Sailing has got to be one of the most overly romanticised activities in the history of mankind. Most people reckon sailing is a quaint, relaxing way to travel across the world, which 0.5% of the time, it is. But the other 95.5% of the time, sailing predominantly consists of getting battered by adverse weather conditions from every angle. Torrential rain. Gale-force winds. Hail. Sleet. Snow. You get the picture.
At the best of times, sailing is tolerable. At the worst of times, it’s abhorrently miserable. And the difference between the two can often be a suitable outfit – one that can fare against the atrocities the open sea will throw at you. Sensible sailors will always be equipped with at least one piece of knitwear, a large jacket and trousers with a plethora of pockets – housing bits and bobs for the likely scenario that their vessel needs repairing.
Much like fishermen, sailors’ emphasis on function-first garb makes them a stylish bunch, and it’s all too often we find ourselves down a Pinterest ‘sailing style inspo’ rabbit hole. As a token of our appreciation to the unlikely style icons, we’ve put together a guide to seven of the most sailing-appropriate items available from SEVEN STORE…
Spoiler alert: some (most) of them are most definitely not actually sailing appropriate.
Nanamica Upper Deck Insulation Jacket
Although we can’t speak for the sailing credibility of their garments, Nanamica certainly love everything nautical, and that bleeds over into the design of their collections – as instanced by this Upper Deck Jacket. Big. Warm. And has one of those high-neck collars that sailors can’t seem to get enough of. Most definitely suitable for a bit of lightweight sailing. We reckon.
Stone Island Chenille Mock Neck Sweater
Knitwear has become pretty trendy in recent years, but burly sailors have been wearing Arran sweaters & mock neck knits since the dawn of time. It only makes sense – they’re warm and often constructed from wool, which naturally wicks moisture away from you. Although unfortunately, this Stone Island sweater doesn’t have that benefit, it’s made from cotton. Still very nice though.
We actually have no clue what sailors wear on their legs. Probably depends what kind of a sailor you are. If you’re on a fishing boat, you probably want something fully waterproof. If you’re on a yacht, you probably want something white and horribly tailored. We don’t really know what kind of sailor we’re going for here, or the kind of boat we’re on – but these Nanamica Deck Pants look like a solid fit.
Beanies are a sailing staple. Bonus points if you wear them high up on your head and also have a curly mop underneath.
We touched on it briefly, but you’re going to need plenty of pockets when you’re sailing, so you can hold all the essentials. Spare rigging, a knife, rope, sunglasses, and a hip flask of 80 proof rum. This BEAMS Plus Adventure shirt has enough storage space for all that and more. Absolute no-brainer for any well-prepared sailor.
Visvim Beuys Trekker Folk Boot
Visvim definitely did not design these for sailing. In fact, they probably couldn’t fathom anyone wearing these anywhere near the shoreline, but we’re not bothered. They look like they’d do a job. Massive soles to stop you slipping around on the deck, and high enough that they can withstand a bit of water. What more could you want from a pair of sailing footwear?
If you don’t like having full dexterity in your fingers and aren’t really bothered about being able to write or make rude gestures at people, then go sailing without a pair of gloves. If on the contrary, you do like the aforementioned things, you should probably get a pair of gloves to go sailing. Like these Arc’teryx ones.
