Twin Towns by howies®

Spring 2010

Twin Towns

howies

速 1

Twin Towns

Our sleepy little town in this quiet corner of Wales is twinned with a small town at the foothills of the Andes in Patagonia. Despite the fact that they are located in two very different corners of the world, they have an awful lot in common – the Welsh language, choirs, Eisteddfod, a strong community and great Welsh cakes. It all started back in the 1800s when a small group of Welsh people settled in Patagonia. The more we looked into the story, the more we got hooked. Theirs is a tale of going against all the odds and following a dream with little knowledge of what they were letting themselves in for. It kind of reminded us of the journey we’ve been on. So last November four people from howies went out to Patagonia to follow in the footsteps of the settlers and find out more about our twin town, Trevelin. Meanwhile a group of us stayed here and learned more about our home town, Cardigan. The idea behind this catalogue is something that David had talked about for years. It’s a shame that he wasn’t here to take part in it. But the team here pulled together and worked hard to make it happen. We hope we’ve done him proud. Clare Hieatt Co-founder

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We have found a better land in the far South. It is Patagonia. We will live there in peace, Without fear of treachery or war. And in this place the Welsh will be king. Praise be to God.

Ni gawsom wlad sydd well Yn y Deheudir pell, Patagonia yw: Cawn yno fyw mewn hedd, Heb ofni brad na chledd, A Chymro ar y sedd: Boed mawl i Dduw.

Sung by the men and women aboard the Mimosa as they left Liverpool on the 25th May 1865.

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Twin Towns

On the morning of Monday 29th May 1865, off the coast of Anglesey, a lifeboat set out to rescue the ship Mimosa. The Irish Sea, in the middle of a storm, was not a good place to be. On a single night, six years earlier, 114 ships were destroyed off the coast of Wales when a hurricane blew in from the Atlantic. The Mimosa was an ageing teaclipper, 140 feet long. But in its hold on this voyage were 153 men, women and children from Wales. For the sum of twelve pounds per adult and six pounds per child, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d bought a ticket to the Promised Land. They had set out from the valleys and hills to settle in a new Welsh colony in the far south of Argentina. Ahead lay eight thousand miles of open ocean and a dream and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to end a day after leaving Liverpool. The captain, George Pepperell, turned the lifeboat away and the storm passed. After two months at sea, during which three children died and two babies were born, the Mimosa reached Patagonia and the settlers stumbled ashore into the bleak southern mid-winter. The day was short, the rain lashed down on the beach and it was bitterly cold. It felt like home. 4

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Twin Towns

High tea. Three oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock in the afternoon. A tradition inherited from the original settlers. Endless tea and three sittings of cake, all made by Rosa. Arturo and Rosaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Farm, Trevelin , Patagonia. 6

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Twin Towns

Thomas Austin, 17 William Austin, 18 Evan Davies, 25 Ann Davies, 24 Margaret Davies, 1 James Davies, 18 John Davies, 18 Lewis Davies, 24 Rachel Davies, 28 Thomas G Davies, 3 Robert Davies, 40 Catherine Davies, 38 William Davies, 8 Henry Davies, 7 John Davies, 1 John Davies, infant Thomas Davies, 40 David Davies, 18 Hannah Davies, 16 Elizabeth Davies, 11 Ann Davies, 7

William Davies, 36 John Ellis, 38 Thomas Ellis, 36 Richard Ellis, 27 Frances Ellis, 27 Daniel Evans, 27 Mary Evans, 23 Elizabeth Evans, 5 John D Evans, 3 Thomas P Evans, 29 Dr Thomas Greene, 21 Thomas Harris, 31 Sara Harris, 31 William Harris, 11 John Harris, 6 Thomas Harris, 5 Thomas Harris, 31 Sara Harris, 31 William Harris, 11 John Harris, 6 Thomas Harris, 5

Daniel Harris, infant Catherine Hughes, 24 Griffith Hughes, 36 Mary Hughes, 36 Jane Hughes, 11 Griffith Hughes, 9 David Hughes, 6 John Hughes, 30 Elizabeth Hughes, 39 William Hughes, 10 Myfanwy Hughes, 4 John Hughes, 2 Henry Hughes, 1 Hugh Hughes, 41 Elizabeth Hughes, 40 Jane Hughes, 20 Llewelyn Hughes, 4 Richard Hughes, 20 William Hughes, 32

Jane Hughes, 32 Janes Hughes, infant William Hughes, 33 Morris Humphreys, 27 Eliza Humphries, 21 Lewis Humphries, 27 John Humphries, 22 Rhydderch Huws, 33 Sara Huws, 37 Meurig Huws, 4 Aaron Jenkins, 35 Rachel Jenkins, 32 James Jenkins, 2 Richard Jenkins, 1 Rachel Jenkins born on board Thomas Jenkins, 23 William Jenkins, 18 John David, 31 Mary Ann John, 24 Evan Jones, 19

Thomas, Jones, 15 David Jones, 13 Elizabeth Jones, 12 Anne Jones, 23 George Jones, 16 David Jones, 18 James Jones, 27 Sarah Jones, 24 Mary Jones, 3 James Jones, 1 John Jones, 61 Elizabeth Jones, 53 Richard Jones, 27 Richard Jones, 21 Ann Jones, 18 Margaret Jones, 14 John Jones, 28 Mary Jones, 27 Thomas Jones, 16 Seth Jones, 20

