Outdoor fashion on display at Friedrichshafen. Wainwright was a fan of capes

In the oft-repeated words of John McEnroe: “You cannot be serious!”

There are phrases so oxymoronic or contradictory one never expects to see them on the page or screen: bankers’ generosity; Mandelson’s humility; Wainwright chic. Wainwright what?

In the most unlikely fashion move imaginable, there is, believe it or not, a hot new trend described by The Independent on Sunday as a ‘mash-up of Compo from Last of the Summer Wine and Kate Moss’. It is, according to writer Andrew Johnson, the next big thing.

Alfred Wainwright: a spectre from a midden

We are talking here about the man whose fashion sense was as far removed from the catwalks of Milan as it is possible to get without resorting to interplanetary travel.  Alfred Wainwright was many things to many people: talented artist; opinionated author; notoriously anti-social fellwalker. But, fashion guru?

If we are to believe writers such as Mr Johnson or his counterpart ‘Daily Mail Reporter’, a byline usually denoting freelance or press-release provenance, we are set to witness a sartorial explosion of Alfred lookalikes on our high streets in the coming months.

Paul Baldwin, director of menswear buying at Debenhams, told the Daily Mail: “We’re calling it Wainwright chic.

“Men and women have fallen in love with the rugged outdoor image the hillclimbing clothing style portrays, and want to wear it every day.

“At one time, these specialist clothes would have been bought only by long-distance hillwalkers and mountaineers.

“Now, however, you’re more likely to see them worn on the streets of Kensington and Chelsea than Scafell or Grisedale Pike.”

Fashion from Debenhams' new collection

Debenhams, the main beneficiary of the PR puffery, might like to take a look at some images of Wainwright before pushing the idea too hard. As the Mail points out, he was wont to take to the fells ‘walking in a belted coat worn over a woollen jumper, trousers with braces, woollen socks and functional boots, topped with a flat cap’. And then, there’s the pipe, of course.

Here’s one of the author’s gems, written on his 1938 A Pennine Journey: “I take a light raincoat or a cape, always; but never a change of clothes, nor an extra shirt, nor pyjamas.

“The clothes I wear when I set off must suffice: if they get wet, it is unfortunate for walking in wet raiment is unpleasant, but they have never failed to get dry, afterwards.”

By the end of the walk, his clothes ‘were unkempt and dirty and my shoes, with heels gone and soles barely holding on, were so fast falling to pieces that I had to slide my feet as I walked lest they fall completely asunder’. He was, he said: ‘a spectre from a midden’.

Some fashion icon!

Compare this with the view of Robert Johnston, associate editor of magazine GQ, who told The Independent on Sunday:  “For autumn-winter next season it’s going to be hiking boots and chunky knits and plaid shirts. It’s sexy and it’s masculine, and as well as protecting us from the weather it gives a sense of comfort in the economic climate – we’re dreaming of the great outdoors.”

One wonders if the townsfolk of 1938 Settle, witnessing the unkempt, unshaven Wainwright sliding his feet along their cobbles, would have perceived him as sexy and masculine.

Be that as it may, it seems the trend is upon us for this winter. Flat caps sales have risen 180 per cent in recent months and sales of walking trousers went up 148 per cent.

Actor Nik Wood-Jones recreates the Wainwright look in 2007

Of course, the aping of mountain chic is nothing new in the urban population. Certain well known brands of technical clothing have become so synonymous with chav fashion over the last few years that genuine hillwalkers and mountaineers have had to think twice before buying them, lest they give off the wrong impression on the walk to the pub.

The trend generally towards adopting an outdoors image was acknowledged by David Udberg, president or the European Outdoor Group at the opening of the Gore-Tex fest that is the OutDoor trade fair in Friedrichshafen. He said: “We are increasingly seeing societies reacting against the type of passive lifestyles that are leading to young people being overweight and unhealthy.

“Increasingly we see movement to promote a more active lifestyle for young people and outdoors is probably the finest way to achieve this. I believe this trend augers well for our industry for the future.

“Let´s be clear: outdoor products are great products to be associated with and outdoor activities are something to encourage. We see increasing evidence that our kids are starting to adopt this.”

Walking socks on display at OutDoors: sales are on the rise

Oddly enough, there could be a switch going on, with the fashionistas of the Metropolis adopting mountaineering garb while hillgoers pull on less suitable clothing for their trips on to the fells. BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme reported that 40 per cent of mountain rescues in the Lake District could be avoided by walkers using the correct clothing.

Richard Warren: rescues up 20 per cent

Richard Warren, chair of the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association told the programme he had witnessed January fellwalkers having to slide down mountains on their bottoms because they didn’t have adequate boots and crampons, though he hadn’t actually witnessed walkers in flip-flops on the fells.

Rescues are up 20 per cent and the wearing of trainers rather than appropriate footwear is responsible for many of the leg and foot injuries the area’s 12 teams have to deal with.

But it’s clear fashion designers have an outmoded idea of what most of us actually do wear on the hills. A few diehards may stick to their plaid shirts and corduroy breeches, but for most, the comfort of breathable fabrics and wicking base layers wins out over the clammy delights of thick woollies and Bri-Nylon underwear. And flip-flops are probably best avoided on Sharp Edge.

However, as the irascible Mr Wainwright, who died in 1991 at the age of 84, wrote: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”