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Verney-Carron’s Fox Original suit; Herve shirt and Prisca scarf

A few years ago I had the pleasure of spending a few days with the Verney-Carron family at their factory in Saint Etienne in France. Still family owned, the Verney-Carron’s have been designing and manufacturing their own range of distinctly French shotguns, rifles and accessories since 1820, the name, brand and Sagittaire astrological logo a guarantee of quality, distinctive styling and value for money. And so it is with the new range of Verney-Carron hunting clothing; the looks, materials, cut and practicality are perfect examples as to why French clothing as a whole enjoys a worldwide reputation for individuality.

There are three ranges in all; the Percussion range is aimed at those who value performance and practicality above everything else, whilst the top end Club Interchasse collection offers ultra-stylish shooting and outdoor clothing plus après shooting apparel and bespoke luggage. Placed between these two and with its own distinct looks and style is the standard Verney-Carron range which does a fantastic job of combining elements and qualities from both the others, as demonstrated in the Fox Original suit.

Fox Original

The Verney-Carron Fox Original suit is manufactured from waxed cotton, the brown antique colour and look of the jacket, waistcoat and trousers fool most onlookers into thinking the entire outfit is actually leather. Reason being whilst most waxed cotton is stiff and cold to the touch, Verney- Carron’s take on this traditional material has resulted in a 43% polyester, 57% cotton mix that’s dry, soft, malleable material that looks good, is silent, moves with ease yet is robust enough to shrug off anything you can throw at it and that includes hard abrasions and barbed wire. Lined with what’s referred to as Sagitex, an inner membrane that ensures the Fox Original suit remains 100% waterproof, this and Verney-Carron’s famous check lining allowing all three garments to breathe, ensure the seams, zips and heavy duty stitching remain resilient to the elements and allows for a lighter weight construction and more stylish cut. All available as individual garments, where the Fox Original suit wins out is in the fact that as a complete suit it makes the best sense, top, bottom and extra layers all perfectly suited to being worn together.

Fox Original Jacket

Three quarter in length, the Fox jacket (£132) is ideal for any form of outdoor activity. The weight and cut allow for excellent freedom of movement whilst the reinforced shoulders and sleeves mean carrying a rifle or shotgun won’t inflict excessive wear. Complete with a twoway radio mount (mandatory over in France), large, internally expanding, broad flap bellow pockets are complimented by deep, useful hand warmers.

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Inside a concealed pocket is augmented by two larger pockets and a mobile phone slip (also mandatory for all forms of European hunting), whilst a deep wading strip ensures the bottom edge is sufficiently resilient. Kept together by a strong, large tooth zip, durable rivets and strong press studs, the jacket will withstand virtually anything you can throw at it whilst still looking good.

Fox Original Waistcoat

An ideal companion to the jacket and a standalone garment in its own right, the Original Waistcoat (£72) features ambidextrous padded and quilted shoulder pads and four expansive external pockets for a large and varied selection of cartridges to be carried, whilst the zipped internal pockets keep valuables safe and secure along with the familiar mobile phone slip. Like the jacket, the waistcoat features a Sagitex membrane, check lining along with the usual deep wading strip, big zip, solid rivets, press studs and reinforcing exactly where it matters, when the weather turns a little colder it fits perfectly underneath the matching jacket.

Fox Original Trousers

With more reinforcing than any other hunting trousers I’ve worn and complete with a wide, deep kidney flap, the Fox Original trousers (£73) have been designed with hard work in mind. Two concealed zip pockets to the rear, deep slash pockets on the front along with a knife pocket and two external pouch pockets back up a non-slip, elasticated waistband, strong belt loops and soft mesh lining. Matching the Fox jacket and waistcoat on the front, a thicker, more robust yet still matching material forms the seat and back of the trouser legs with concealed zip around the ankles that pull the legs tight against the wearer’s boots. As per the other two Fox garments, strong stitching, press studs and stitching add to the trousers durability whilst the fit and cut ensure they remain comfortable to wear in either cold or warm weather, when walking or riding a quad.

Herve Shirt

Just one of a vast selection of Verney-Carron shirts, under any other name the Herve (£24) would cost at least twice the price. Complete with fine corduroy lining that runs around the inside of the collar, this 100% cotton and button down collar shirt is comfortable and easy to wear whilst providing plenty of movement. Complete with the usual breast pocket, like all genuine quality shirts, the checks match up at the same time as the ample material that allows the shirt to be tucked securely into the trousers.

Prisca Scarf

A little touch of luxury (actually part of the Club Interchasse collection and available in three colours) this soft, luxurious 70% silk, 30% cotton Prisca Scarf (£38) is of the modern, multi-pleated style that allows

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