Morgan Jones born on board Joshua Jones, 22 Lewis Jones, 28 Ellen Jones, 25 Mary Jones, 22 Stephen Jones, 18 William Jones, 31 Catherine Jones, 31 Mary Jones, 4 Jane Jones, 1 Anne Lewis, 35 Mary Lewis Abraham Matthews, 32 Gwenlian Matthews, 23 Mary Matthews, 1 John Morgan, 29 Robert Nagle, 22 Ann Owen Edward Price, 41 Martha Price, 2

Griffith Price, 27 Elizabeth Pritchard, 20 James Rhys, 23 William Rhys, 25 William Richards, 19 Cynrig Roberts, 27 Elizabeth Roberts, 19 Grace Roberts, 25 John Roberts, 20 John Roberts, 27 Mary Roberts Thomas Roberts, 2 John Roberts, infant William Roberts, 17 Griffith Solomon, 23 Elizabeth Solomon, 30 Elizabeth Solomon, 1 John Murray, 17 Robert Thomas, 29 Mary Thomas, 30 Mary Thomas, 5

Jane Thomas, 2 Thomas Thomas, 26 Amos Williams, 25 Eleanor Williams, 24 Elizabeth Williams Dafydd Williams Jane Williams, 24 John Williams, 36 Elizabeth Williams, 31 John Williams, 4 Elizabeth Williams, 2 Pritchard Williams, 33 Louisa Williams, 30 Wesley Williams, 27 Catherine Williams Robert Williams, 51 Howell Williams, 18 Thomas Williams, 60 Mary Williams, 55 William Williams, 20 Elizabeth Wood, 11

Arturo’s old truck, Patagonia Call 01239 614 122 Trevelin, or visit howies.co.uk

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Find your fit Loose fit Regular fit Slim fit

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Drifter jeans

Drover jeans

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.

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.

Twin Towns

Men’s jeans

If it doesn’t need to be there, take it off Simple works. Simple as pie keeps on working. Less to go wrong also means more chance of it lasting longer. Simple is a product of good design (and lots of dumb questions). Good design isn’t about how many features you can add to a product. It is about how many you can take off without compromising its functionality.

Stoker jeans Slim 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.

Take our jeans, for example. Each detail is there for a reason. If it doesn’t need to be there, it is not.

Like we keep saying, simple works.

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And works. And works. Twin Towns

Find your fit Loose fit Regular fit Slim fit

Homeland trousers

Madryn jeans

These trousers are made from a very special twill selvedge. They look like trousers but they have the same heavy-duty feel as our selvedge denim. Regular fit. Button waistband and fly. J shape front pockets and two rear top stitched jeans style pockets. Red selvedge detail at inside leg, coin pocket and side belt loops. Corozo button adjuster on rear waistband. Edges on inside waistband and fly seams are bound for a clean, almost tailored finish.

Baggy fit jeans made from a lightweight organic cotton chambray. Loose and slouchy with a drawcord waistband and button fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and rear patch pockets. Triple needle stitched on the inside leg. Light indigo | 30R, 32R, 34R, 36R, 38R, 30L, 32L, 34L, 36L | Baggy fit | Organic denim | Eco-ball washed for softness | Machine wash | Made in China | Price ÂŁ85

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There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.

18Jack Kerouac (On the Road: Original Scroll)

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Twin Towns

Men’s trousers

Big Ed

Westerlies

Madryn

Scramble

Loose fit, flat front chino in soft organic cotton twill. Button waistband and fly. Simple styling with slanted front pockets and two rear jet pockets. Triple stitched on the inside leg.

Button waistband and fly. Two slanted front pockets and two button-down pockets on the back. Triple needle stitched on the inside leg. Articulated knees, adjustable waistband and a reinforced double layer panel on the backside area.

Baggy fit trousers made from organic cotton ripstop. Loose and slouchy with a drawcord waistband and button fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and rear patch pockets. Triple needle stitched on the inside leg.

Loose fit trousers with panelled knee detail, reinforced back hem, and triple needle stitched seams on the inside and outside leg. Rear pockets have button-down flaps.

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Twin Towns

This jacket could save your life.

It has gone on to be used Ventile was developed during by the world’s best climbers, World War II. Britain depended from Sir Edmund Hilary to upon convoys carrying vital Ranulph Fiennes. And is supplies, but the Russian convoys across the Arctic Ocean even used to make tents for Arctic expeditions. were particularly susceptible to attack from submarines and long-range bombers. Homebased RAF fighter escort cover • Ventile is a 100% cotton product, densely woven from long staple was impossible because of cotton. the distance. So, Winston Churchill promoted • It takes 16 hours just to set up the machine with the necessary the concept of catapulting 24,000 strands of cotton that go expendable Hurricane aircraft to create Ventile. from the decks of merchant ships to provide local cover. There was no means of landing • Ventile is not coated or laminated yet the combination back on the deck. The pilot of the dense weave and the had the choice of ditching the swelling properties of the fibres aircraft or bailing out into the when wet provide excellent sea. There was no problem in waterproofing. spotting the pilots who had signals and lights, but the water was so cold that life expectancy • Ventile is an entirely natural product that offers a unique feel was only a matter of minutes. as well as being windproof and Most died from exposure. highly breathable. After many trials, a fabric called Ventile was developed.

Twin Towns

Life expectancy in the sea was extended tenfold from a few minutes to 20 minutes. 80% of anti-submarine pilots who fell into the Arctic seas now survived.

