No Map, No Compass by howies®

Autumn 2010

howies

速

No map, no compass

Are we there yet? When I think about my time at howies, I keep coming back to this silly little analogy of being on a mad journey. A wild ride, in a car full of talented people, with a couple of expert navigators who aren’t afraid to go off-road, sharing the steering wheel. A journey of twists, turns, obstacles and diversions and a few bumps in the road here and there (not to mention one or two breakdowns), yet all with a definite destination in mind. But our navigators had no map or compass. All they had was their vision and instinct telling them which way to turn and how to get where we wanted to go. We’ve seen sights we would never have seen if we’d stuck to the defined route. We’ve met interesting people from off the beaten track and the fringes of town. If I’m honest, we probably took a few wrong turns along the way, but our drivers soon put us back on course. That’s what reverse gear is for, right? And that’s what’s made the whole thing so great. It wasn’t about the destination, it was about the journey itself. So with that in mind, this catalogue sees our surf team on a mission to Ireland in search of waves. And I guess the team’s journey West in that old Winnebago felt similar to mine. They didn’t really have a plan. They knew of an amazing place and knew that was where they wanted to go, but they didn’t necessarily know how to get there. They just followed their noses and made their own path. I hope you enjoy their ride. Pete Davies Co-pilot

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No map, no compass

Call 01239 614 122 or visit howies.co.uk

No map, no compass

There is a certain irony, and a certain reversed, flipped and twisted symmetry to what we were doing here. This Winnebago Brave, whose carbon guzzling heart and steel and chrome superstructure was wrought deep in the heartland of Industrial America, was, by way of Welsh lanes and Irish carriageways taking a crew of randomly-met souls to the far Western Frontier of the Old World. The Winnebago company was conceived in the American heartland of Iowa and it marketed motorhomes to the snow birds and the sun seekers that ranged the American continent back in the boom time. The Winnebago people, meanwhile, were a tribe of people whose home ranged from the flatlands of Iowa north to the lakes of Wisconsin and west to the riverbanks of Nebraska.

The Brave, the Winnebago company’s 1973 entry level job was bedecked in the imagery of the Native Nations. Cherokee and Sioux, Apache and Iroquai. Entire cultures were crystallised in seventies Kitsch – encapsulated by a plate on a bulkhead, offset by Formica cladding and faux Pendleton print rugs. And, of course, there was always the humungous refrigerator burbling in the corner. We’d loaded the Brave with bikes, surfboards and that thing Americans call apparel full of the joys of the early summer. But it wasn’t long before the vagaries of retrospective motoring became apparent. You couldn’t help but love the way she looked – and the graceful bob and sway and bellow of the Chrysler engine was charming rather than vomit-inducing.

It didn’t seem to matter that the burble and brawn was at the cost of a certain efficiency of fuel consumption. Sometimes aesthetics overtakes ethics. If a thing is worth doing it is worth doing in style. And say what you like about the Brave but you had to admit it had style. Do the maths. We were six people travelling with bikes and surfboards. We’d tried to fit in the canoe but it had been impossible. A few hundred road miles under the wheels and not a jet engine in sight.

A Spontaneous Meander to the Far Western Frontier

You can bet that the emissions we produced would be a fraction of those belched out by twelve journeys motored by jet engines. In case we needed it, this was more than enough validation for the way of the Winnebago. And in that way, when Detroit harnessed the identity of the Native Nations, they were doing something honourable at heart. And so, we thought, were we. Michael Fordham Guest editor

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Quickly Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s barnet began to resemble the tough grasses of the Burren.

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No map, no compass

Easy crew neck t-shirt

Drifter jeans

Short sleeve, regular fit t-shirt in organic cotton. Crew neck, single chest pocket.

Loose fit, five-pocket jeans. Button waistband and fly, two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets, triple needle stitched on the inside leg.

Indigo | 30, 32, 34, 36 (short), 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 (regular), 30, 32, 34, 36 (long) | Machine wash inside out | Made in China | Price £75

Find your fit Baggy fit Loose fit Regular fit Slim fit Skinny fit

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Workee trousers Loose fit herringbone twill cargo trousers. Jeans style front pockets and a cargo leg patch pocket. Features a French fly detail. Two rear pockets: a button down welt pocket and a large gathered detail patch pocket with button tape tab to secure. All our cotton legs are garment dyed, which gives a worn-in look. Beige (below), Charcoal (main picture) | 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 (regular), 30, 32, 34, 36 (long) | 7.3oz loose fit | 100% organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in China | Price ÂŁ80

Paul contemplates the egg-like rail of a rare, ancient and battered relic. The Harbour 19 model is an old campaigner, having been shaped by hand ten years ago in Seal Beach, California by a man who has been making boards in that same room since 1959. Surely she deserves a decent wax job. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just not dignified. 12

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Slacker trousers Baggy fit trousers with a button fly, angled belt loops, jeans style front pockets and two rear welt pockets with herringbone tape tabs that button down. Garment dyed for a worn-in look. Dark khaki | 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 (regular), 30, 32, 34, 36 (long) | 100% organic cotton ripstop | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £85

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No map, no compass

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No map, no compass

PUDDLE PROOF CORDS Riding through puddles is fun.

It makes you feel like a kid again. It puts a smile on your face, but a wet patch on your bum. And, being a grown-up, you can’t go around with a wet patch on your bum (people will think you’ve had an accident) so we tend to avoid riding through them. Because of that, the inner-kid in us made us design these Epic cotton cords. They use the same great water-resistant treatment we use on our Epic jeans, which makes them a bit special. Epic cotton is a rainproof fabric that is unlike any other. Most water-resistant fabrics rely on coatings, laminates or Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatments to provide water protection.

These techniques involve dipping the whole woven fabric in a chemical bath to treat the surface, which often leaves them feeling a bit rigid and plasticy.

Whereas, with Epic each individual cotton fibre is treated with a silicone polymer. This makes the fabric highly waterresistant yet doesn’t compromise the feel. That magic coating won’t wash off either, in fact, you can bung them in your machine with your regular laundry, which is great when you consider that coatings such as DWR gradually wear off each time the garment is washed.

Epic Rider cords

Regular fit cord trousers made from water-resistant Epic cotton corduroy. J-shape pockets at front, button fly with French fly detail. Two rear pockets: one button secured welt pocket and one bellow patch pocket. Navy (below), Chocolate (main picture) | 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 (regular), 30, 32, 34, 36 (long) | 8.4oz regular fit | 100% Epic cotton | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £120

So next time you see a big old puddle you can just smile and ride on through kid.

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This time of year the surf is usually epic and the weather awful. Flip reverse. Nick contemplates the stillness.

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Cassius hoody

Cassius sweat

Our classic regular fit hoody made from heavy-weight brushed back cotton. Full zip, deep set hand pockets, ribbed cuffs and hem, natural rope-like draw cord. Stone washed for a vintage feel.

