional, they all produce models in less conventional colours & in short sleeves as well. Another garment worth checking out are the buttoned shoulder marine sweaters—a knitted wool cousin of the Breton shirt.

Orcival Breton Shirt

Styling Advice

A strongly casual style that works brilliantly (like many naval garments) with denim jeans and heavy knitwear. It can though be smartly worn under a dark blue or charcoal suit as part of a semi-formal ensemble.

Peacoat

The peacoat is the ultimate, the single most influential garment outside of the suit in menswear. It's not known exactly when it began to see use in navies but the name is mentioned as early as 1720 and appears originally to have referred to the Dutch cloth it was manufactured from—pije—which made the jacket a pijjakker. Various other explanations have been suggested but considering the Dutch history of seafaring and cloth production it seems a safe bet. While early styles were shorter the jacket evolved by the late 1800s into the heavy, melton wool, double-breasted overcoat we know today.

Sailors in Peacoats

Over the years it has become lighter, the buttons have changed from brass to bakelite to plastic but its largely the same—a warm, versatile coat that looks just as well with jeans, sneakers & sweatshirts as with a suit. The other great thing is it's affordability, while fashion brands will often make variations on it, the original is hard to beat and many traditional manufacturers & naval contractors sell it direct (not to mention surplus) so a jacket that can do you for almost all occasions, keep you warm in all but the most extreme weather and never fall out of style can be had for less than $200. Sterlingwear of Boston does a great classic navy-spec, 30 ounce wool coat for a very good price and Muji produces a good looking one in New Zealand wool. We however, like the Armor-lux one pictured which uses brass buttons rather than the more common plastic.

Armor-Lux Cap Sizun Pea coat

Styling Advice

This one is truly versatile. It flatters almost all shapes and as an Autumn/Winter jacket it's equally good with workwear, streetwear & formal clothing. Although for a specifically nautical look pair it with a roll-neck sweater, some dark denim jeans and boots.

Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin

Bridge Coat

James Dean sporting a bridge coat

The bridge coat was the officer jacket analog to the peacoat, longer (usually falling below the thighs) with two patch pockets on the side as well as epaulets on the shoulders to mark rank and sometimes with brass buttons. A more formal, dressed up jacket than the pea-coat but still featuring much of the same details—oversized convertible collar, fouled anchor buttons on a double-breast, dark navy or black colouring and rugged appeal. It was favoured by the likes of Winston Churchill and Patrick Grant of the Tailors Norton & sons also wears one very well. The Gloverall 'Churchill' model is a nice easy-to-wear take on the bridge coat, not over the top on the officer styling.

Gloverall Churchill Bridgecoat

Styling Advice

More formal than the peacoat with less workwear associations, its the sort of thing you can pair well with a suit and some blutchers, or flannel trousers & a shaggy sweater.

Patrick Grant of Tailors Norton & Sons

Duffle Coat

Lieutenant Basil Beal wearing foul weather gear

The Duffle coat is a hooded overcoat with an oversized fit, named for the town in Belgium where its woollen fabric was originally produced. The coat, in a camel coloured cloth was issued to sailors during the first world war as cold weather clothing, it was made large so it could be easily thrown over a uniform, with toggle closures—sometimes called walrus teeth—to allow it to be easily closed while wearing gloves. It was famously worn by General Montgomery while on campaign and in the post-war period when clothing was scarce (and rationed) and surplus duffle coats were plentiful, they became a staple of British (and continental European) style. In the 1960s like so much naval surplus they became associated with students, bohemians and protestors, while in America it became a jacket of the Ivy League. While more fashion-friendly models with shorter hems, slimmer fits and varying colours are produced by Gloverall (the most famous maker) the Monty coat retains the classic naval coat's character.

Gloverall Duffle Coat

Styling Advice

Another all rounder. Pair it with jeans, trail bluchers & a heavy knit or go preppy with a corduroy suit, scarf & loafers, both will work with a duffle. The only thing I will say is you'll want to try these on in person if possible, the shape is not for everyone and can be dowdy.

Takahiro Kinoshita

American Navy

While most nautical clothing has a long history going back as far as the 18th century, the recent popularity of Americana and especially the Japanese enthusiasm for American reproductions has seen all manner of once obscure us naval garments become popular items.

N-1 Deck Jacket

Paul Newman in an N-1 deck jacket

Earlier deck jackets were issued in a sturdy denim but as wwii was underway they decided to commission a heavier cold weather jacket, the design chosen was of olive tropical cloth tightly woven to keep out the wind and lined in alpaca pile, with two hip pockets, high lined collar and buttoned flap over the zip. Essentially a hybrid chore coat/blouson jacket which makes it a very nice cold weather casual option. Designers like Dana Lee have made modified N-1s in the past, and repo companies like Buzz Ricksons & Spiewak have more authentic takes, but this season we like the Saturdays nyc model, which has a slightly trimmer fit.