Vantage Point jacket

Second skin Merino jumper

A hooded jacket made from one of our favourite fabrics – Ventile cotton. Ventile is so tightly woven that water has difficulty penetrating through the fabric. High quality Riri waterproof zip will also help keep the elements at bay. Rope style drawcord and leather toggles secure and cinch the hood, while flaps conceal zip-closed pockets big enough for a phone, wallet or compact camera.

Relaxed fit crew neck jumper. Beautiful fine gauge knit made from extra fine 21 micron Merino. Our Merino is the highest quality New Zealand Merino and it is Zque accredited. This will become a classic howies staple, with all the properties of our Merino base layers but in a crew neck jumper that can be worn every day, work or play.

Ventile® 24

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Twin Towns

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Twin Towns

By the way, it’s not just Tom’s jeans that get damaged: Broken both ankles. Broken metatarsal in right foot. Broken nose. Broken both wrists. Broken elbow. A few concussions. And plenty of cuts & grazes, of course.

You never know how tough your jeans are until you destroy ’em. At howies, we take great pride in the strength of our jeans. We’ve spent years tweaking them and improving them, trying to make the toughest jeans possible. A little nip here, a little tuck there, more stitching here, a bit of bar tacking and some chain-stitching there. We know how much punishment you lot dish out on them, so we want them to last you as long as possible.

the skatepark you’ll know what we mean. He’s got that ‘you never know how fast you can go til you fall off’ kind of attitude. And going at the speed he does, he falls off a lot, resulting in cuts and grazes and torn jeans. Ouch.

But when Tom from the printshop goes skating in them and rips the backside out of our latest and greatest jeans within a few weeks, it kind of makes us re-evaluate the word ‘strength’.

We started by getting a few pairs of his old jeans and having a good look at them. We looked for where the most damage was inflicted and then focused on making those bits stronger. For instance, the crotch seam (which Tom often rips) has been replaced with a gusset panel that

You see, our Tom is a special young man. If you ever see him at 28

So we decided to use his backside as a benchmark and design some jeans that even he would have difficulty in destroying.

won’t split. This panel continues right down the inside leg, making them way more durable. Around the back, we’ve removed the rear yoke seam too, making the backside one big panel – allowing for fewer weak spots, should he end up using his bum as a brake. They are triple needle stitched throughout for strength too and all made using Tom’s favourite heavyweight 14.5oz denim. We think they’ll outlast any jeans we’ve ever made. So, Tom... let’s see you wreck these.

Tomproof jeans Regular fit jeans in hard-wearing 14.5oz denim. Button waistband and fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and rear patch pockets. The back yoke seam has been removed as this is where Tom ripped his jeans – all the time. The inseam (which was another weak point for Tom) has been removed and replaced with a full length inside leg panel that makes them more durable and comfortable.

Now all we need to work on is the Tomproof jacket. Oh, and the Tomproof underpants, the Tomproof sweater and err... you get the picture.

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Twin Towns

Go build your dream

The Welsh had been leaving the land for a hundred years before the Mimosa set sail, if not for the coal mines of South Wales or the factories, mills and docks of London, Liverpool or Manchester, then for the lands of Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, South Africa, Canada or America. More often than not they were driven by poverty. Small hill farmers couldn’t support their families. Crops were poor, taxes were heavy, rents were raised by their newly-wealthy English landlords. Their children, who spoke Welsh, were offered what little schooling there was in English only. Should they speak Welsh to one another, a piece of wood was hung around their necks with the words Welsh Not written on it.

Twin Towns

But they weren’t content just to make a new life for themselves. They wanted to keep something of their old life, their culture. In America, they formed Welsh societies, built their own Nonconformist chapels, held Eisteddfodau and printed books and newspapers in Welsh. But in that melting pot of Irish, Italian, German, Danish, Polish, Swedish and every other immigrant, their children soon shed their Welsh identity. In 1859, Michael Daniel Jones, an Independent church minister from Bala in north Wales, proposed the idea of Y Gwladfa, a Welsh colony, a new homeland. A Colonial Society was formed in Liverpool by a dozen young Welshmen, among them Lewis Jones, from Caernarfon and Edwyn Roberts, just 21, who had been born in Flintshire but brought up in Wisconsin.

At that time, the Argentine government was keen to settle the far south of its country before Chile could lay claim to it. Native Indians wandered the land but there was no settlement below Patagones. Jones travelled there in 1862 and got as far as the estuary of the Chubut river where he found a flat, fertile valley he called the Vale of Camwy. A deal was struck with the Argentine government and Jones returned to Wales to sell the dream. A river filled with fish, a valley of lush grass and fruit trees, thousands of wild sheep and ostriches – not just the Promised Land but the Garden of Eden. On the windswept coast, the new colonists were wondering why Patagonia didn’t look like the brochure.

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All go. No show.

Epic Drover Water-resistant jeans that are based on our bestselling Drover fit. Just like the regular Drover they are a classic five-pocket fit, they have a button waistband and fly and they are triple needle stitched on the inside leg. The only difference is that they are made from Epic water-resistant denim.

Now, these Drover jeans may look like our regular Drover jeans. They are the same cut, the same colour and the same denim weight, but they are in fact made from Epic cotton (though you wouldn’t know it from looking at them). And Epic cotton happens to be water-resistant, which makes these jeans pretty special in our book.

