Musto's New Collection: Not Just Another Green Jacket

After 12 years, it’s not totally unsurprising that she said she found it “hard to regenerate another green jacket. When you go to a country event and you visit the retail stands, they can all look the same.” It is this that led Louise to challenge herself with the 2017 collection: “We decided to create a Musto DNA so to speak. A look that would be overarching for the entire collection and set our clothing apart.” 

This doesn’t mean that old favourites from the Musto shooting range have gone, “We wanted to celebrate the traditional but give it a fresh approach to reflect the developments in shooting clothing,” Louise explains. So, the Highland Jacket, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, was given an overhaul. “We don’t want to lose its character, but it did need modernising.” In fact the Highland Jacket is part of a trilogy, says Louise, “With three different weights, so each of these has been brought up to date in terms of materials and style.” 

Technical and practical

So what has changed in those 30 years, and how has that translated into Louise’s designs? “There’s been a massive change in the technical fabrics we now have at our disposal. Gore-Tex® has really revolutionised outdoor clothing. Gone are the days when you had to wear lots of heavy layers to stay dry and warm.” Musto, of course, has a serious advantage when it comes to the latest in technical materials and clever solutions, as the company started out making clothing for sailing, which feeds into both the shooting and equestrian designs, according to Louise: “When I was designing a collection of equestrian clothing for Zara Tindall, we looked a lot at the sailing collections – she sails as well, so was very aware of the benefits of some of the pieces: higher collars and things being more fitted but still allowing for free movement.” 

This has also translated into some changes for the Highland trilogy of jackets: all have higher collars, but these can be buttoned down to ensure they don’t get in the way; the length has been extended; inner cuffs that are water repellent; hand warmer pockets lined with fleece and a hand rest pocket behind the bellow pockets. “What we’ve done is to clean up all the edges – which is reflected in the style of the pockets, which will ensure a longer life for the jackets.” According to Louise, the style that we want is different, too: “Until recently, it was the norm to have a large jacket, but today, shooters are more athletic in shape, and want something a bit more streamlined and better fitting. At the same time, they need to be able to move freely, which is reflected in all the clothing ranges for 2017. Take the Tweed suits, for example – we’ve added a waist adjuster on the inside.” 

Back to breeks

Another new development for 2017 is that all the Highland range is available for women, and, says Louise, “Has been designed for women, not just resized. Gone are the days when women had to buy men’s clothing to get the best performance.” Breeks for women are making a comeback, too: “I think we’re seeing a change from the trend of skinny jeans and high boots, back to the traditional breeks for shooting and picking-up.” The result is a fresh approach to breeks for women, “they’re more flattering, so less bulky around the hips, but they’re also much more technical – waterproof and windproof.” 

While everything may have been given a new approach, Louise is very conscious of the importance of tradition in the shooting field, too: “It’s important to me that our customers can benefit from all the advances clothing has made in the past decade. Styles have changed, and most of the younger shooters definitely looking towards a more fitted look – at the same time the pieces must be comfortable and practical. In the end, though, it has to be something that is true to tradition.” 

• Highland Gore-Tex® Ultra Lite Jacket - £325
• Highland Gore-Tex® Lite Jacket - £400
• Highland Gore-Tex® Jacket - £550

Take a look at the MUSTO website for more information on their products. 

Louise Clinton: MUSTO's Country and Womens Lifesyle Design Manager