The British outdoor is not a single climate. It's a dozen climates compressed into a single afternoon — a warm October morning that turns into a cold November wind by lunchtime; a spring hillwalk where you start in sunshine and end in a horizontal drizzle. Dressing for it with a single heavy coat has never worked, and it never will.

The answer is layering — and not the vague, wear-more-clothes kind of layering. A genuine system: three distinct layers, each with a specific job, each chosen to work both independently and together. Get it right and you'll be comfortable in conditions that other people are retreating from. Get it wrong and you'll be too hot, too cold, or too wet before you've reached the first gate.

This guide covers everything: how the three-layer system works, what each layer should do, how to adapt it season by season, and which pieces from the Ghillie range fit where. Whether you're a hillwalker, a river fisherman, a stalker, or simply someone who spends time outdoors and wants to dress well doing it — this is the only layering guide you'll need.

Deep Dive

Why the Mid Layer Is the Most Important Decision

Flannel shirts as mid layers

A quality brushed cotton flannel shirt is one of the most versatile mid layers ever made. Worn over a base layer, it provides genuine warmth without the synthetic feel of a fleece — and it transitions from outdoor use to a pub or restaurant without requiring a change of clothes. The Ghillie Brae and Munro Flannel Shirts are cut specifically for layering: a regular fit that sits cleanly under a gilet or jacket without bunching, with hidden button-down collars that hold their shape when covered by an outer layer.

The Brae comes in four colourways — Marine, Offshore, Raven, and Rifle — each a classic check design with practical details built in: a sunglass holder on the left chest pocket, and a microfibre lens cloth sewn discreetly under the hem. The Munro takes a cleaner, more minimalist approach — available in Rifle Green and Seastorm — with contrast drill-cotton detailing and deep pleated chest pockets. Both are £96 and carry an automatic 20% discount when you buy two or more.

Wool gilets as mid layers

A gilet adds core warmth without restricting arm movement — which makes it particularly valuable for active pursuits like fishing, stalking, or hillwalking, where your arms need to move freely but your torso needs insulation. The Torr Wool Gilet was built specifically for this role. Two years in development, it uses our own Tech Wool fabric — 60% wool for natural warmth and breathability, blended with polyester, acrylic, polyamide, and viscose for durability and shape retention.

Three YKK Vislon zip pockets, a contrast brushed-cotton inner neck, and custom logo zip pulls. In Peat — a deep, neutral earthy tone that sits well against almost every other colour in the outdoor palette. At £185, it's a considered investment in a piece built to last.

Combining a flannel and a gilet

The flannel-plus-gilet combination is the core of the Ghillie layering system — and the reason the two product families were designed to work together. The flannel provides warmth, breathability, and a finished look at the collar and cuffs; the gilet adds focused core insulation and storage without restricting movement. In mild conditions you might wear just the flannel; as temperatures drop, add the gilet; on the coldest days, add the Corrie Down Jacket over the top. That's a complete, genuinely versatile outdoor system from a handful of pieces.