Introducing AW24 - A Postcard from El Camino Real
This season we saddled up and took a trip down the Camino Real—the historical trade route which runs 600 miles across Texas. Running right through our hometown of Crockett—where we still produce our core classics to this day—El Camino Real (which translates to ‘the Royal Road’ in English) was first used back in the 17th century by Spanish settlers.
Stretching from Mexico City to Louisiana, the route was the main corridor through the state until the advent of railroads changed the flow of both travel and trade. But although there are now much faster ways to cross Texas, the route still remains as a National Historic Trail.
So, what does this mean for the clothes then? Well, rather than look far and wide for inspiration, we’ve stayed close to home, soaking up the rich history of the Lone Star State—from ten-gallon hats to roadside diners and far beyond.
Running right through the collection is our ‘Tejas Hat’ motif. The story goes that the Spanish settlers along the Camino Real used to refer to the native Caddo people who lived in Crockett and East Texas as ‘tejas’, a Spanish translation of ‘taysha’—the Caddo word for friend. The area became known colloquially as ‘the great kingdom of Tejas’—which eventually morphed to its name today… Texas.
We’ve combined the historic ‘Tejas’ name with another classic symbol of Texas—the cowboy hat—on a design you’ll find woven into our Knitted Sweater, printed on the back of our Coach Jacket and embroidered onto our new Western Shirt—as well as pride of place on the side of our super hard-wearing Tejas Tote. And in case you were wondering about the picturesque landscape that’s incorporated into the hat, it's inspired by Crockett’s nickname ‘the paradise in the pines’, as well as Hickory Creek, the aptly-titled river that runs through the town.
Staying on the Americana theme, this season we’re proud to present our own version of the classic canvas hunting jacket. Paying homage to the functional jackets worn by duck hunters in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Hunter Jacket is a super-versatile piece of kit that combines rugged fabric with luxurious details (like that cord collar) to make a seriously sharp jacket that’ll get a lot of wear.
As for pants, we’ve got two new shapes that have already proved to be really popular. The A Pants are no-nonsense straight-legged chinos constructed out of a heavyweight poly/cotton canvas. Shape-wise, they’re not a million miles off our Big Job painter pants, but with those welted rear pockets they’re a touch more stripped-back for those who want a cleaner silhouette.
The K Pants are another fresh design. We originally made these at the request of our Korean customers, but they turned out so well we thought it’d be a shame not to let everyone else get ‘em. These are a loose military fatigue pant, with a wider hem and a slightly shorter leg than our regular OG Fatigues, crafted from contrasting panels of canvas and sateen for that time honoured army surplus flavour.
Bedford cord has also been added to the proceedings, a new one to our roster of tough fabrics, but one that’s been around for a good while. A tried-and-tested (but slightly overlooked) workwear fabric, Bedford cord is a dense, tightly woven ridged cotton that sits somewhere between corduroy and ripstop. Long a favourite with carpenters thanks to its reliable nature, we’ve used it on our Wide Five jeans, Big Job painter pants, Coverall, CPO Shirt and Popover Shirt.
On the other end of the spectrum, there’s our Leopard Camo. Whilst going through stacks of deadstock fabric at our Crockett factory, we found a stash of leopard-print canvas that hadn’t been seen for decades. Sadly there wasn’t enough to do much with it, but the pattern was too good to leave in the archives, so we’ve reprinted it right across the board, from our canvas Big Job Pants and Quilted Liner to our thick pile Fleece Jacket and Coverall.
And because winter gets cold, even in Texas, we’ve brought back our fan favourite Down Jacket—now available in a particularly potent colour block flavour. Imagine a four-wheel-drive version of one of those old multi-colour VW Polo Harlequins, skidding up an icy mountain pass with chains on its tyres, and you’re on the right trail. For those who like their outerwear a bit lighter, we’ve also made the Ultralight Parka—a lightweight winter jacket that doesn’t skimp on warmth.
The Quilted Plaid Overshirt is another true winter warmer. Sort of like a premium version of those ever-present insulated shirts loved by Texas construction workers, it’s a toasty overshirt with two big chest pockets, two sneaky handwarmer pockets and a low-profile quilted-lining. And just in case you get lost, there’s a printed map of our hometown inside. Throw it over a hoodie, pour some coffee into a Thermos and that early morning winter chill won’t feel so bad.
There’s probably another 100 things we could say about all the collection, but to keep things succinct, we’ll try and wrap this up. Tough, reliable and wearable, with just the right amount of Tejas flavour, it’s Americana that works on any continent—you don’t have to be Roy Rogers to appreciate it.
