Looking the part

Timeless and versatile, a proper shooting suit can elevate your day in the field. However, there are things to bear in mind before you take the plunge

- Written by Neil Cross

THE OLD Duke of Beaufort once said that the person correctly dressed out in the field is the one nobody notices.

When Master wrote those words he was talking about hunting but the same philosophy applies just as well to the shooting line. Of course, he was also writing at a time when many people wore mothy hand-me-downs from the grandparents' attic or simply visited Bernard Weatherill or Huntsman and had a sporting wardrobe made to measure.

These days, while a minority of keen shots will still sally forth in antique thornproof tweeds that might be only a little short, tight, frayed or smelly, days on the peg are just too precious to spend in a suit of musty armour — especially if it inhibits swing or splits hilariously through the gusset when mounting the steps of the gun bus. So, my advice would be to keep Grandpa's threads for muzzle-loading days and get yourself fitted out with your heirloom of the future. When we consider what sort of an outlay we splurge on a season's shooting, the cost of a proper suit is very reasonable. There are, however, a few guidelines that, if adhered to, might navigate a safe route through the heavily mined waters of etiquette.