If you’ve ever been caught out in even the lightest of showers in regular jeans you’ll know the agony of getting soaked through to the skin, not to mention the length of time they take to dry out afterwards. They get all heavy and cold too. Yuk. We wanted to solve that issue, but not affect the look and feel of the jeans. So we’ve made these using the same clever Epic cotton fabric that we use in our water-resistant Towpath trousers, but this time we’ve woven it into a traditional blue denim. Epic cotton is truly amazing. It’s waterresistant, windproof and even breathable, thanks to an encapsulation process that treats each individual fibre, coating it with an ultra thin layer of an eco-safe and solvent-free water-resistant polymer. And despite looking and feeling like regular cotton, Epic behaves just like a techy performance fabric, meaning it’s comfortable to wear but also functions when you need it to. The result is that rainwater will simply bead and roll off your jeans – and you will find that they provide rain protection and stay dry in all but the most severe conditions too. So next time you get caught out in the rain you now have a pair of jeans that look, feel and behave like normal jeans, until you get them wet. Or not, should we say. 34

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Twin Towns

Climate control vRsH Rides, rambles and runs are always demanding. They burn calories, they tell you quickly if your fitness, or lack of it, will inhibit or enhance the fun on your adventure. We are in total control of our bodies but the micro-climate in West Wales is a far less reliable beast than our fitness and in five minutes flat it can turn a great adventure into a miserable trudge to our destination. One thing we have learned from living in Wales is that you need good gear to have fun in bad weather, so we are super proud of our new hard-wearing warm up multi-sport jacket, with its Quickburst zip-off sleeves that can be taken off in seconds, converting it to a gilet. It’s been developed as a multi-activity jacket and has been tried and tested on the hills of the Preselis and on the roads and trails in and around Cardigan Bay by our chief ‘everyday’ testers Ade and Hicksey. Both are wearing them in front of me as I type this and you can bet they’ll be wearing them on the ride home too. Now it’s passed the howies armchair test and is ready to travel further afield on the backs of our customers. 36

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vRsH

I went to a huge outdoor show two years ago and amongst tens of thousands of things that were the latest and greatest was a YKK zip that was on a fireman’s uniform. It was an answer to a problem that has bugged me for years. Jackets that have zip-off sleeves are great for running and biking, but so inconvenient when rolling to faff around with removing the sleeve and maintain your momentum. I’ve been waiting for the Quickburst for 23 years.

Quickburst jacket 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. Black | Unisex athletic fit | XS, S, M, L, XL | Polyester and recycled polyester softshell | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £200

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Twin Towns

vRsH

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.

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

Alder bike shorts Slipstream bike top

Engineered bike shorts for active use with ergonomic cut seams packed with functional features. Stretch Epic rainproof cotton, will protect you from the elements and has stretch for comfort when active. Adjustable hook and loop waist tabs. Hand pockets with internal stash pocket. Side storage cargo pockets. Concealed zip mesh vents integrated into ergonomic front seams. Phone pocket. Elastic waist. Poppers at waistband to fit standard liners, including our Merino liners.

Inspired by the classic cycle jersey. Slim fit bike zip top with half zip opening. Rear back pockets. Made from 100% Merino wool. Zque accredited. Wicks moisture and regulates your temperature. It doesn’t itch and it feels great next to your skin. Flat locked seams for comfort. Small reflective printed howies logo on hem. Graphite/sunflower stitching | XS, S, M, L, XL | Slim fit | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £80

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Twin Towns

Dreams happen overnight. Success is different. 42

Lewis Jones had apprenticed as a typesetter and printer, which was useful when it came to posters and pamphlets promoting Paradise. But he’d never been a pioneer. With Roberts he’d sailed ahead of the Mimosa to prepare for the new arrivals, but they were hopelessly short on food, livestock and shelter. The settlers had fifty head of cattle and horses, one thousand sheep, six pigs, six dogs, four oxen, a cart, two dozen ploughs, three hundred sacks of wheat and twenty sacks of potatoes. Food enough for maybe three months. And there was no fresh water nearby. It was forty miles across the pampas to the Vale of Chubut. The young men set out first on foot and some of the women, children and supplies were sent down by boat along the coast

until it met the estuary. Here they founded the settlement of Rawson. It didn’t help that few of the settlers were experienced farmers or hunters. They tried and failed to grow a decent crop of wheat and barley. But the native Indians were keen to trade with them and taught them how to hunt and handle wild horses. After two years of hardship, many of the settlers were ready to pack up and leave, but were persuaded to stay one more year.

By 1875, new settlers arrived from the US and Wales and the population doubled. Businesses were built, new machinery and equipment arrived: ploughs, reapers, threshers, mills. A dairy industry was built. By 1883, there were 1350 settlers living along the banks of the Chubut, most of them Welsh or their descendants. And they were running out of land to cultivate. It was time to go West.

That next season, they worked out how to irrigate their crop from the river. By 1873, they were shipping wheat to Buenos Aires along with rhea feathers traded with the Indians. Three tons of feathers could earn them as much as one hundred tons of wheat. (Fashion, eh?) 43

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Twin Towns

vRsH

Mighty Woosh jacket A lightweight packable jacket that keeps the wind and wet at bay. Our previous Woosh was a pretty good lightweight jacket that kept the wind out, but it had one problem, it wasn’t great in the rain. So we’ve improved it by making it in a fabric that has a denser weave, meaning you can stay dry in a shower of rain. Full zip, packs down into a pocket. Orange (left), Navy (below left), Khaki (below right) | Unisex athletic fit | XS, S, M, L, XL | 100% polyester | Machine wash | Made in the UK | Price £100