Saturdays nyc Bouclé-Trimmed Jacket

CPO Shirt

Steve McQueen wearing a CPO

The 30s-era cpo shirt (Chief Petty Officer) has seen an explosion of popularity in the last decade, thats a tribute to its versatility and simplicity. Essentially a utility over-shirt, originally in navy wool flannel with 1 or 2 patch pockets on the breast with variations including hip pockets, press studs and models done in cotton. It's extremely wearable and great for autumn/winter layering. It pops up every season from Japanese brands like Engineered Garments to high street shops like J.Crew & Club Monaco. A favourite this season is by Beams in cotton, with hip pockets.

Beams Light Pique CPO Blouson

Submariners

In the history of naval warfare, submarines are a fairly recent entry, although the idea was developed as early as the 1700s the practical and widespread use of the vessels was only really seen at the advent of wwi where they were used effectively by Germany to disrupt British shipping. Submarines were always somewhat of a roguish element of the navy proper, going on long, solitary and extremely dangerous patrols, in close confinement where strict navy discipline might be relaxed and beards allowed to grow. One British Lord Admiral was unable to disguise his distaste for the service calling them "underhand, unfair and damned un-English" further declaring that the crews were pirates and to be hanged upon capture. This status was embraced by crews in the British navy who took to creating personalised Jolly roger's for their vessels, the Germans too had a reputation for non-conformity, painting their ships with personalised emblems like black cats, swordfish & aces.

Rollneck

Royal Navy submariners in rollneck sweaters

In both world wars the British Royal Navy issued the somewhat short, thick, wool rollneck sweaters, in ecru, grey & navy for use in cold weather. These were especially useful for the atlantic convoys bringing vital supplies through rough seas and highly favoured by submariners who were often patrolling the frigid waters of the north sea, so much so that many of the reproduction models simply refer to them as "The Submariner." As with the duffle coat & other navy issue clothing, the rollneck sweater became a standard piece of civilian clothing, like much from the navy it was warm, affordable & rugged and it was especially favoured by motorcyclists.

Captain haddock in rollneck and CPO Shirt

While there are countless fashion orientated variations its hard to beat the simplicity and style of the original. North Sea Clothing offers one of the best reproductions—designed as a slightly modernised take on the originals. North Sea also carries a great selection of naval inspired garments that are well worth a look. If you don't think you can pull off the full rollneck, Danish company Anderson-Anderson does a great funnel neck (half rollneck) with similar styling and built in thumb-holes.

North Sea Clothing Submariner

Styling Advice

Looks great with jeans, chinos & peacoat. Once again navy works with navy, you want to stick on the rugged side of things. This photo from The Satorialist is some nice styling of a north sea rollneck.

Street-style from The Satorialist

Ursula Jacket

Captain Philips of the HMS Ursula submarine

Despite its commonplace descendent "The Barbour International" this is one of the lesser known pieces of naval clothing. Early in the second world war Captain Philips (not Tom Hanks) of the submarine hms Ursula noticed one of his crew members, a motorcycling enthusiast, wearing a pair of Barbour waxed cotton overalls. Seeing how effective the overalls were against the harsh weather, Philips designed a two-piece, four-pocket suit with hood & high lined collar. He asked Barbour to manufacture it for his crew and the suit was a huge success. It became known as the 'Ursula Suit' and was standard issue to men on watch (albeit modified with the breast pockets removed, not looking hugely different from the Barbour Bedale SL). Coming full circle in the post-war period surplus ursula jackets became hugely popular with motorcyclists who often removed the hood. This spurred Barbour to create 'The International,' an ursula-style moto jacket that became one of their icons, differentiated by its diagonal map pocket on the breast. The closest approximation of the naval Ursula today is the 'Duke' International model pictured, which has retained the straight four pocket style, although Barbour's Dept B sub-brand has also created ursula-style hooded jackets in the past. If you have a spare grand hanging around the Brooks criterion cycling jacket is a refined, upmarket take on this style.

Barbour Wax International Duke Jacket

Explorers

While the sea has long been a place of exploration, we're not going to try and suggest that the breeches of Vasco Da Gama or feathered hats of Columbus are worth emulating. This section may as well be called 'Jacques Cousteau.' No man has done more to publicise and push forward the exploration of the seas and later to strongly promote their preservation. He was also an early adaptor and innovator of the diver's watch and had a fantastic personal uniform that has become a ubiquitous urban style. When you see the red watch cap paired with a chambray shirt who else can you think of?

Wool Watch Cap

Explorer Jacques Cousteau

While wool caps have been a staple of fishermen and seafarers back many hundreds of years, the modern styles tend to be based on the us navy watch cap, with its flattened top and ridged fisherman's knit. Still favoured for naval use (though modern caps tend to be synthetics rather than wool) especially as the seaman can still see clearly with it on—unlike a hood. Vintage examples are fairly easy to come by and affordable, often with the navy surplus patch which is a nice detail, but we like this knitted civilian model by Howlin' not quite Cousteau red more of a wine burgundy, a little bit easier to match.