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WINNIE THE BRAVE

Ok, so our 1973 Winnebago Brave was beautiful. That pretty face! That beautifully chromed flank! That killer veneered interior panelling! The Red Indian kitsch on the walls alone was worth its substantial weight in unleaded fuel. But there were downsides. Sure, we weren’t clogging up the roads with a slow crawling, white plastic motor home and communing with the middle-of-the-road deep within us. We were barreling through the Irish lanes with the accompanying soundtrack of a 5.9litre Chrysler V8 and feeling like things were just as they should have been. What was missing though, were the country and western soundtrack (the radio hasn’t worked since Woody Guthrie popped his clogs) and a sense of security and wellbeing. The steering ratio on the Winnie was scarily slack, the column wobbling alarmingly over every pothole from Pembroke to Oughtdarra. What was worse was that the drum brakes’ slow compliance meant you had to drive like a track cyclist on a busy city street, anticipating junctions, tight bends and the erratic nature of Irish drivers’ lane selection. But wasn’t that part of the charm? Who wants a vehicle dreamt up in a corporate focus group, designed to within an inch of its life by marketeers? The huge American engine, which was located just under the driver’s right elbow, belched out a steady stream of noxious fumes and enough decibels to drown out the sound of the over-priced Euros disappearing down the drain with every kilometre. The engine note, meanwhile, was something approaching that of a dragster, and the leaf sprung ride was vomit inducing. The Texas-scaled refrigerator didn’t work and we had to fill the radiator with Radweld after the first forty miles. Most scarily of all, the Winnie’s brakes failed almost completely after a late night wander on the Burren and we had been brought down to earth by the reality of immanent collision after contemplating the spin of the earth on the mystic limestone scar. But despite all of the above we loved our Winnebago. We think though, that she should be retired to grow old gracefully and used for spare accommodation in the back yard, perhaps giving her a run-out each summer when the roads are dry and the sun is out. You’re meant to enjoy the Winnie rather than simply drive it. And you can do that wherever she parks. She’s just so cool.

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WASHED IN SURF

For years we’ve searched for a way of offering different shades of our organic denim – our customers ask for lighter washes all the time (I guess there are only so many pairs of dark indigo jeans a wardrobe can take). The truth is, we always struggled to find a process that didn't involve silly stuff like chemicals, bleach or enzyme washes, or blasting them with sand to lighten the colour – as well as being harmful, these methods can often weaken the fabric. Though these maybe the industry standard way of doing things, it's just not our way of doing things.

Drover & Stoker jeans Five-pocket jeans, with a button waistband and fly, two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets, triple needle stitched on the inside leg. Drover is a regular fit and Stoker is a slim fit. Rock salt wash | 30, 32, 34, 36 (short), 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 (regular), 30, 32, 34, 36 (long) | 100% organic cotton | Machine wash inside out | Made in China | Price £85 The Drover and Stoker also come in our indigo rinse. See website for more information.

Then we discovered a new technique, involving nothing more than washing the denim in pure deep sea salt. During this process, seawater from a depth of around 350metres is pumped from Cape Muroto in Japan. From that fresh, bacteria-free water, the equally pure sea salt is extracted and used to wash the jeans. It's those coarse microscopic granules that perform the magic here, gently aggitating the fabric and slowly removing some of the indigo dye. This wash gives the denim a lighter colour and the jeans a softer, slightly worn feel, without affecting the strength of the fabric... Naturally. Now that's more like our way of doing things.

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Flynn shirt Long sleeve western style shirt in organic cotton brushed flannel. Regular fit, popper fastening at front, chest pockets and cuffs. Buttons on collar stand and cuff placket. Red (top), Green (bottom) | S, M, L, XL | 100% organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price £70

Four wheels, two wheels, fins. It doesn’t matter what the 28 vehicle is. It’s more fun when you’re the engine.

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No map, no compass

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No map, no compass

Go wandering on the Burren and you realise that the world turns to a different rhythm than your own. The Burren is a hundred and fifty square miles of Limestone upland that rises from the sea off West Clare in Ireland. Its craggy shards are riven with ancient fissures. The deep valleys that cut into its heights are edged by natural pavements and monolithic clints – island-like slabs of free standing stone in pools of hardy grasses. In the paths themselves still deeper grykes are etched, lending the rock its tortuously wrinkled surface. Limestone, you see, is the rock most susceptible to erosion. Over the aeons even the mildly acid tang of the Irish rain edges its substance away.

THE BURREN

Round Black Head in the North the Burren meets the full force of the Atlantic and the prevailing south westerlies into whose face the rock submerges. It’s like West of the Island itself is listing in the force of the elements. Gort Plain lies in the Burren’s lea to the East, while Doolin’s pulsating pubs and rocky righthanders define its southernmost border. From there it sinks to a bog deep as Ireland itself.

Travelling hotwires you to time. When all is movement you become aware of the fleeting nature of things.

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Whispered lore suggests that the Burren is a spaghetti junction of ley lines. But whether or not the limestone contains unseen, connective energies, when you wander here the sky itself seems to flatten and press even in the immaculate blue of occasional summer.

No map, no compass

When the clouds gather, which is most of the time, a tangible weight flattens the light. Sound is warped on the surface of the rocks and muffled by the grasses between clint and gryke. There is a strange, quiet magic to things.

Generations leave traces. The Burren’s human history is as long as civilisation itself. Man was driven here deep in the past for the shelter the rock afforded his family and flock. Evidence suggests, though, that it wasn’t only the saints and crazed hermits of the Christian era who found this place so special. There are ancient dolmens and cashels, tributary monoliths and places of devotion that can be dated back seven millennia. By what we call the Middle Ages the high central uplands of the Burren had been cleared of trees and the soil left free and open to the force of the wind. What remains is therefore a skeletal landscape of natural pavements that lead in concentric circles from nowhere to anywhere. Structures that sheltered Stone Age settlers are buried in the fissures where you’ll find tiny flowers in pockets of soil protected from the winds. The arcane herbage here gets contemporary botanists hot under the collar. Plants like mountain avens and spring gentian that originate in the arctic nestle cosily by the panoply of fern species whose ancestors were bred in the balmy Mediterranean. When the rain falls heavily water pushes up through the cracks in the rock to form temporary lakes that appear suddenly and drain away slowly to nothing. These Turloughs are garlanded with arrangements of fleeting petals that bloom and die with the pulse of water, wind and sun. The Burren is a unique, sensitive environment that shows the scars it has suffered. Human history and elemental power have taking their toll – but such is its power that it has managed to make a beautiful virtue out of its reality. It was here in this unique upland that we rested our heads and took stock of stuff. 33

Second skin V-neck Soft and comfy V-neck jumper. Beautiful fine gauge knit made from extra fine 21 micron Merino. Our Merino wool comes from the highest quality New Zealand Merino sheep and is ZqĂźe accredited. This is a howies classic, based on our bestselling crew neck from last year. Ebony (below), Oyster (main picture) | S, M, L, XL | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in China | Price ÂŁ105

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10 REASONS WHY THESE JEANS RULE I’ve been wearing the prototypes of these for the last four months and I can honestly, truthfully, cross-my-heart-and-hope-todie-stick-a-needle-in-my-eye say that they are my favourite pair of jeans that we have ever made.

1. The lighter weight selvedge denim hangs nicely (they’re not as stiff as other selvedge). 2. Because they are lighter in weight they don’t get all hot and sticky. 3. They are tough. Four months in and there’s not a wear spot in sight. 4. The cut is amazing, especially around the bum area – not too saggy.

Pete (Chief free jeans tester)

5. The denim colour is spot on. Not too dark, not too light. 6. If you roll them up you can show off that snazzy selvedge seam stitching.

Kaizen light jeans Regular fit, five-pocket jeans. Button waistband and fly, two front hand pockets, coin pocket with red selvedge detail and two rear patch pockets. Selvedge detail on centre back belt loop, triple needle stitched on the inside and outside leg. Cut to shrink slightly on wash, buy true to size.

7. The hem width is perfect and they sit well on skinny Vans as well as bulkier shoes. 8. The selvedge edge coin pocket detailing looks real cool. 9. I know they are going to age beautifully.

