Can you wear trousers on a driven shoot?

One of the most distinctive markers of the UK shooting scene is the somewhat archaic unwritten dress code. Tweed, breeks, flatcaps - they’re unmistakable signifiers. As we have discussed before, the reasons we wear breeks, plus twos, or plus fours are a mixture of tradition and practicality. But increasingly shooting clothing manufacturers are making “shooting trousers”,  by which I mean actual full-length trousers. So what are the pros and cons of breeks vs trousers?

Why do we wear breeks to shoot?

Breeks, or plus twos or fours, are primarily a practical design that have become a tradition. The combination of long shooting stocking and the fastened trouser-leg creates a fairly impermeable seal around the leg, while making the wearing of wellies more comfortable.

As anyone who has tried to put a be-trousered leg into a wellie boot before will know, the task is near impossible unless you wear those rather peculiar skinny jeans. The trouble is what to do with the loose material around the calf - if you fold it tidily around your leg you get an uncomfortable lump in the ankle region which can become quite sore after a long day of bestriding the landscape, while if you shove it in any old how you are at the mercy of fate. 

Then there’s the fact that breeks, and in particular plus fours, allow for excellent mobility when it comes to walking up hill or clambering over fences or stile, or into gunbusses. The additional material creates a sort of shock-absorber, preventing the trouser leg from riding up. 

And, of course, breeks just make you look the part.

Do breeks have disadvantages?

Back in my university days someone bet me ten drinks that I wouldn’t attend a whole day of lectures in my shooting clobber. Being something of a showoff, I had a very enjoyable day parading around campus in my brightest shooting socks and gaudiest breeks, and an even more enjoyable evening getting blotto at someone else’s expense. But even I, a dyed-in-the-wool aficionado of the plus four, can see that for some people the wearing of plus fours in public could be a trifle uncomfortable. 

First, there’s the fact that shooting is not universally approved of, so many people feel somewhat bashful about nipping into the petrol station or hanging around at Euston in their breeks. There’s no denying that even without the association with shooting, billowy plus fours in a loudish tweed take a certain confidence to wear in public.

We could also add here that for the infrequent shot, the idea of having to fork out for yet another pricey item of clobber for a couple of day’s shooting a year might grate a little. We may also admit that for newcomers to shooting the whole notion of breeks may seem like something of a barrier to entry, or even outright off-putting.

So, are trousers acceptable on a driven shoot day?

Well… that all depends on the trousers, doesn’t it? And, I suppose, a little on the shoot day. Let us consider a scenario: it's an early season partridge or grouse day, the sun is beating down and the ground is concrete-hard. The shoot is fairly smart, with not too much distance between gunbus and peg, and fairly easy terrain. In this instance it might be felt that the full December rig-out of wooly socks, rubber boots and tweed breeks is overkill.

One might, quite reasonably, argue that some nice lightweight trousers worn with sturdy brogues or walking boots and thinnish socks would result in a far more comfortable day in the field. One might even concede that on a dry winter’s day, or on a smart manicured shoot without too much mud to negotiate, that some heavier trousers, perhaps with some thermal undies, could do the job of keeping one warm quite adequately.

But even if we admit that trousers may be more practical in certain settings, what sort of trousers might one go for? It goes without saying that jeans are an absolute no-no. We are not barbarians. We probably also want to avoid trousers that have pockets in unusual places. We may be carrying guns but we’re not in the army. 

Trousers are one thing, but I think we draw the line at shorts

What we are looking for is hard-wearing, comfortable strides that won’t make you stick out like a sore thumb. To be really safe, pair of tweed or moleskin trousers will do admirably, as would corduroys. For those very warm August grouse days or September partridge days, a pair of chinos could be ok, provided they are the right colour.

Should you be looking for something a bit more technical, you may wish to explore some of the options on offer from the likes of Seeland and Harkila. These employ modern fabrics to create breathable, thorn-proof and water-proof trousers, but they won’t be to everyone’s tastes, since they are really designed for the European or US markets and frequently come with utility pockets and reinforcement patches in different colours that would probably look out of place on a driven day.

As we have mentioned before in these pages, shooting’s dress code is not, in point of fact, compulsory. If you’re a newcomer to shooting, you absolutely do not have to splash out on a pair of breeks before you know that it is a pastime you plan to engage with more often. The key is that you’re comfortable, can move freely, and are smart enough not to upset your host, or, importantly, feel out of place, and the same applies for established shots as well. 

Speaking for myself, well, I can’t see that I’ll be giving up my plus fours any time soon - I love the tradition, the style and the comfort of them. However, as one who has spent nearly all of the last year wearing dungarees, I’m the last person to criticise someone else’s sartorial choices. Wear what you feel comfortable in (just not jeans or shorts, thanks.).