Howlin' Cosmic Hat

Chambray Shirt

Cousteau in his signature chambray

Chambray is a fabric dating from the industrial revolution that was originally a sort of glossy linen pressed mechanically under high temperatures for shine. When it comes to the modern varieties we're talking about the treated cotton or cotton linen blend work shirts, a sort of plain weave denim that was especially popular in the early to mid 20th century. Chambray has a great versatility and a lighter touch and feel than denim, all while retaining a deep texture. Countless models are available but we're fond of the varied tones of the Aspesi one pictured. Sid Mashburn has a great slightly more elegant model in a linen blend with button down collar.

Aspesi Iconic Chambray Shirt

Divers Watch

Cousteau preparing for a dive

They say success has many fathers and failure is an orphan and this is very much the case with diver watches. Countless heritage watch brands make the claim that they were the first, the original. In a way this is true. There was no single innovation that could really be called the breakthrough: Rolex & Omega created the first waterproofs in the 1920s, Panerai the first diver specific model in the 1930s (and first with glowing dials created with cancer-inducing radium) but the first diver watch as we know it today with an oversized dial, glow-in-the-dark face & the rotating bezal allowing divers to see how long they have been underwater, is the 1953 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. The FF was commissioned and designed under the supervision of Bob Maloubier the head of France's elite naval divers. That said, the Rolex Submariner which arrived shortly after in 1954 is probably the definitive divers watch, made even more so by its appearance on Sean Connery's James bond in the 1962 film 'Dr No.' thus marking the end of the era of fine dress watches and the beginning of the enormous status watch. The original divers are well out of most people's price range, luckily this guide from Cultural Dispatch has you covered with loads of under $250-or-less dive watches.

Seiko SKX009K2

Leisure

It was in the late 1800s that the 'seaside as destination' first took hold. Industrial workers had fought and won their first vacation time and often used it to make a brief trip to the seaside for some sun and relaxation. This was also a time of extreme sexual repression so people's bathing wear usually consisted of modesty preserving full body coverings constructed in wool and not exactly fit for purpose. The real innovation in seaside clothing wouldn't come until the post-war leisurewear boom in America—a time that saw the first synthetic swim trunks, boating & deck shoes, which remain summer basics to this day.

Swim Trunks

Sean Connery wearing Jantzen trunks in Thunderball

The early days of swimwear are pretty ignoble, horrible bodysuits made of scratchy and hard to dry wool, later high-waisted underwear of clingy cotton, often paired with less than flattering matching singlets. In the case of the surf enthusiasts—who had been slowly making their way from the cultural home of surf in Hawaii to California—swimwear consisted of a pair of cut-off chinos. This began to change as the '50s wore on. New synthetic fabrics were developed and used to create the first real made for purpose swim trunks, the kind seen on James Bond in his early films: slim fitting with adjustable tabs and a more flattering cut with robust fabrics. In the case of the burgeoning surf culture, small companies like Birdwell Beach Britches and the Hawaiian tailor's shop M.Nii produced sturdy shorts specially modelled for the sport. Faithful reproductions of the early leisure trunks are available from Sunspel and Olebar Brown.

Sunspel Swim Short

Styling Advice

It's hard to go wrong with a broad stripe or pocket tee paired with some sneakers with surf trunks (we like the ones from Jungmaven), or espadrilles & a navy polo for the more sophisticated Bond style.

Deck Shoes

Kennedy sailing his yacht

While they are both for the same purpose and generally serve the same role, the two types of shoe referred to as 'deck shoes' are quite different in appearance. In 1935 Alfred A. Sperry, upon noticing his dogs ability to stay steady on the wet surface of his boat, carved the soles of his shoes with fine lines in emulation of the dogs paws. Seeing how well this worked he began to create moccasin styled shoes with a non-slip rubber sole known as the Sperry 'topsider'.

Rancourt Read Boat Shoe

While the design was popular in his native New England, it remained a niche product until the us navy brought the right to create canvas shoes with the same Sperry Topsider sole. The cvo deck shoe as the new shoes were known, was a thick soled, vulcanized rubber sneaker that came in both low & high top styles in ecru or brown canvas. With the success of the navy contract Sperry was brought out by us Rubber co. who marketed them heavily across the country where they were widely emulated (the Vans Original is anything but) and embraced by the general public. These days Sperry is a shadow of its former self with the shoes now made abroad, falling well short of the original models. Luckily almost every New England shoe maker (Quoddy, Rancourt, New England Outerwear) seems to have a high quality version on the market. As for Deck cvos, there is off course Vans but for something with the thick soles and styling of the original you can't go wrong with Wakouwa from Japan, available at the great Several shop and near identical to the original navy shoe except for the improved sole support.

Styling Advice

This one's pretty foolproof, both of these shoes are right at home on the beach in a pair of shorts and tee, but they are smart enough to be paired with an oxford, some chinos or chords and a blazer for the classic Ivy League style.

Wakouwa Deck Shoe

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Source: https://epochs.co/features/epochs-guide-to-nautical-clothing

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