9. I didn’t have to pay for mine, 10. but I will be buying another pair for sure. Call 01239 614 122 or visit howies.co.uk

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Malony striped jumper

Malony plain jumper

Regular fit jumper in super soft striped lambswool with a crew neck and ribbed trim at cuff, hem and neck.

A regular fit crew neck jumper made from soft lambswool. Ribbed neck, cuff and hem.

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Moher reversible jacket Half-zip hooded over-the-head jacket. Reversible with showerproof Epic cotton on one side and brushed organic flannel on the other. Popper fastening chest pocket and welted hand pockets on Epic side, kangaroo patch pocket on check side. Ribbed cuffs, draw cord adjustable hood and hem with rope type cord. Sized for comfort and layering up. Olive | S, M, L, XL | Epic cotton & organic cotton | Machine wash inside out | Made in China | Price ÂŁ155

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NICK RAD FORD Music, surfing and art. These things are essentially intertwined. Think about it. Waves are ephemeral accumulations of energy. They don’t exist as objects. They form and quickly disappear, just like music. Surfers draw lines on waves that leave nothing but foam traces.

Kenny Burrell – imaginative improvisers who sculpt staccato lines around the melody. The surfers he has admired are similarly creative: think David Nuhiwwa’s offbeat flow, mad grace from the sixties – or Tyler Hatzikian’s craftsman dynamics in contemporary California.

Down the ages a debate has whispered away in the imaginative margins of surfing: what is it that surfers actually do? Are they sportsmen? Are they drop-out slackers who should know better than to dedicate their lives to this beautiful indulgence? Or are they actually performance artists whose canvas is the environment – trimming along ahead of the curl with a golden secret that the landlocked can never share?

Nick’s favourite artists – legendary American modernist Charlie Harper among them – have taken colour and natural objects and fused them in unexpected mediums and contexts, and our mate Geoff McFetridge has placed the surfboard in the realm of art with his amorphous juxtapositions and freakoid figures.

With Nick Radford these questions are easier to answer. He is all of the above.

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At times, it’s difficult to know where one world ends and one begins. His musical influences are Jazz guitarists such as Grant Green and No map, no compass

Stick all these forms of creativity in a pot, stir it with a healthy dose of calm poise and self deprecating humour – bake for a couple of months in an ex-council van by the side of an Atlantic point – and what you get is Nick Radford. One of the good souls. www.frootful.co.uk

Heslop jeans Skinny fit, five-pocket jeans. Button waistband and fly, two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets. Triple needle stitched on the inside leg. Indigo (left), Black (right) | 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 (regular), 30, 32, 34, 36 (long) | 99% organic cotton, 1% stretch denim | Machine wash inside out | Made in China | Price Indigo £75, Price Black £80

Respect the geeks. One day they will be in charge.

BEST JEANS EVER

We named these jeans after our friend Jon Heslop. He’s a web geek and typography nerd and, frankly, a bit odd (in a good way) and we absolutely love him. He likes iPads, iPods, iPhones and other things beginning with ‘i’. He eats those weird-tasting Pontefract cake/sweet things and uses phrases like “Rad”, “Best thing ever” and “OMG”. He always wears skinny fit jeans and nagged us to make some (I guess he likes the fact that they didn’t get caught up in his bike chain). So we designed these for him. They are an 11.5oz weight denim, with a bit of added stretch to make them more practical for biking. Rad (as Jon might say).

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WHAT IS A NATURAL BASE LAYER? A natural base layer is the first layer of clothing you put on when you are doing sport. It’s also known as a ‘next to skin’ layer – when you wear it you’ll realise how nice it feels next to your skin. Honest. And because it is made from 100% Merino wool it will regulate your body temperature, keeping you cool when you’re hot and warm when you’re cold.

It naturally wicks away sweat and on top of that, because it’s anti-bacterial, you can wear it over and over again and it won’t stink like a polyester baselayer. In fact, we’ve heard of people not having to wash them for up to five months. The great thing about natural base layers too is that they work brilliantly as part of a layering system. Wear our NBL Light or

howies operate under the Zqüe accreditation scheme. Farmers commit to protecting the biodiversity of their land, as well as guaranteeing the welfare of their animals. At howies we use only MAPP endorsed Merino for our technical products. This is a guarantee of source, process and functionality.

NBL Classic against your skin, then when it gets a bit chilly, add our Waffler mid-layer (which is a heavier weight). Or if it gets really chilly, add our Yurt fleece.

NBL light Cut to hug the body, perfect for high-intensity exercise. Subtle rib construction, tiny holes in the fabric means that it wicks away moisture, regulates temperature, stays odour free and doesn’t itch. Crew neck, contrast colour neck, cuff and sleeve panels. Our Merino wool comes from the highest quality New Zealand Merino sheep and is Zqüe accredited.

We think once you’ve put it on, you won’t want to take it off. Then again, you don’t have to very often.

Stones briefs

Regular fit boxer briefs with flatlocked seams make these suitable for all kinds of sports. Features a new waistband design where the elastic is encased in Merino fabric, which feels nice and smooth next to your skin and doesn’t itch. Red colourway comes in a ribbed fabric construction. Indigo, Cypress, Red | S, M, L, XL | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price regular £40, Price ribbed £45

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NBL classic

Waffler mid-layer

Our classic long sleeve base layer makes a long awaited return. Itchfree, odour resistant Merino wool, crew neck, fitted shape, longer length at the back for when you’re on your bike, double thickness at the cuffs, cyan blue howies embroidery above hem, cyan blue binding on inside the neck seam. The original ‘do it all’ howies base layer. Our Merino wool comes from the highest quality New Zealand Merino sheep and is Zqüe accredited.

Merino honeycomb construction, which has high breathability but keeps you warm. Wear over a base layer as a mid-layer when the weather is cold or as an autumnal top layer. Half-zip, thumb loops and slight drop tail, contrast collar lining. Our Merino wool comes from the highest quality New Zealand Merino sheep and is Zqüe accredited. Grey London (left), Cypress (below) | S, M, L, XL | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £110

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Yurt fleece Full-zip milled Merino fleece. Regular fit, zippered hand pockets, elasticated tape bound cuffs, raglan sleeves, metal zip sliders and pulls with chin guard at top of collar. Grey | S, M, L, XL | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £150

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It’s easy to think, when you gaze out into the wild Atlantic, that you are confronting a wilderness free from the processes, laws and weirdness of the modern world. At one level, of course, you are. No human hand or institution can properly tame the watery portion of the planet, which is of course the greatest in volume and area. But at another level, the apparently unruly ebb, flow and shudder of the seas is as much about us stand-up monkeys as the geophysics of the elements. Ever since the age of exploration when human empires scoured the edges of the known world to claim territory, plunder goods and subjugate peoples, we have imposed definitions, laws – not to mention the product of our own frailties – on the ocean. We have along the way changed the nature of the floating world.

PLASTIC BEACH 52

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We’ve spent the last couple of centuries imposing the laws of the landlocked highways on the oceans whilst at the same time throwing our crap over the sides of our boats – and all the while arguing over the spoils. Our beaches are strewn with the evidence of our carelessness – like the pristine hedges along the country lane besmirched by jettisoned cans of Red Bull and tubes of Pringles. Millions of tonnes of waste are thrown over the side of commercial shipping every year. International crews sail on ships under ‘flags of convenience’ under which no human rights, health and safety or environmental regulation are enforced. They are under no legal obligation to do anything other than chuck their rubbish, their waste, and the excess baggage over the side.