Towpath Made from water-resistant Epic canvas. The ‘Towpath’ idea was inspired by the wet days when we used to ride along the Hackney towpaths to get to work. But these trousers are versatile enough to wear for anything you do outdoors. Heavy-duty, work wear inspired, tough looking trousers. Ergonomic cut side seams and articulation at the knee for riding. Grown on waistband. Back welt pocket. Hand pockets and concealed pocket. Mud brown | 30R, 30L, 32R, 32L, 34R, 34L, 36R, 36L, 38R | Regular active fit | 100% Epic cotton | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £125

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Twin Towns

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Twin Towns

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Twin Towns

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Twin Towns

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

If you were to go into a clothing factory you’d see all the wastage that occurs during the manufacture of clothing for all those brands out there. There’s tonnes of the stuff – cotton off-cuts and scraps all over the factory floor. You can probably hazard a guess at what most of them do with it too... yep, they bin it and send it all to landfill. Good cotton going to waste for no apparent reason. We wondered what could be done with that old junk. We figured we should try to make something new with it. So now we take all the cotton waste from those other brands and we recycle it. Those scraps are mulched into something that resembles cotton wool, ready for re-spinning into a new recycled cotton yarn.

Rawson jumper

And interestingly, because it’s a mix of all different grades of cotton, it gives these recycled cotton jumpers an irregular and washed out look and a really cosy soft hand feel.

Relaxed fit, V-neck jumper made from recycled cotton. This midweight knit is made from left over yarns that are usually thrown away. This gives it a slouchy and slightly slubby texture. Subtle two tone hem and rib. Contrast colour canoe embroidery on chest.

The irony is that most of the companies who are throwing that stuff away use chemicals to achieve that look.

All we do is sweep up and use what they throw away. 54

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Twin Towns

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Twin Towns

Men’s shirts

Alberto shirt

Carlos shirt

Shortsleeve, regular fit checked shirt. Crisp organic cotton poplin. Two chest pockets.

Longsleeve, regular fit gingham check shirt. Crisp organic cotton poplin. Two chest pockets.

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Twin Towns

Chris also wears the Nedster jacket in black. See page 52 for details. 63

Chubut shorts Slugger t-shirt

Lightweight easy-to-wear regular fit shorts. Button waistband and fly. J shape front pockets, coin pocket and two rear top stitched jeans style pockets.

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Twin Towns

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Young is fearless. Young is having no reservations. Young is thinking: Why not? Young is saying: Why not now? Young is not having to have a plan or a map or a reason. Young is expecting to succeed. Young is being willing to fail, spectacularly. Young is wanting to try it anyway. Young is falling on your ass and it not hurting, not really. Young is not ever looking down or back. Young is believing anything is possible. Young is what old was till it thought it knew better. Young Twin Towns is what old fears most.

Designed for the not-so-brave.

If you’ve ever dipped your toe in the seas off Cardigan Bay you’ll know it can get a bit nippy. In fact, during the colder months it’s really only a place for the bravest of surfers (and a few seals). We noticed that to get around that problem a lot of the folks who surf here were wearing our Merino baselayers under their wetsuits, I think it was Paul’s idea – he said they gave him added warmth that his regular rash vest didn’t provide and they dried out way quicker too. Our baselayers weren’t exactly designed with that use in mind, so we thought why not make a proper surf thermal? One that would really fit that purpose. So we took that original NBL of ours that the surfers liked so much and tweaked the cut to make it more like a proper rash vest. It’s a little longer and a little tighter, with some Lycra mixed into the knit so it fits better under your wetsuit. It also has a higher neckline, to stop you getting those pesky neckrub-hickey things. And we’ve flatlock stitched all of the seams to stop it rubbing anywhere else as well. To top it off we’ve added thumbholes on the sleeves, which help when putting your arms into your wetsuit. Now you shouldn’t have any excuses for not going in, wherever you live.

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Men’s Merino

New Bay Merino surf thermal After many years of hearing stories about people wearing our Merino base layers under wetsuits for extra warmth when they surf in our cold waters, we have finally designed one specifically to wear for surfing. With Lycra knitted in for an extra snug fit. Flatlocked seams that don’t rub your skin. High collar to protect your neck from wetsuit rubbing. Thumb holes so it’s easier to put your arms through your wetsuit arms. Extra long body length.

Vail tee A Merino t-shirt based on our classic regular fit t-shirt. Merino is perfect for spring as it keeps you warm when the weather is cold, but regulates your temperature and wicks away moisture when you get hot. Kermit green (above), True red (far left), Breton blue (left) | S, M, L, XL | Regular fit | 100% Merino wool | 190g | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £50

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Twin Towns

Men’s Merino

What is a base layer? It’s the first layer that you put on when you are doing sport. It will keep you warm when you are cold and cool when you are warm. It will naturally wick sweat away from your body and move it on to the next layer. Below: Joe Barnes, one of our team riders, in his van which doubles as home for much of the year. To see more about our teams, go to ‘howies.co.uk/info’ and click on ‘our sports’.

Stones boxer briefs Flatlocked seams make these suitable for all kinds of sports. Features a new waistband design where the elastic is encased in Merino fabric. This means you have warm wool next to your skin instead of nylon elastic that gets cold and soggy when wet. True red (top), Sunflower (bottom) | S, M, L, XL, XXL | Athletic fit | 100% Merino wool | 155g | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price £35

NBL light Base layer cut to hug the body. Ideal for high-intensity exercise. Subtle rib construction. Tiny holes in the fabric means that it wicks moisture, regulates temperature, stays odour free and doesn’t itch. Longsleeve: Breton blue (left) | Shortsleeve: Graphite/sunflower (main picture), Breton blue (see website) | S, M, L, XL | Athletic fit | 100% Merino wool | Machine wash | Made in Fiji | Price Short sleeve £45 Long sleeve £50

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Twin Towns

Probably the best Merino in the world...

