Menswear
Outdoor British-Made Men's Gilets, Vests and Body Warmers — Voted by the Community
This directory lists 9 brands that make outdoor men's gilets in the UK. They are most often based in West Yorkshire. Prices run from affordable to luxury. Ranked by community upvotes.
Fortis
Fortis is a British outdoor clothing manufacturer founded in 1997, evolving from farm diversification to producing durable, sustainable garments with military-grade fabrics.
- Casual
- Classic
- Country
Factory shop- Casual
- Classic
- Country
Oxford Blue Ltd
Oxford Blue is a leading British leisure brand since 1968, specialising in high-quality lifestyle and country clothing with innovative Classical Wax designs.
See these brands on the map12 places from 8 brands, 4 of them shops you can visit.Open the map
HebTroCo
HebTroCo is a British clothing brand founded in 2015 in Hebden Bridge, known for supporting small UK manufacturers by producing durable garments made exclusively in Britain.
- Casual
- Heritage
- Outdoor
Shop to visit- Casual
- Heritage
- Outdoor
McNair Shirts
McNair Shirts, founded in 2016, crafts British-made merino wool shirts combining traditional craftsmanship with innovative performance for outdoor enthusiasts.
- Heritage
- Hiking
- Outdoor
Factory shop- Heritage
- Hiking
- Outdoor
Lavenham Jackets
Quilted jackets and outerwear handmade in Suffolk, England, blending heritage craftsmanship with modern design.
- Classic
- Heritage
- Outdoor
- Classic
- Heritage
- Outdoor
Owen Barry
Owen Barry is a British brand handcrafting sheepskin and leather products in Somerset since 1948, continuing a family tradition across four generations.
- Classic
- Heritage
- Outdoor
- Classic
- Heritage
- Outdoor
Maude & Fox
Maude & Fox is a British brand established in 2012, known for reinventing traditional British tweed with classic designs and a contemporary edge.
- Contemporary
- Country
- Outdoor
- Contemporary
- Country
- Outdoor
- Lockwood Smocks
Lockwood Smocks
Lockwood Smocks crafts premium British smocks and outerwear built for life, not just a season.
- Outdoor
- Outdoor
- Wildish
Wildish
Wildish, an independent English brand launched in 2019, crafts bags and organic clothing.
- Outdoor
Shop to visit- Outdoor
Shops run by brands that make outdoor men's gilets
4 of the 9 brands that make outdoor men's gilets have a shop you can visit in Axminster, Hebden Bridge, Pateley Bridge and 1 other town.
Axminster
Fortisfactory shop
Hebden Bridge
Pateley Bridge
Slaithwaite
McNair Shirtsfactory shop
This independent directory lists UK-made clothing brands, and marks those that make only some items here.Why choose British-made?
A Brief History of British Made Gilets & Vests
The words “gilet” and “vest” both describe sleeveless upper-body garments, but they have different histories. “Gilet” is French for waistcoat, and dictionaries trace it through Spanish to the Turkish word yelek. In Britain today a gilet usually means a sleeveless jacket that closes at the neck, often padded for warmth. “Vest” has a British story of its own. In October 1666 King Charles II introduced a new fashion at court, which the diarist Samuel Pepys recorded as “a vest”. This long garment, worn under an open coat, developed into the waistcoat, a lasting part of men’s tailored dress. In British English “vest” now usually means a close-fitting undershirt, while in American English it still means a waistcoat. In modern menswear, gilets and vests are worn for practical layering in cooler weather and as part of casual, country and smart-casual dress, keeping the body warm while leaving the arms free. British makers draw on both tailoring and outdoor wear, using good cloth and careful construction to make garments that balance warmth, freedom of movement and everyday use.