No map, no compass

But it’s not only irresponsible sailors who are causing the problem of this toxic jetsam. The cruise ship industry has been booming for the last twenty years. These floating cathedrals of consumption, carrying as many as 5000 people at a time, are adept at leaving a toxic trail of untreated sewage in their wakes. According to Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) who have called on the cruise industry to make the necessary investment to introduce onboard sewage treatment solutions, only a very few ships to date have made a commitment to do so. Loopholes in current legislation mean that sewage and other waste continues to be discharged to sea, even from ships sailing under the British flag. Coastal fauna is damaged and marine wildlife destroyed – and the unsuspecting recreational water user (that’s you and me) is put at risk. The seemingly unstoppable tide of plastic, which it has been estimated can stick around in the ocean for as much as 500 years, is increasing in volume every year. Some scientists have calculated that there can be no beaches left on the entire planet – even in the furthest flung islands of Polynesia, that aren’t strewn with plastic waste. Join the Surfers Against Sewage campaign to rage against the toxic tides: www.sas.org.uk

FOR GED BY THE ELEM ENTS 54

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The wind told us to insulate it with PrimaLoft Eco wadding. The rain told us to make the outer shell from Epic water-resistant cotton. The sun told us to give it a removable hood. The earth told us to build it to last. It’s as if Mother Nature designed it herself.* *She didn’t. Our Lisa designed it.

Doolin jacket Full zip jacket in shower proof Epic cotton. Warm PrimaLoft Eco wadding throughout jacket. Two tone detail contrast, navy yoke at chest, internal zip security pocket, popper fastened kangaroo type pockets, rib cuff detail, rope type draw cord at hood and hem. Detachable popper hood, draw cord adjustable hem with slight drop tail. Beige/navy | S, M, L, XL | Epic cotton | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £180 No map, no compass

Homerun jacket Zip up baseball jersey in brush-back cotton. Ribbed cuffs, hem and collar with stripe details, raglan sleeves and zippered hand pockets. Stone washed for a vintage feel. Indigo/burgundy | S, M, L, XL, XXL | 100% organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price ÂŁ95

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Jonesy striped polo Regular fit, short sleeved polo in organic cotton. Side splits at hem, button front placket. Indigo/off white (top), Burgundy/ grey (middle), Dark/light grey (bottom) | S, M, L, XL, XXL | 100% organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price ÂŁ45

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Crossing the sea to Aran islands. 59

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Illustration: Christopher Gray

DIFFERENT SPORTS SAME SOUL 62

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Somewhere climbing and surfing intersect. The place where it happens in not obvious, but it exists. Every surfer has experienced it. After every decent session you’re left with frozen moments that are locked into your consciousness – instantaneous images that crystallise in your mind with a vague yet powerful tangibility. These moments evoke the kind of immediate nostalgia as that of Polaroid prints. You lean into your bottom turn and see the wall of the wave reeling up ahead of you. Click. You hold a stylish body position while attempting to cutback to the power source from out on the wave’s slackening shoulder. Click. The sensorial cacophony that accompanies the union of man, ocean and earth is particularly evocative of these moments and results easily in the mystic leap between brain chemistry and muscle memory. Out there on the crag, though, a hundred miles from the coast, climbers experience these moments too. No map, no compass

There is an ache and a fear and a pounding of your heart and an increased intensity of perception. When your body and your mind are stretched to extremes hard-won physical knowledge takes over. The climber’s world is distilled to the square centimetres that surround that finger hold. The universe becomes the angle and camber and extension of that crux move. A wave is essentially ephemeral. It never truly exists in space and time but is simply a manifestation of natural given form in liquid by the interaction of the sea floor and the energy itself. A rock face is pure energy too – but formed in imperceptible increments over geological time. It is warped and cracked and affected by environmental conditions that stretch over aeons rather than the fleeting moments that form a breaking wave. Is it too great a leap of the imagination to acknowledge that they are both outriders of the human race’s deep instinct to dance with the elements? Could it be that both surfers and climbers simply play in the beauty and the menace of the planet? 63

Grandpa henley A slim fit short sleeved henley base layer. Button-through half placket at front, separate cuff and shaped hem. Made from Zqüe accredited Merino. Vintage red (below), Cream (main picture) | S, M, L, XL | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £55

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No map, no compass

Call 01239 614 122 or visit howies.co.uk

No map, no compass

Sloucher tee

Sloucher henley

A regular fit double-faced jersey tee. Crew neck, short sleeved with a button-down pocket on the chest.

A slim fit double-faced henley. Button through half placket at front with a shaped hem.

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Barrier jacket Full-zip fleece lined jacket. Zippered hand pockets and chest pocket, bound tape cuffs and hem. Ideal for cold and frosty winter days and perfect for wrapping up in after sport. Chocolate | S, M, L, XL | 92% recycled polyester, 8% spandex | Machine wash | Made in China | Price ÂŁ135

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JACK ABB OTt Up on the Burren, Jack Abbott is improvising an obscene little ditty about Lily Allen, his oversized ukulele in hand. It’s a nice tune. Can’t print the lyrics, though. The sun sets around the fire and we laugh. Jack has an incredible laugh (it sounds a bit like a sea lion). He gets a little embarrassed about it though, so instead tends to use what he refers to as his ‘safety chuckle’. He plays guitar and he surfs but our Jack is no Jack Johnson. When our Jack waits for the tide, he’s not sitting in the shade of a coconut tree and sucking languidly on a papaya. He’s more likely to be rubbing shoulders with an old couple with tartan rugs and flasks of tea.

Jack’s just back from a bit of requisite surf travel to Australia and South East Asia. Irate sex workers in Kuta chased him. He lost his mind in Raglan. He was irritated by the local heavies at Dee Why and got a little skunked in Bali. That sort of thing. He doesn’t fit into the clichés of what defines a nineteen-year-old grom. He doesn’t own a pair of sunglasses and in a whole week I didn’t hear him utter the word ‘dude.’ In a way he’s not really a surfer. He just surfs. And that’s why we like our Jack.

Jack lives you see, at the back of Freshwater West, a stumble away from the shore. He grew up surfing in his back yard and started competing every now and then a couple of years ago. He did well in the Welsh Nationals last year and met Paul and ended up on the surf team at howies. 72

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Call 01239 614 122 or visit howies.co.uk

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THE JACK FROST JEAN

Wooly Drover jeans

No, he’s not one of our teamriders. But these jeans are made with him in mind.

Regular fit, five-pocket jeans. Button waistband and fly, two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets, triple needle stitched on the inside leg.

When we wanted to make insulated jeans for the colder months – when Jack comes out to play – we looked back to the old ways for inspiration.

Did you know that before they made jeans from cotton, they made jeans from wool? No? It’s ok, neither did we (we had to Google it). But it turns out that the original ‘Toile de Nîmes’ (the French cloth woven in Nîmes in the 17th century that is the origin of denim as we know it) was in fact 100% indigo dyed wool, not cotton. That Google results page made us think... Why don’t we make a modern day version of those old wooly jeans? So we made these Drovers from a mix of 12% wool and 88% cotton. We found that to be the perfect ratio – not so much wool so that you get too hot, not too little that you don’t feel any benefit. The wool is only on the inside too, woven into the weft (the horizontal threads) of the fabric, so on the outside they look like regular jeans. They feel real comfy too, not at all itchy on the legs or anything. In fact, if you were to touch it with your hands, you probably wouldn’t even notice that wool at all. Except when Jack is around.

