The Glorious 12th: What to Wear for the Shooting Season
Whether you're prepared or not, the 12th August arrives on schedule and those who shoot seriously tend to be ready well before it does. Jackets back from the tailor, breeks located, stockings and garters accounted for.
The Glorious 12th is not an occasion that rewards improvisation - what you wear on a driven day communicates more than most people outside of this world would suppose. It signals that you understand the occasion, that you have done this before, that you respect the host and the shoot.
This guide covers what a correct head-to-toe field shooting outfit looks like heading into the 2026/27 season.
The Season: Dates and Context
The red grouse season starts on 12th August, a day established by the Game Act of 1831 – the Act that also prohibited shooting on Sundays and Christmas Day. If 12th August falls on a Sunday, the season begins on a Monday in England.
Here are the dates that define the shooting year:
- Red grouse: 12th August to 10th December
- Common snipe: 12th August to 31st Januar
- Partridge: 1st September to 1st February
- Pheasant: 1st October to 1st February
- Woodcock: 1st October to 31st January (England); 1st September to 31st January (Scotland)
Dates shown apply to England unless otherwise stated; seasons vary slightly across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Driven grouse occurs on managed highland moorlands in areas such as Yorkshire, the North Pennines, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perthshire. The pheasant and partridge seasons occur later in autumn and winter across lowland and mixed estate properties. The terrain, weather and formality can differ greatly depending upon the location. Regardless of where you are shooting, there is always an expectation that you will arrive appropriately attired.
The Outer Layer: Jacket
The jacket is the most technically demanding item in your outfit. It must allow a smooth gun mount without limiting shoulder movement, withstand various types of weather throughout the day, remain quiet so that you do not disturb your quarry, carry ammunition without noise, and hold additional layers beneath it without bunching. The features that matter are specific: raglan or bi-swing action back; bellows cartridge pockets with retainer tabs; storm cuffs and collar; game pocket. To be considered seriously for a long day in the field, any waterproofed jacket must have a rating of at least 10,000mm with taped seams.
The central decision is whether you choose tweed or a technical construction. Technical jackets made using GORE-TEX or other membrane designs are lightweight, reliably waterproof and easy to pack. While tweed is not waterproof, it allows for excellent breathability, is silent, is resistant to light rain as the fibres swell, and is correct on all formal driven days. Many serious shots own both.
Waxed cotton offers a middle ground. Highly water-resistant, very durable and silent, however waxed cotton can be heavy and has low breathability. A good coat for a static driven day; less suitable for a warm August walk-up.
Browse men's shooting jackets and field coats at Brocklehursts.
Mid Layer: Waistcoat, Breeks and Base Layer
A shooting waistcoat worn underneath your jacket provides cartridge storage and removes sleeve restriction, allowing for the cleanest gun mount possible. Indicators of quality include: recoil pad made of leather or Alcantara rather than thin synthetic; deep bellows cartridge pockets; silent wool or cotton outer.
Base layers should be merino wool. Cotton retains moisture and becomes ineffective at insulating once wet. Synthetics manage moisture well but lack the thermal regulating qualities that make merino effective across a wide range of field conditions. Weight depends on the day: 150 to 175gsm for August grouse; 200 to 250gsm for most driven days; 300gsm or more for late-season cold.
Below the knee on a formal driven day, breeks or plus-twos or plus-fours with shooting stockings and garters are standard. Breeks reach just below the knee; plus-twos add a couple of inches to tuck over the top of the stocking, while plus-fours add four inches for a fuller, more traditional drape. Plus-fours are a popular choice for made-to-measure customers looking for a classic country suit silhouette. Just as with the jacket, fabric follows the same logic: tweed for formal driven days; technical blends for rough shooting where waterproofing is the priority. Shooting stockings should be knee-high with approximately 90 per cent merino content and nylon-reinforced at heel and toe.
For more on the differences between breeks and plus-twos, see our guide to breeks, plus-twos and plus-fours.
Browse men's plus-twos and breeks at Brocklehursts.
Shirt, Boots and the Details
A cotton tattersall check shirt is the standard. Cut it generously to accommodate full shoulder movement under multiple layers with muted greens and browns in colour. A wool or knitted tie is the traditional choice, though silk has become increasingly common and is now widely worn in the field.
A lace-up leather country boot, eight to ten inches tall, with a waterproof membrane and Vibram outsole, provides ankle support and grip that a wellie cannot match over a long walked-up day. Wellies are suitable for static driven days on wet ground. Le Chameau and Aigle are the standard references in the wellie category.
A tweed flat cap in DWR-treated wool, fitted rather than elasticated, is correct on any driven day. Y-back, button-on braces are considered more correct and functional with breeks than a clip-on belt.
Browse men's country boots at Brocklehursts, including Le Chameau and Aigle wellies.
Which Tweed?
- Harris Tweed is 100 per cent pure new wool, handwoven in the Outer Hebrides and protected by the Harris Tweed Act 1993, running 15oz to 21oz with a rugged open weave.
- Shetland tweeds are lighter and softer at 12oz to 16oz.
- Sporting and thornproof tweeds, such as Porter and Harding Hartwist or the Lovat Mill Ettrick, are dense twisted-yarn constructions built specifically for shooting suits and breeks.
- Mills producing these fabrics include Lovat Mill in Hawick, which celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2026, Abraham Moon in Guiseley, Glenlyon Tweed Mill in Perthshire and Knockando Woolmill on Speyside.
Colour and Pattern
Moorland colours (heathers, greens, browns, bracken) for upland shooting; woodland greens and olive for pheasant cover. Estate tweeds, custom patterns created for specific shoots and worn by owners, keepers and stalkers, are not commercially available. They are commissioned from specialist mills at minimum bolt quantities and worn as an expression of belonging to a particular piece of land.
The Case for Made to Measure
Off-the-peg shooting jackets are cut to standard blocks. The consequences of a block that does not match your build are specific and relevant to shooting: shoulder seams incorrectly positioned change mount height; sleeves without adequate action back restrict swing on a crossing bird. Made to measure allows a base pattern to be adjusted to your individual measurements and builds in shooting-specific features from the start: action back depth, pocket placement relative to the cartridge hand, storm collar construction.
Made to measure also provides access to the full range of sporting tweeds from British mills rather than whatever the manufacturer selected for the off-the-peg run. A correctly made tweed shooting jacket in quality cloth, properly maintained, will last 20 to 30 years.
Multi-generation use is commonplace. Care is straightforward: hang on a wide wooden hanger after use, brush mud off in the direction of the nap, air thoroughly, dry-clean sparingly, store in a breathable bag with cedar or lavender.
Brocklehursts' made-to-measure tailoring service is based at the Sporting Showroom in Bakewell. Fabrics available include the Ettrick, Kirkton and Teviot tweeds, all woven in British mills. Typical lead time is 6 to 8 weeks.
Find out more about estate tailoring at Brocklehursts.
The Most Common Mistakes
- Buying a jacket that fits well in the shop but restricts the mount.
- Choosing waxed cotton for a long walked-up day.
- Ignoring seam taping on a waterproof jacket.
- Cotton base layers.
- Bright colours or white shirts in the field.
- Wellies for a day that involves serious walking.
None of these are catastrophic. All of them are noticed by anyone who has been shooting for more than a season.
Browse the full shooting clothing range at Brocklehursts.