These Henleys and polos are perfect for long summer days. Made from the finest New Zealand Merino, they will regulate your temperature perfectly throughout the day – keeping you cool in the midday sun, then insulating you after the sun has set. So let the Merino do all the hard work, you just concentrate on that nice cold beer.

Evan polo Lewis Henley

Regular fit, Merino wool polo shirt. Single pocket on chest. Button open placket. Merino wicks moisture, regulates temperature, stays odour free and doesn’t itch. Perfect for wearing every day.

Regular fit Merino wool, Henley style t-shirt. Merino wicks moisture, regulates temperature, stays odour free and doesn’t itch. Perfect for wearing every day.

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Men's t-shirts

Women's t-shirts

Clockwise from top left: Wood Doesn't Grow On Trees, Ride Like The Wind, Nothing Good Comes Easy, Rain Is Okay.

Clockwise from top left: Land of the Free, Peacock, These Boots, Slow Down.

We print the designs shown here on lots of other t-shirt colours too. And there are, as always, plenty more designs to choose from on our website:

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Building the road into the Andes, 1888

Fishermen, Newport, West Wales, 2009

Los Rifleros ride, Trevelin, Patagonia

The road down to Gabs nightclub, Cardigan, West Wales

Find your fit Loose fit Regular fit Slim fit

Land girl A slouchy loose-fitting chino that can be worn low down on the hip for a laid-back look. They are shorter in length than our usual trousers – the idea being that they are worn just over the ankle bone, or rolled over and turned up. Two slant front pockets and two welted back pockets. The perfect partner for a simple white t-shirt. Herb green (main picture), Safari (left below), Bluewash (right below), | 26R, 28R, 30R, 32R, 34R, 26L, 28L, 30L, 32L* | Loose fit | Organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £85 *regular length – 27”

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long length – 29”

Find your fit Loose fit Regular fit Slim fit

Iris jeans Regular fit jeans that skim the hips for an easy relaxed fit. Made from an easy-to-wear, lightweight organic denim. Based on an old favourite style called the Marys from 2005 but with new curved pockets on front and back. Drawcord waist that ties on the outside at the back. Buttons and loops on the legs for rolling up and fastening. Button fly. Perfect for wearing on the beach and rolling up for a paddle. Indigo | 26R, 28R, 30R, 32R, 34R, 26L, 28L, 30L, 32L | Regular fit | 7oz organic denim | Machine wash | Made in China | Price ÂŁ75

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Women’s jeans

Fella jeans Loose fit, five-pocket jeans with a slight bootcut. Button waistband and fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear jeans patch pockets. Triple needle-stitched on the inside and outside leg. We have updated the Fella fit with a flattering rise that covers the bum perfectly, the hip shape and leg cut have also been tweaked. Indigo | 26R, 28R, 30R, 32R, 34R, 26L, 28L, 30L, 32L | Loose fit | 120oz organic denim | Eco-ball washed for softness | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £75

Alys jeans Skinny fit, four pocket jeans. Button waistband and fly. Two side-entry welt hand pockets, two rear patch pockets. Triple needle-stitched on the inside and outside leg. We have updated and improved our skinny fit with a flattering rise that covers the bum perfectly, the hip shape and leg cut have also been tweaked to near perfection. Indigo | 26R, 28R, 30R, 32R, 34R, 26L, 28L, 30L, 32L | Skinny stretch fit | Organic stretch denim | Eco-ball washed for softness | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £75

Malarca jeans Regular bootcut fit, five-pocket jeans. Our 10oz organic cotton indigo denim has been updated with a chocolate colour overdye, which gives them the appearance of being old and battered. Button waistband and fly. Two front hand pockets, coin pocket and two rear patch pockets. Triple needle-stitched on the inside and outside leg. Over-dyed indigo | 26R, 28R, 30R, 32R, 34R | Regular bootcut fit | 10oz organic denim | Eco-ball washed for softness | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £85

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Clockwise from top left: our hosts Arturo & Rosa Lowndes, Vincent Evans, Lewis Thomas and Glenys Owen. 88

A gaucho from Lewis Thomas' Merino sheep farm. 89

Vantage Point jacket A hooded jacket made from Ventile cotton, perfectly showerproof to protect you from our sudden spring downpours. High quality Riri waterproof zip also help keep the elements at bay. Rope style drawcord and leather toggles secure and cinch the hood, while flaps conceal zip closed hand pockets big enough for a phone, purse and a compact camera. See page 22 for more info. Olive | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Regular fit | Organic cotton Ventile | Machine wash | Made in the UK | Price £275

Towpath Water-resistant trousers made from Epic cotton canvas. A work wear inspired tough looking trouser that has ergonomic cut side seams and articulation at the knee for riding. Back welt pocket. Hand pockets. Mud brown | 26R, 26L, 28R, 28L, 30R, 30L, 32R, 32L, 34R | Regular active fit | 100% Epic cotton | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £100

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Your new favourite t-shirt Why is it that no matter how many t-shirts you have in your wardrobe, you always reach for your favourite one? You know, the one you wear day in, day out and you wish you’d bought it in every colour. What is it about that t-shirt? Is it the softness? The fit? The way it hangs on your body? Well, we think we’ve found your new favourite t-shirt. It’s a mix of organic cotton and Tencel which is really soft, really comfortable and drapes beautifully when you wear it. We reckon that once you’ve tried it, you’ll be back for more. 92

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Your new favourite t-shirt

Silvia t-shirts Land girl shorts

A regular fit t-shirt that sits just below the waistband of your jeans so it doesn’t expose your midriff. Skims the body perfectly for a clean silhouette.