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Waffler hoody A regular fit, raglan sleeved hoody. Self fabric cuff and hem trim. Drawcord adjustable hood. Kangaroo pocket at front. Made from the highest quality New Zealand Merino sheep and it is Zqüe accredited. Cypress | S, M, L, XL | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £150

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Turn the wheels of your bike and the world scrolls by in near silence. Legs push, wheels turn. Paddle out into the surf and you engage the forces of the planet. Movement in the sea is abstracted, freed from solid reference points. In the water, all is constant shift. Step back on dry land and the oceans within you continue to swell and shift and push. Humans love to move. It’s a planet-gobbling tragedy that we have to process ancient forests to do so, but mechanical movement exploits in us that same deeply encoded desire. Bowling through the middle of Ireland in the Winnebago, the world becomes a panorama that you experience without having to engage.

You are of that place and that time but locked into your own. There’s a joy in that too. On a long haul flight your head presses up to the porthole. Human life, utterly other than your own, scrolls slowly by. 35,000 ft beneath you at five hundred miles per hour the world turns. Centimetres away from your face the tumultuous forces of physics are creating a miracle. You turn back to your screen and watch a Kylie video. There is serenity in movement. Just don’t move too quickly too often.

SERENITY IN MOVEMENT 80

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THERE‘S NO ‘I’ IN TEAM True that. Ask any Grand Tour sprinter and he’ll tell you he couldn’t do it without his leadout team. Which is why we’ve designed the Slipstream bike top and the Quickburst jacket to work together in the same way when you layer them up together. The Slipstream bike top is made from 100% Merino wool, so it’s warm, but super breathable. It fits real snug and has a ¾ length zip that you can open up should you start to overheat.

Quickburst bike jacket

Likewise, the Quickburst is insulating, yet has removable sleeves that you can take off with one hand, instantly turning it from a warm softshell jacket into a cooling gilet.

An athletic-fit jacket that you can transform into a gilet without having to get off your bike or stop running. It has Quickburst™ zips that come apart with one simple pull, so you can literally pull your sleeves off and pop them into the back pocket without losing your pace. A mixture of recycled polyester and regular polyester that is windproof and showerproof. Has a bonded film on the inside that wicks moisture away from your body.

Together, they’ll work to keep you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s warm – all the help you need on the long slog to the finish. Now that’s teamwork.

Slipstream bike top A slim fit half-zip cycle jersey with shaped armholes and panels for movement. Slight drop tail with pockets at the back. Made from 100% Zqüe accredited Merino. Black/grey | S, M, L, XL | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £80

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MADE TO LAST The idea is simple. Make something so well that it will survive for generations. Something with timeless form and function. Products you love, that get better with age and won’t require frequent replacement. Therefore, they stay out of the landfill. Built in the UK by Brady of Walsall, an area renowned for its skills in the leather industry. Indeed, Brady have been making bags in the Midlands since 1877, when John and Albert Brady started selling their hand-made leather gun cases on Price Street in Birmingham for 12/6 each (about 75p in today’s money). Constructed from strong doublelaminated cotton canvas that contains an inner waterproof membrane that is coated for added protection against water and staining. The checked panels are made from tough-asold-boots wool, in a buffalo plaid that’s been specially woven for us, meaning you won’t find it anywhere else. We used proven single thickness 84

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3.5mm harness leather straps and equestrian strength solid brass components, alongside a Military spec 100% cotton webbing shoulder strap. Outside seams are leather bound and stitched with heavyweight bonded threads, resistant to wear and rotting. Whereas inside seams are double-stitched and bound with cotton tape to prevent wear. This all adds up to a range of products that we feel confident in guaranteeing for a minimum of 10 years from the date of original purchase. But the chances are they will last a good deal longer than that. So now all you have to decide is who you hand it down to. 85

Messenger bag

Shopper tote bag

Two front popper closure pockets, internal zip pocket and internal laptop pocket. Leather buckle straps. 3-point cycle strap with a padded shoulder. Hand-me-down laptop sleeve fits neatly into the bag. Branded with embossed leather patch.

Zip opening. Canvas handles. Removable trigger-hook shoulder strap, with adjusters. Hand-medown laptop sleeve fits neatly into the bag. Branded with embossed leather patch. Black (left), Navy (see website) | 400x420x100mm | Made in Walsall | Price £175

Black (below), Navy (previous page) | 400x350x100mm | Made in Walsall | Price £250

Laptop sleeve Figure-of-eight front closure. Wool check outer with leather trim and wadded on the inside so your laptop won’t get damaged. Fits laptops up to 17 inches. Black (top), Navy (bottom) | 400x300mm | Made in Walsall | Price £95

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JUST GIVE US A NICE T-SHIRT

You could bang on about the history of the T-shirt until you’re blue. You know the story. Post war military service created a ground-up fashion phenomenon. Hot rodders schooled in mechanics in the Marines started wearing their old service T-shirts on the drag strip and around the same time surfboard builders working beneath California piers began giving T-shirts to the hottest local surfers. The first branded T-shirts predated the rock n’ roll revolution and Brando and Jimmy Dean on the silver screen. Pretty soon an accidental fashion phenomenon was converted to agitprop – sloganeering slipped into the role that advertising copywriters would soon take over. Now crowd sourcing is the buzzword and easy screen printing melds the analogue process with digitally created design. The point of a great T-shirt is to fuse a way of looking at the world with your every day life, and there are as many ways of looking at the world represented on the front of a T-shirt as there are everyday lives. But a T-shirt’s not a T-shirt unless it’s made from the right cotton, the right weight of weave. It can have the coolest design you’ve ever seen, but unless the neck of the T-shirt sits well on you, it might as well be a wall hanging or a tea towel.

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howies make nice t-shirts.

Men’s t-shirts Clockwise: Medication - by Mr. Bowlegs Think Big - by Katari No Business - by Tim Lahan Not For Squares - by Stephen Kelleher Price 90 £25

All our t-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton in a factory in Portugal. All designs are printed by Tidy Mike and Tom in our little printshop here in West Wales. Call 01239 614 122 or visit howies.co.uk

Some designs are available for both men and women. See website for details. www.howies.co.uk No map, no compass

Women’s t-shirts Clockwise: Fundamentalist - by Mike Reed Leaf Classic - by Davy Evans Autumn Biker - by Jake Blanchard Love Animals - by Davy Evans Price £20

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THE INVISIBILITY COAT... KINDA

Elsie jacket A casual everyday jacket in a showerproof Epic cotton cord. Semi fitted, zip front with leather pulls, outer storm flap with Corozo button fastenings, popper down pocket openings, button tab cuffs and collar and front shoulder patches to protect from bag straps.

This jacket feels like a casual corduroy jacket, but has the added benefit of keeping you dry when it rains. But you wouldn’t know it from looking at it, all that clever stuff is invisible. That’s because it’s made from the same amazing water-resistant cotton as our Epic Rider cords.

Meaning next time it rains, you won’t need to disappear under an umbrella.

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Cabin shirt Our best-selling women’s shirt from last winter. Western style with curved pockets, gathered yokes, curved hems and popper buttons. Plum/cream (top), Blue/red (middle), Blue/pink (bottom) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price Plum/cream & Blue/red £65, Price Blue/pink £75

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Georgie jumper

Al jumper

Lightweight jumper in super soft knitted lambswool. Low V-neck, saddle shoulders for a smooth, slouchy boyfriend fit. Stripes in marl & solid colours for a nice textured effect. Ribbed trim around hems.

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FIND YOUR FIT Let’s be honest, there’s nothing better than the feeling of your favourite pair of jeans. You know, those ones that you automatically put on. The ones that feel so right and take you everywhere and have their own unique history.

Skinny

Boyfriend

Tilda trouser

This is a proper skinny stretch fit. It’s snug from the waist, through the hips, thighs knees and is fitted all the way down to the ankle. The back rise is long enough so the waistband sits in the scoop of your back and the front rise is not a low rise or a high rise but sits below your belly button. Wear tucked in to boots or with trainers.

