European Hunting Clothing

I’m looking to tap into the knowledge of our European & European-experienced members regarding the more traditional side of the European hunting wardrobe. I have an appreciation and interest in the history and culture of hunting on that continent, and while I’m proud of my American roots, I find myself increasingly enjoying the experience of hunting with my older rifles. With that, I’d love any and all advice on traditional European hunting wardrobe staples to add to my closet. With things like Tyrolean hats, the last bite, and the overall general "classiness" of European hunting shops being just a few of the unique aspects, I'm sure there is much more that goes into the tradition than I'm aware of from just watching and reading on here.
My goal is to purchase a general outfit that is versatile enough for European and American hunting, whether I’m hunting alpine chamois rocky mountain elk, or eastern whitetails. I’m curious if those of you who hunt in Europe still rely on these traditional staples for their actual performance, or if the culture has shifted entirely toward modern technical gear? I’m aiming for a kit that draws on the heritage but remains practical, so I’d love to hear your recommendations for materials, colors, clothing items, and brands that are suited to the average hunter, rather than those needing to make a statement with their clothing choice. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Well i guess the question are youbwanting more english or continental style to start off a direction?

If you like the english country look. Id start with some wellingtons. In green. Top of the price range would be lechemu. But lacroix and argile are also good.

For breeks (the knee length pants) alaine pain or house of braur are good starts.
A good flat cap.

For hunting shirts i hit up goodwill for dress shirts in natural tones. As there $4 so if they gst torn up its not a loss. And i treat with pyrethrum for bugs.

farmer_john said:

Well i guess the question are youbwanting more english or continental style to start off a direction?

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That’s a great question, I suppose continental. Though I’ve got family in the UK, the Alpine hunting region is closest to what I hunt in the states.

Coues106 said:

That’s a great question, I suppose continental. Though I’ve got family in the UK, the Alpine hunting region is closest to what I hunt in the states.

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More a british style. And you can still wear a tyrolean hat. My dad does.



I think the contenental/german variety is similar but you have different cut of jacket loden green vs plaid ect.

But im looking forward to learning from those knowledgable souls here. And for good links to stuff i might want/need

There are quite a few: Harkila, Deerhunter, Laksen, Jumfil, just to name a few. All are very pricey.

Well I’ve only hunted in Spain so far but have visited several hunting gear stores in Spain, Germany and Austria such as Frankonia. The brands you see are Harkila, Blaser, Merkel etc and they look very much like many American brands of hunting clothing. Maybe not as much camo as a full outfit of Kuiu or Sitka, they tend more towards solid color clothing in earth tone colors.

Reality is most folks in europe dont do trad hubting attire. So your prolly going to have to make your own style

There has never been a single, uniform style of hunting clothes in Europe; hunting clothing has always been as diverse as the cultures themselves. However, two styles have consistently predominated: the British style and the style associated with German speaking regions and their neighbors, which is perhaps the most common hunting clothing across the continent. Both styles are likely familiar; the British one certainly is, while the German style draws primarily on traditional regional clothes from the past. Many other regions such as Scandinavia, Spain, and far Eastern Europe developed their own distinct styles, often dictated by the climate. In some places, there was no established tradition regarding hunting clothes for a long time, as in France for example where hunting was a highly democratic activity and where individuals hunter simply wore whatever they liked, though the results were not always aesthetically pleasing. Things have changed since then in France, and those wishing to dress more stylishly tend to opt for the British look. Nowadays, however, there is a trend toward uniformity across all European countries, with local traditions exerting always less an influence.

If you are a foreigner looking to acquire somewhat more traditional hunting wardrobe for use in Europe, I would recommend the British style. This style of dress is well-received in every European country where hunting takes place. Of course, the clothing needs to be adapted to local conditions, specifically the terrain and the climate. There are certainly differences depending on whether you are hunting Roe deers near Paris, participating in a driven wild boar hunt in Central Europe in the wintertime, or hunting chamois in the high mountains.

wesheltonj said:

There are quite a few: Harkila, Deerhunter, Laksen, Jumfil, just to name a few. All are very pricey.

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Correct, those are the more established brands. If you want to do high culture German style the top brands are way above that like Franken & Cie and Hapsburg for example.

