Nautical fashion: classic brands every yacht owner should know

What to wear, or rather what not to wear, when yachting can be as tricky to navigate as the oceans themselves. When in doubt, finding a few wardrobe staples from iconic yachting brands that cater for avid sailors as much as yachtie sunbathers will have you casting off into fair winds and following seas faster than you can give your landlubber suitcase the old heave-ho! 

Its cachet comes from being an authentic and practical workwear brand, largely thanks to its founder, captain Helly Juell Hansen, who began to produce his own oilskin jackets, trousers and sou’wester hats to keep warm and dry on the Norwegian Sea. A stint in the 90s saw the brand temporarily gain popularity as streetwear, but today, the HH logo is largely observed at sea (or on the slopes) and gives sailing professionals and amateurs alike the chance to battle the harshest and most unpredictable of elements in comfort and style. 

His frustration with the GB team’s apparel (Guernsey sweaters and flannel trousers) drove him to design a range of fashionable, practical and comfortable clothing for all sailors, and Musto was born. Together with W. L. Gore, he later developed a technical fabric that was both breathable and waterproof, which they named Gore-Tex, and which remains the gold standard for waterproof clothing technologies to this day. 

The popular footwear was invented in 1935 by American sailor Paul Sperry, who noticed his dog's ability to run easily over ice without slipping. He cut siping (thin slits) into the rubber soles of his shoes to improve traction in wet or icy conditions, and a product perfect for boating was born. When he was inundated by requests from fellow sailors, including every single member of the Cruising Club of America, he founded his eponymous company, Sperry Top-Sider. 

It was the first range of clothing to be fitted with a durable tape to create waterproof seams and remains a replicated benchmark to this day. Henri-Lloyd also pioneered the use of Velcro on clothing, the first non-corrosive zip, and integrated harnesses and buoyancy within jackets. Global ambassadors, from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Dennis Connor to Sir Ben Ainslie have worn the brand like a badge of honour, not to mention every self-respecting fashionista. 

In the 1990s, the performance footwear brand obtained a Gore-Tex licence and launched the world’s first ever waterproof and breathable leather sailing boot called Shamrock. Now revered as a universal country clothing brand, it remains a strong staple on the sailing scene. 

Today, the brand’s vision focuses on spotlighting change makers, and in 2020 it launched its Sustainably Crafted, collection of environmentally conscious styles designed with a bluer world in mind. 

To find out more about Burgess’ yachts for sale and yachts for charter, please contact a Burgess broker. Alternatively, get in touch with one of our offices directly: London, Monaco, New York, Miami, Singapore or all other locations.

- Yachts, prices and availability are correct at the time of publication.