This fit is much looser on the waist and hips so they can be worn low on your hips or higher up with a belt. The leg is not fitted but loose from the bum down to the knee, narrowing a tiny bit at the hem. Great worn with the hem turned up.

New for Autumn. These trousers have a slouchy fit at the top with pleats into the front waistband. Patch pockets on the bum with small pleats and a mobile phone pocket on the side of the thigh. Sits lower on the hip, is loose over the thigh and tapers in at the hem. These look great turned up for a cropped look.

Well, to help you find that fit, we’ve created this little guide. All our legwear shapes have been updated for Autumn, so you should be able to find the perfect pair.

This is similar to the skinny fit but has a slightly wider waist and hip, with stretch, for a slightly more relaxed fit. The thigh is fitted and the leg is straight from the knee to hem. These are your trainer jeans.

Just look for the coloured triangle next to the jeans to find your new favourites. 100

This style is available in an indigo eco-ball wash only for a dark denim raw effect. Straight

This style is available in indigo eco-ball & rock salt wash for a mid-washed effect. Regular Has a similar silhouette as the straight fit but the fabric has no stretch so the fit has been eased out to allow for comfort and fit.

This style is available in a rock salt wash only for a heavy washed effect.

Tapered Waist and hips are a relaxed fit and the leg tapers in from hip to hem. The hem isn’t tight, it can be worn rolled up for a cropped look. The front pockets are slouchy with the addition of pleats into waistband. Bootcut This is an easier fit for all shapes and sizes. It still has stretch for comfort and it’s more relaxed on the waist through the hips and thigh, gently widening from above the knee to the hem. The hem isn’t too wide so that it looks flared, so it looks great with trainers or over boots. This style is available in indigo eco-ball wash only for a dark denim raw effect.

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Willower jeans

Second skin jumper

These might look like regular straight fit jeans, but they have a secret. The denim is mixed with wool, which means they are super soft & cosy and will keep your legs nice and toasty on chilly mornings. Button waistband and fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets. Double needle stitched on the inside leg.

Fully fashioned, fine gauge knitted Merino wool jumper with a low V-neck and saddle shoulder detail. Slouchy boyfriend fit. This is a howies classic, based on our bestselling crew neck from last year. Ebony (top), Light grey (bottom) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% merino wool | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £100

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Mathry leggings

Anja skirt

Seamless leggings made with a fine rib, knitted in one piece for a snug fit.

Organic chambray skirt, cut just above the knee in length with pleats into the waistband seam, patch pockets on sides, self fabric buckle tabs with metal buckles and a zip into the centre back seam.

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105

FLOTSAMETRICS

It has been calculated that every year up to 10,000 steel containers are lost from the decks of cargo ships. The stuff that is lost often finds itself swept along in a grand tour of the world’s oceans thanks to systems of rotating ocean currents known as gyres. Unseen and largely unnoticed by any of us apart from oceanographers and other sea obsessives, these watery highways circulate the flotsam and jetsam of the world in huge, rhythmic circles. Illustration: Richard Sanderson

In 1990, for example, around forty thousand pairs of Nike trainers were lost from the Hansa Carrier cargo vessel during a storm off the coast of Alaska. It wasn’t long until they found themselves circulating in the Turtle gyre. Funky little sneakers found there way to the beaches of Vancouver Island and points all down the Western Coasts of America and deep into Polynesia. They travelled at an estimated average speed of 5.5 miles per day in an orbit of around 12, 000 nautical miles. Seven years later, over 800,000 pieces of Lego – mostly scuba tanks, octopuses and little yellow men – were lost from the Tokio Express cargo ship off Land’s End in Cornwall. This plastic population began to circulate the transatlantic ‘Columbus Gyre’ in a speedy rhythm of over seven miles per day in an orbit of 8,000 nautical miles. Amazingly, in the year 2000 a freighter dropped a shipment of 17-inch computer monitors, which reappeared — thanks to the Aleut Gyre — on beaches from Oregon to British Columbia, having travelled an orbit of 7,200 nautical miles.

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Source: Flotsametrics And The Floating World by Curtis Ebbermeyer – Wired Magazine 2009

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Doolin jacket Fitted hip length jacket with a showerproof Epic cotton outer and a warm quilted lining. Fabric tab adjusters at waist, patch pockets at the front, chest pocket with zip, inside pocket for iPod with earphone loops inside the collar and a removable hood.

Epic is water-resistant, windproof, breathable and washable but it looks and feels like cotton. That’s because the protection is inside the fabric, encapsulating the actual fibres for weatherproof performance with no laminates or coatings.

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PUDDLE PROOF CORDS

Epic Rider cords Epic cotton showerproof cords, in a proper straight fit with a higher waist, fitted bum, hip, thigh & knee then straight down to the hem. Perfect for wet weather riding. Chocolate (top), Navy (bottom) | 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 (regular), 26, 28, 30, 32 (long) | 100% Epic cotton corduroy | Machine wash, tumble dry to reactivate Epic | Made in China | Price £100

They feel like casual cords. But they’re made from Epic cotton, so they’re water resistant. You wouldn’t know it from looking at them. Or from wearing them for that matter. Until the heavens open. Read the whole story on page 16.

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Sloucher hoody Super warm and comfy hooded Merino sweatshirt. Raglan sleeves, hip length in the body, hand pockets and draw cord waist with external tie and cross over hood overlap for extra cosiness. Feels great to wear lounging on the sofa or after sport. Breton blue (below), Grey (right), Cream (main picture) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £100

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ELSIE PINNI GER When you are supposed to write about someone, you’re supposed to encapsulate who a person is. That’s never a simple exercise. With Elsie, it’s particularly problematic. Elsie, you see, is a million different things. She constantly surprises. One moment she is cooking great food for her friends. The next she is conducting an improptu yoga class on the lawn outside the howies house. On the Burren’s most Westerly coastal fragments she leaps about at sunset enthusing while collecting dried and crispy discs of cowpat for the fire. She dances a dodgy Irish jig on the roof of the Winnebago (this act is the physical analogue to her terrible imitation of an Irish accent, possibly the worst in the history of Anglo-Irish relations). Cut to another image in your mind and she’s cross stepping gracefully, eyes fixed down the line. In another still she is transporting rolls of Japanese limestone-based neoprene around Cornwall in her thirty-five-year old Morris Marina Estate (in faded Harvest Gold). She can go toe-to-toe with anybody in a drinking competition. And she can throw a strop at times. 114

A few years back Elsie got sick of buying and wearing uncomfortable wetsuits. They never fitted properly. Suits marketed at women were too short and cut in the wrong way. Wetsuits made for men were completely wrong. So she decided to make them herself. They fitted well, looked the business and had that elusive bespoke quality that everybody likes. Soon, her mates wanted one for themselves. A one-woman industry was created. Typical Elsie. She is self-sufficient – reliant on no one but herself. These are not usually the elements of an individual that appeal. But Elsie has a kind of searching, restless quality about her – an essential fragility that is at odds with her formidable exterior. Despite this she attacks the day with more energy than any of us, even after the fourth dawn patrol on the spin. But that’s what Elsie is all about. She is in the moment. She acts on instinct – her physicality at the centre of things. Elsie goes with howies like potatoes go with cabbage. Call 01239 614 122 or visit howies.co.uk