But it really depends on who you are hunting with, what type of hunt your are in. I like the more casual hunt, no fashion. But to each his own, If you want to cosplay as European nobility go for it Franz

Since you are coming over here anyway, I'd suggest that you spend a few hours in Frankonia Bexbach (the closest one to Ramstein) and Living Active.

If you want proper wool elf suit trachten hunting clothing, and both will have a small amount you could find it there. But you are better off going to the super Frankonia in Wurzburg, as they have more of that thing.

European clothing can have a strange "fit". Like a cheap motel, there is generally not any ball room.
They are way more fitted than we are used to, and the have a very low waist line. Enhancing plumber butt. If you are 5'10 and 170 pounds you are set. There are some big guy and small king sizes, but it's harder to find. I don't ever buy the pants, but I buy the jackets.

Rascher and Carinthia are non-plus-ultra wool trachten brands that is still actually hunting clothing and not high street 3000 Euros vest for people built and financed like Franz Albrecht.

You can buy both of them through Frankonia, but the local Bexbach shop is pretty small on inventory as very few Germans are wearing wool hunting clothing.

The Frankonia in Stuttgart has more, and there is a real Trachten shop next to it. But nothing like going to the actual company store.

https://www.frankonia.de/p/carinthi...176?sortOption=price_desc&navCategoryId=63076


The other non-wool brands that are similar to Sitka, Kuiu and that lot are Harkila, Swedteam, HART, and Merkel. There are quite a few others Deerhunter, Pinewood, Fjallraven, and others.

Then there are the companies that cater to the want-to-be British countryside clothing scene. Those are Chevalier, Schoffel, Alain Paine, and Barbour. Frankonia has all of those s well.

Traditional German hunting clothes, characterized above all by dark green garments made of loden and suede, is increasingly disappearing in our countries.

Dovrefjell ( cheap but very good and cater to many sizes ) , Norrøna , Bergans , Norteam ( Swedteam )

Coues106 said:

I’m looking to tap into the knowledge of our European & European-experienced members regarding the more traditional side of the European hunting wardrobe.

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That is a very broad topic. There are plenty of regional and local variations. No two hunts are the same.

If you receive an invitation from the Royal Family, to one of the official hunts, this is what you have to live up to:

When I lived and hunted in Germany in the late seventies, traditional loden and leather hunting attire were were very much the norm. I still have a Loden cloak from those days that is still a lifesaver on a cold morning in a deer blind. Also, a set of lederstiefelhosen (leather boot pants made in Austria out of red stag hide) always accompany me to hunt in Europe. Sadly - or perhaps not, modern high tech material has largely taken over in Central Europe - to include camo. I have never ever seen the English style of tweed, baggy breeks, and tassels anywhere on the Continent

I do prefer the cut and styling of much of the modern selection to most American options. For instance, I am not at all a fan of Kuiu. New Forest out of the UK has an excellent selection and is more affordable than Harkila, which is considered top of the line by most. https://www.newforestclothing.com/collections/mens https://harkila.com/de-de

You can find some very good deals on Harkila products on eBay.

Bit of an international mix in Austria: Jacket by Harkila (Finland), trousers by New Forest (UK), microfleece by Swedeteam (Sweden), boots by Meindl (Germany), and hat by Duck Camp (US - probably China).


And in Hungary - same jacket, trousers, and microfleece, but Dubarry boots (Ireland) that I find infinitely more comfortable than rubber boots, and some ersatz cap.

Thanks for everyone’s reply, I really appreciate it and will get to reading!

In late 90s HJK/ FSK in Norway had a competition to test new uniforms.

(Army Paratrooper Command / Defense Specialforces Command).


They wrote about test in some hunt and outdoor magazines , the tested everything. 1 full year of field days .

Civillian clothes , millitary ones . The winner was a Goretex outfit . The jacket had a poacher pocket with zipper on the back .

Winner of that was a little firm called Swedteam . They was very small then , so it was all sewing machines on deck when article came out .

I have early memories from the late 60s, and clearly remember the 1970s bird hunters and northern deer hunting camps hunters wearing European style hats, boots and clothing. Primarily hats and boot styles from Germany and Northern Europe.

Back then it was the immigrants and their children still sporting those classic styles . They are either long gone or no longer hunt.

Muskox said:

. . . European clothing can have a strange "fit". Like a cheap motel, there is generally not any ball room.
They are way more fitted than we are used to, and the have a very low waist line. Enhancing plumber butt. . .

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You got right!