Country pursuits hold a special significance for Huntsman; the house’s history is inextricably linked with riding, hunting, and shooting. Our founder Henry Huntsman was (as the name suggests) a keen sportsman and when the house was founded, in 1849, it quickly gained a reputation as London’s premier sporting and shooting tailors’.
Whilst you can’t guarantee the weather, the company, or the lunch you can always rely on Huntsman to keep you both comfortable and smart on the shooting field. Whether it’s a walked-up day in Gloucestershire or a partridge spectacular in Yorkshire, ensure you’re the best dressed…
From balmy September days at Grouse, to those frosty mornings at the peg and even stalking in the biting wind, we make shooting garments for every occasion. Perhaps a light perhaps Gabardine is preferred for the start of the season when shooting grouse and early English partridge in warmer weather. Or, as the temperature drops,
why not include a fishtail brace back to your shooting trousers for that extra bit of warmth whilst remaining inherently elegant. Even the lining is important. Huntsman customers now have the option to digitally print their favourite piece of artwork or photograph into the lining of their jacket; for that private luxury, you can show off at Elevenses.
Huntsman’s sporting customers have ranged from George V and Clarke Gable, to Eric Clapton and the Earl of Cawdor. Our famous stags’ heads were left by a customer who came in to fit his shooting suit in 1926 and a pair of Henry Huntsman’s very own breeks are still proudly on display at our Savile Row shop.
Of course one of the most important elements of your shooting attire is your tweed. The golden rule; match your surroundings. You don’t want to stand out, nor do you want to end up looking like the gamekeeper. Huntsman is known as the House of Bespoke Tweeds- with a long tradition of designing our own house tweeds. We invite clients to choose from any of these iconic clothes, but can also commission their own bespoke tweed. Our team will work with clients to design a tweed with personal significance, with designs coming to life on our own in-house handloom. The result is a bespoke suit that is completely unique, cut in an authentic cloth that bears special significance, available only to the customer and their family.
Remembering shooting is of course not a Gentleman only sport, we create elegant and attractive shooting attire for ladies too Our Head Ladieswear Cutter Magdalena Handwerker reconciles form with function to create beautiful shapes and silhouettes in ladies bespoke shooting wear. Why not go for some trews or cigarette trousers to really stand out at the shooting lunch?
It was Edward VII who said that dressing appropriately is as important as tipping your loader and bringing a suitable thank you gift for your host. Huntsman is well-positioned to ensure that not only your suit but all of its furnishings are beautifully made and fit for purpose.
Suits should be dressed with appropriate ties and shirts, we advise discreet knitted or cashmere ties or our stag’s head silk tie, which is well suited to shooting. It also pays to pack some warming knitwear, either to layer under your shooting vest or to wear post-shoot. We offer a trio of cable-knit cardigans and crew-necks, knitted in a traditional Welsh workshop in the finest three-ply Himalayan cashmere. In navy, charcoal, claret, and dark olive, they lend themselves to country dress beautifully.
A tweed cap is a final, practical addition. We are very happy to make caps in matching tweed to your suit, but also carry a selection in-store and online.
We offer a range of tweed shooting accessories that make for the perfect gift for you, or for your shoot’s host. Huntsman produces a range of gun slips, cartridge bags and hipflasks, as well as box-cloth braces (which the gentleman always needs in his wardrobe) and finely-turned silver cufflinks should you stuck for gift ideas, or want to spoil yourself with bespoke accessories which ensure you’ll never mistake your gun for another on the gun bus!
Of course, the shooting is only part of the whole event. Whether it be breaking for elevenses, lunch at the lodge, or dinner in the evening, make sure you have something appropriate to slip into when you’re retiring the tweeds for the day. From cashmere slippers to velvet smoking jackets, dinner-suits and capes, have something sophisticated waiting for you when you get back to your residence.
The shooting season ushers in an exciting time of year, bringing with it a rare opportunity to embrace a Great British tradition. Allow Huntsman to be of assistance for all your sartorial needs in the field this season.