To see or buy Elsie’s Neon wetsuits, Noto: map, no compass go www.goodneon.co.uk

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Sloucher tee Short sleeve t-shirt in Merino fabric backed with Modal for a totally itch free and super soft feel against your skin. Rolled back cuffs, long in the body with a curved hem low at the front and back. Great for throwing on after sports or for casual wear. Crystal pink (above), Glacier grey (above right) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 52.5% Merino wool, 43.7% Modal, 3.8% Nylon double face | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £55

Apron skirt A wraparound that sits just above the knee. Based on an old favourite, we’ve kept the front pocket but changed the fastenings at the back to buttons. It still has a self tie to tie at the front or back. Indigo denim | 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 | Organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £65

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Iona Merino cardigan Chunky cardigan in super cosy Merino wool. Long in the body with a low V-neck, patch pockets on the front, wooden buttons. Cloud (above), Custard (main picture) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% superfine Merino wool | Hand wash | Made in China | Price ÂŁ95

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Scout Merino hoody Chunky hooded jumper in super cosy Merino wool. Low front opening, kangaroo pocket, wooden duffle toggles with natural rope & leather triangle patches. Cocoa (below), Oyster (main picture) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% superfine Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in China | Price ÂŁ90

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Eleanor corduroy skirt Simple skirt with gathers into the waistband all the way around. Scoop pockets on the sides with a buttoned front opening. Buttons made from Corozo nuts. Navy (top), Chocolate (bottom) | 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 | 100% organic cotton corduroy | Machine wash | Made in China | Price ÂŁ70

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FRAW LEY’S BAR

Lahinch

Tom Frawley was born here in 1914. He has been pulling pints where he had always lived – for 86 years. Think about that for a moment. He and his bar are still points in the flow of time. Ireland has changed a lot in the last couple of decades. The Celtic tiger hadn’t begun to roar when I first set foot in Tom’s bar fifteen years ago. All of a sudden, something happened. The economic boom that resulted had changed Ireland forever. Now that beast had been licking its wounds quietly in the shade of a recession. I had been wondering whether Tom and his bar would still be there.

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It’s a simple, quiet place. It feels more like an old fashioned living room than a pub as most of us know them. Behind the red Formica counter where he sits there’s a flotsam of objects that local people might have to pick up after the shops have closed. You can get disposable razors, packets of salt and firelighters. Brown sauce and custard powder sit next to the usual assemblage of bottles stacked at room temperature. No map, no compass

There is of course a solitary tap for the Guinness. The smell of boiling potatoes and cabbage filters in from the room next door. Tom’s a bit of a local hero these days. There have been appearances on chat shows. Local journos come and talk to him about the old days. He’ll answer your questions in clipped, simple sentences. Historians come in and ask about his old neighbours. Away-with-the-fairies locals who have been coming here years shoot the breeze. He remembers serving his first surfer, an Australian, in 1965. Have a drink with Tom when your system has been doubled up on endorphins – your brain chemistry shifting and bubbling from the surf, your limbs calmly quieted. Stoked. On a good day the waves at Lahinch Lefts will do that to you. The tilt of the planet into the 21st century had come and gone and Tom was still in his place, holding court, slowing things down just so. 125

Birdie top A loose fit jersey t-shirt made from a beautiful drapey fabric with an amazing soft hand feel. Long length, loose sleeves with bound cuffs and draw cord in hem. All-over bird print by Millie Marotta. Chambray blue | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 47% cotton , 46% modal, 7% lycra | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price £50

We just love Millie’s work. She lives in Tenby in West Wales and spends her time mostly illustrating wildlife. Using a variety of mediums like painting, lino-cuts, papercuts and good old pen and ink, she is super talented and her attention to detail is incredible. She designed this little bird repeat pattern for us, which we used on the Birdie top. She did the floral pattern for the Posy top and Posy vest and also did the peacock feather design on the Meg top and Meg dress. And if you check out the women’s Cassius crew neck sweat, you’ll see that has a nice little peacock on it too. If you want to see more of Millie’s work, have a look at her website: www.milliemarotta.co.uk 126

She also took care of the shoot production for this catalogue. See? We told you Call 01239 122 or visit howies.co.uk she was614 talented.

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Posie top A long sleeve jersey t-shirt made from a beautiful drapey fabric with an amazing soft hand feel. Floral print designed by Millie Marotta. Grey melange/magenta print (below), Chambray blue/white print (main picture) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 47% cotton , 46% modal, 7% lycra | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price ÂŁ45

We also make the Posie vest, using the same floral pattern as the Posie top. See website for more details.

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Peacock embroidery on reverse neck.

Meg top

Woven hip length top with a scoop neck and slit at front. Draw cord inside the waist, which ties at the front. Embroidered peacock design on back & front yoke. Light indigo | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% organic cotton, lightweight denim chambray | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price £80

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Meg dress

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Cassius sweat

Cassius hoody

Classic relaxed fit sweatshirt in brushed back cotton. Crew neck, double layer ribbed cuffs & hem.

A relaxed fit classic hoody in brushed back cotton with hand pockets, zip opening, chunky draw cord, and double layer ribbed cuffs and hem.

132

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I got my first Polaroid camera about 15 years ago for Christmas. It wasn’t retro or cool, it was just another way of taking photos. I then stumbled upon the world of Land Cameras. I got my first Land Camera boxed and with instructions for £5 and a couple of SX70 films from the local chemist (those were the days). It’s the only format I use now. It suits my mind, as I have no concept about how modern things work and it’s so simple, a bit like myself. Paul Anderson www.howi.es/paularoid

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Emer tunic dress A simple relaxed fit dress with a scoop neck. Shoulder panels with gathers into the seam, fabric tabs at waist with button fastening for extra shape. Hand pockets into the side seam and turned back cuffs. Indigo | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% organic cotton mid-weight canvas | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price ÂŁ70

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WATCH THAT WAISTLINE At howies we like to put a bit of us into everything we make. So this season our friend and local artist Millie illustrated our jeans waistband with the River Teifi, the river that runs through the heart of Cardigan. It starts at the Teifi Pools and meanders its way for 75 miles through towns and villages until it reaches Cardigan Bay, where it meets the sea at Poppit Sands. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our little way of showing you where we are coming from. 138

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Hollie jeans

Kim jeans

Skinny stretch fit five-pocket jeans, new cut with a higher waist, fitted bum, hip & leg down to a narrow hem. Button waistband and fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets. Double needle stitched on the inside leg.

Straight fit, five-pocket jeans. These are a new cut with a higher waist, fitted bum, hip & leg. Button waistband and fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets. Double needle stitched on the inside leg.

For full rock salt wash story, see page 25.

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Lou jeans

Felton jeans

Bootcut five-pocket jeans, higher at the waist, fitted around the bum, hips & leg, looser above knee and down to a subtle boot cut hem. Button waistband and fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets. Double needle stitched on the inside leg.

New, super comfy relaxed boyfriend fit jeans for howies in rock salt washed denim. These sit lower on the hips, loose over the thigh and lower leg and slightly narrow at the hem. Fabric tab and buckle adjuster on the back. Button waistband and fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets. Double needle stitched on the inside leg. They can be worn rolled up for a cropped look.

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144

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Nola dress A knitted dress in super soft lightweight lambswool. Long sleeves, relaxed fit, cut above knee length, patch pockets with shell buttons on pocket tabs and shoulder. Oyster (below), Navy (main picture) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% lambswool | Hand wash | Made in China | Price £80

146

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147

GET THERE BEFORE THE PLANNERS DO

Two of Ireland’s most beautiful surf spots are currently threatened with extinction. The threat comes from developers who want to build a new pier at Doolin. There’s already a pier at Doolin, but a small one. If the development is allowed to start, hundreds of tonnes of limestone will have to be blasted from the floor of the natural lagoon to make room for a line of concrete revetments. This process, and the presence of the revetments themselves, will undoubtedly change the hydrodynamics of Doolin Point and Crab Island forever. These surf spots are natural wonders in their own right. Once taken away they can’t be put back.