Simple styled regular fit chino shorts. Two slant front pockets and two welted back pockets. Straight leg finishing just above the knee.

Crew neck comes in white only

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Maria t-shirt dress A great little throw-on tunic dress that can be worn layered in spring or on its own if we ever get a hot summer. Cap sleeves and cut to skim curves rather than hug. Button front and keyhole tie detail at the back of the neck. Drop-waist seam with curved pockets. White (above), Navy (right) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Organic and Fairtrade cotton | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price ÂŁ50

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Esther shirt Short-sleeve shirt in a fine soft voile fabric. Peter Pan collar, puff sleeves, deep cuffs, full length front button opening. Chest patch pockets. Scooped hem front longer than back. Curved shoulder and back patches with small gathers. Old rose (left), Bluewash (top), White (bottom) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Regular fit | Organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price ÂŁ60

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Lydia jacket A great midweight organic cotton jacket. Perfect for layering and keeping out the early spring chill. Chest pocket big enough for an iPod and phone and two perfectly sized hand pockets. Full zip and drawcord at hem. Otter (left), Breton blue (below) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Regular fit | Organic cotton twill | Machine wash | Made in China | Price ÂŁ95

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Alwen cardigan

Apron skirt

A simple fine-knit organic cotton cardigan. Has a pointelle hole pattern all over the cardigan which gives it a subtle lace effect. Small gathers at top of sleeve. Low V-neck. Hip length. Small curved pockets on front.

A wraparound skirt 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 front or back. Welly green (top), Indigo denim (bottom) | 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 | Organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in China | Price £55 (welly green) | Price £65 (denim)

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Note: this is not the technical bike wear section 105

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dresses

Mary dress Rosa tunic dress A printed organic cotton crepon collarless shirt dress. Half button front with curved pockets at front. Perfect for wearing with a cardi and the slim Alys jeans. Butterfly and flower print designed by local illustrator Millie Marotta. White | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Organic cotton crepon | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price ÂŁ80

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A forties-style button-through dress. Wear on its own, wear over jeans or wear over our Trevelin shorts with the buttons undone at the bottom. Organic cotton poplin with a print designed by local illustrator Millie Marrotta. Sleeves fold back to form cuff, button through front, curved pockets and a tie belt. Bluewash (above), True red (right) | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Organic cotton poplin | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price ÂŁ90 Twin Towns

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Day 9: Puerto Madryn, Patagonia Weather– sun, cloud, rain, sun, cloud, rain etc. etc. Bloomin WINDY! Spent the day in Puerto Madryn today – one word – WINDY! It's so windy and dusty it's ridiculous, must be gale force. Apparently it's like this for half of the year, blowing a gale from the desert. 108

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Molino cardigan Shortsleeve cardigan with a honeycomb texture knit made from recycled cotton. Great for an extra layer of warmth when worn with dresses or tops. Made from the leftover yarns which are usually thrown away, giving it a slightly slubby texture. Gets softer and softer the more it’s worn. High rib collar. Hand pockets. Wooden buttons on cream and shell buttons on Breton blue.

Flip-flop top Reversible vest with a scooped neck and loose body. Double layer of organic cotton t-shirt that’s plain one side and stripey the other. Left to right: Navy/cream, True red/ cream, Grey marl/cream | 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Regular fit | Organic cotton | Machine wash | Made in Portugal | Price £45

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Anna’s diary from the trip Puerto Madryn

Trevelin

Rifleros horse ride

November 25th Parade

The Chilean border

We arrive to heavy rain, but as it clears it looks breathtaking.

Arturo, our guide, drops us at our cabin, Rincones del Sur Trevelin. Beautiful view.

The horsemen ride in traditional dress. They ride to the top peak of Trevelin, to look down as the first settlers did all those years ago.

The parade is a massive deal for the whole town. Everyone has the day off work.

Today we visited a chap called Marvyn Evans. He is building his own aeroplane and a couple of gliders. Nutter (in a good way).

The swell in the sea is massive, waves crashing against the caves below, where the first settlers would have camped. The wind is so harsh, feels like we’re being sand-blasted. The whales have also left town. Was pretty gutted about this. Played on the beach for a while and Lydia went in the sea, brave girl. We sheltered for a while in a nice café for lunch. The view was beautiful. As it was just out of season a lot of places were shut. Dust and sand blowing everywhere, ice cream stands shut, the bright colours of the signs hidden by the whirling wind.

That afternoon we were picked up to go to a tea party hosted by Rosa, Arturo’s wife at their farm. He farms cherries. The cherries are then used for Trevelin and Esquel’s tea shop jam. Horses lazing in the chilly sun, old work sheds full of trucks and gadgets. A room for the workers with a long old table for cherry counting. The sun streaming through the windows, an old organ is playing in the background and people singing. The tea party was amazing. The most cakes and fancies I have ever seen. Three sittings of cake, served by Rosa and Irme Jones. Arturo is playing the organ, Roland singing, people talking. Lydia speaking Welsh, me trying! Jack laughing a lot and plans made for the rest of the stay.