Illustration: Chester Bigglesworth

And if the waves disappear, then the surfers disappear. If the surfers disappear, then so does the money they bring to this part of Ireland. If money is the major motivator in the developers’ plans, it probably still makes no sense in the long run to build a huge new pier.

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www.howi.es/doolin

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WHY WOOL IS COOL

It’s sustainable. It’s biodegradable.

NBL classic

It’s chlorine free.

Our classic long sleeve base layer makes a long awaited return. Itch free, odour resistant Merino wool, crew neck, fitted shape, longer length at the back for when you’re on your bike, double thickness at the cuffs, cyan blue howies embroidery above hem, cyan blue binding on inside of neck seam. The original ‘do it all’ howies base layer.

All good things, naturally. But as you may know, the biggest environmental impact of a garment comes from the water and electricity you use through repeated washing and ironing during its lifetime.

The great thing about our Merino is that you don’t need to wash it that often, as the fibres are naturally antibacterial. So you can wear them over and over again and you won’t stink.

NBL half-zip Half-zip version of our classic base layer in the same itch free, odourresistant Merino wool. Long sleeves with a fitted collar and body, longer length on back, double thickness at the cuffs, cyan blue howies embroidery above hem, cyan blue binding inside the neck seam.

And that’s good for the environment. Especially the one within 2 ft of you.

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NBL light Long sleeve lightweight base layer in itch free, odour-resistant Merino wool. Active cut. We have updated the style with contrast colour panels over arms, collar and cuffs Crystal pink/glacier grey (below), Aubergine/cypress (main picture) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Active fit | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £55

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Punked henley Long sleeve base layer in stripey over dyed Merino wool. Scoop neck with button opening, thumb loops in arm seam and contrast details at cuffs and neck. Glacier grey (below), Indigo (main picture) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price ÂŁ60

154

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Vail tee

Nature mirrors itself in all its forms. Elsie scores the only barrel of the trip.

Short sleeve base layer in itch free, odour-resistant Merino wool. Crew neck, relaxed fit, longer length, howies print on chest. These are cut from the same pattern as our regular cotton t-shirts. Great for throwing on under a shirt to keep the chill away. Crystal pink (top), Glacier grey (bottom) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £40

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158

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Like the sea, most surf brands are full of shit. 159

160

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Slipstream bike top Long-sleeve base layer cut specifically for wearing on your bike. High collar with lockdown zip, fitted body, cut longer at the back with a gripper tape on the inside hem. Two pockets on the back, flat lock stitching for comfort, contrast colour panels and howies reflective print on front & back seam. Made from 100% ZqĂźe accredited Merino. Cypress | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Active fit | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price ÂŁ80

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Boys’ t-shirts

Girls’ t-shirts

Top to bottom: I am the Future - by Millie Marotta Love Skateboarding - by Pete Davies Enjoy Nature - by Jake Blanchard

Top to bottom: Love Animals - by Davy Evans I am the Future - by Millie Marotta Fox - by Millie Marotta

Price £15

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All our t-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton in a factory in Portugal. All designs are printed by Tidy Mike and Tom in our little printshop here in West Wales.

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PAUL AND ERS ON

Paul has been with howies since the good old days when we had one phone and one modem. He’s moved around a bit as the company has changed. He’s taken calls, processed orders, gone on the road, printed t-shirts. He has mucked around on photoshoots and carried the title of Surf Team Manager with an ironic chuckle and a sardonic shrug. The thing about Paul though, is that howies is only howies because of people like him. He’s the real deal. He’s the laid back slacker that calls in sick when the surf’s up. He’s a skateboarder. He’s a denim purist. He’s a Polaroid fan. He’s a vinyl collector. He rides old race bikes with gear shifters on the frame and a nine-foot purple surfboard. And he drives a super-slick seventies BMW in Marks & Spencer taupe. Paul is the lovable cynic in the corner. He reminds us of where we’ve come from when we start veering from our path. Alas, sadly this is the last catalogue Paul will feature in, as he is moving on to pastures new. But we hope that whatever he does, he doesn’t do it too enthustiastically. So see ya Paul, howies is going to miss you brother.

Soul Brother No1 166

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How to order stuff Ordering

Visit www.howies.co.uk Call 01239 614 122 (Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm) To pay We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Switch, Delta and Solo. If you would prefer to pay by cheque, please call us to place your order before you send your cheque. Delivery UK orders over £100 are postage free, Standard delivery £4 (2–5 working days), Next day delivery £6.50 (order before 3pm), Overseas deliveries – see website for different rates. Returns On UK orders you do not have to pay to return an item (unless it is a sale item). No quibble officer dibble guarantee We stand firmly by the products we make. We believe in quality and we will not be happy until you are. So, if our products have failed you in any way, please return them and we will give you your money back.

Earth Tax

We give 1% of our turnover or 10% of pre-tax profits (whichever is greater) to grass-roots, environmental and social projects.

Kids’ measurements

Our kids’ clothes are designed and made with room for growth.

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Factories

We have decided to give information about the country of origin of our products in the catalogue so that you can make an informed decision before you buy. We have a formal assessment done on each of our factories to ensure the conditions for the people who produce our clothes are fair, safe and nondiscriminatory. For further information, visit howies.co.uk/info and click on the ‘Factories’ section.

Are you on our database?

We send out four of these catalogues a year. We try to make them interesting so they make you think as well as buy. If you are not on our database and would like to be, visit: howies.co.uk/catalogue.php

Are your details correct?

If we’ve sent this to you and your details are wrong, send an e-mail to mydetails@howies.co.uk You’ll need to tell us the details we’ve got wrong followed by the right ones.

Can you help us grow?

We rely on good old word-of-mouth to help us grow this little company of ours. If you have some friends who might like to receive our catalogue then let us know. To do this, visit: howies.co.uk/helpusgrow

By the way

If you ever wonder where our product names come from, well most of the ones in this catalogue are named after the lovely people and beautiful places we visited in Ireland.

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Women’s

How to measure

Women’s trousers come in regular length (31in inseam) and long length (33in inseam). 8 Bust 32in 81cm Waist 26in 66cm Hips 34in 86cm

Bust

34in 36in 38in 40in 86cm 91.5cm 96.5cm

Waist

101.5cm

28in 71cm

30in 76cm

32in 81cm

34in 86cm

36 in 91.5cm

38in 96.5cm

40in 101.5cm

42in 106.5cm

Hips

Inseam

Men’s

Men’s trousers come in regular length (32in inseam) and long length (34in inseam). S Chest 34-36in 86-91cm

Kids’

Age Chest Waist Height

XXL

36-38in 39-41in 41-43in 43-45in 92-97cm 99-104cm 104-109cm 109-114cm

3-4 22.75in 57cm 21in 53cm 38.5-41in 98-104cm

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5-6 23.5in 60cm 21.5in 55cm 43.5-45.5 110-116cm

7-8 9-10 25in 27in 64cm 69cm 23in 24in 58cm 61cm 48-50.5in 52.75-55in 122-128cm 134-140cm

Chest Waist

Chest/Bust Measure under arms at the fullest part of the chest/bust. Waist Measure around the natural waistline. Inseam (inside leg) Measure from the top of the inside leg to the ankle.

Inseam

Chest Waist Height

169

To be continued (if they fix her)... 170

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172

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