The ride starts and ends at School 18 – the school in which the Argentinians and Welsh came together to vote on whether to be Welsh or Argentinian. We get a phone call when leaving the School. Lydia has been asked to carry the Welsh Society flowers the next day at the 25th November Parade. This is a real honour. We laugh, she can’t wait. Johnny Cash plays on the truck radio! Where are we? Is this Wales or Patagonia?! I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s real.

Each farmer shows his tractor, each gaucho rides his horse, each Riflero is in tradtional dress, each club shows their talents. Every school marches, all the public services march in their uniforms. They celebrate the arrival of the Rifleros in Cwm Hyfryd in 1885. Each community member remembers the culture, the tradition and the stories of the past. In the evening we head to a concert in the Welsh hall. The choirs and musicians all come together to celebrate the day in song. The local Welsh choir was there to sing and we were the guests of honour! We felt very important.

We also visited the farm of Glenys Owen. An amazing woman. Story has it that she once made a citizen’s arrest of some robbers, tying her horse to their car and escorting them to the police station. That’ll be the Welsh in her. Legend around town. Her Dad was from Llanrwst in Wales.

Gaiman We headed there to track down Rachel Davies – a lady with howies ancestry – a long lost relative of Pete, our designer. We have our last cup of tea and our last supper with Arturo and friends. Pack bags and bed.

This trip was a real eye opener for me. Not because I haven’t seen some amazing places before, but more down to the amazing people that we met. Their incredible generosity and their openness in telling us their life stories made the trip so good. To meet a group of people who are so proud of their heritage and still so connected to it, despite being thousands of miles from their ancestor’s Welsh roots. Patagonia made me want to research my family history, to find out a little about my ancestors and reconnect with my past. I wonder what I will find. Anna Felton

We stay until the sun goes down. We eat so much cake we don’t need to eat dinner.

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The sleeves come off easily so you don’t. Our new jacket turns into a gilet. It has Quickburst® zips, which mean you can pull off the sleeves while you're riding. You won’t have to stop. This may save you all of thirty seconds. Or a face full of dirt. You choose. (see page 36 for more details) 114

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vRsH

“

I have tested these in the wind, hail, rain, sleet and snow all on one trip and they kept me dry and were comfortable to ride in. I layered them with the women’s Taith leggings* which was a fantastic combination for cold weather riding. Everyone else I went riding with was cold in their wet Lycra, I think they will all be buying a pair of these when they come out. Our Mel.

”

Slipstream bike top

Teri bike shorts

Slim-fit bike top with half-zip opening. Rear back pockets. Made from 100% Merino wool. Zque accredited. Wicks moisture and regulates your temperature. It doesn’t itch and it feels great next to your skin. Flat locked seams for comfort.

Engineered bike shorts for active use with ergonomic cut seams packed with functional features. Stretch Epic water-resistant cotton, will protect you from the elements. Adjustable hook and loop waist tabs. Hand pockets with internal stash pocket. Side storage cargo pockets. Concealed zip mesh vents integrated into ergonomic front seams. Phone pocket. Elastic waist. Poppers at waistband to fit standard liners.

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* Taith Merino leggings available at howies.co.uk 117

Last one up the mountain stinks?

Look here, it’s about your... Well, it’s about your polyester base layer... How can we put this nicely..? Sorry, there’s no two ways about it, no beating about the bush, we’ll just have to come right out and say it: Yeeeuw. That whiffs! No, it’s not you. It’s your base layer. And your bacteria. So why is it man-made base layers stink so bad after wearing them a few times? It’s all down to chemistry. Petro-chemistry, that is. Man-made base layers are all made from oil. They’ve got some good things going for them, like they’re cheap, they look good and they sell well. They do an ok job of wicking sweat away and they dry fast. So how come they smell so fast too? The problem is, though they claim to be breathable, it’s only the holes in the weave of the fabric that breathe, not the fabric itself. At rest, the body may lose half a litre of water per day through perspiration. Riding hard up a mountain, that can rise to one litre an hour. The job of a base layer is to get that perspiration away from the body fast. The problem with a man-made fibre is that it can only absorb up to 5% of its weight in moisture. (No wonder it dries fast.) 118

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In comparison, Merino fibre can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture, which means it can move the perspiration away from the body faster. Meanwhile, back under the stink-layer, things are hotting up. The sweat that can’t get away is condensing on the skin and the bacteria can start to get to work. The synthetic fibres are a playground for bacteria because the fibres are so uniform and easy to cling to. They soon set up camp, light a fire and make lunch. Merino fibres, on the other hand, are coated with microscopic scales that make it hard for the bacteria to grab hold of, proving once again nature is much smarter than man. To stop the stink, you have to kill off the bacteria with a 60 degree wash. Except you can only wash man-made base layers at 40 degrees. So some manufacturers coat their fibres in heavy-metal ions, so called anti-microbials, to kill off bacteria on-site. That is, on you. But these tend to wash out after 30-50 washes. And those heavy-metal particles you haven’t sweated off onto your skin are washed into the water supply. And that stinks too, no?

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Women’s Merino

Vail tee

NBL light

Merino wool top based on our regular fit t-shirt. Merino is a great versatile fabric as it keeps you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot. This t-shirt is perfect for everyday wear and active use, and it’s the ideal thing to take away when you travel.

Cut to hug the body, perfect for high-intensity exercise, subtle rib construction, tiny holes in the fabric means that it wicks moisture, regulates temperature, stays odour free and doesn’t itch. 100% Zque accredited Merino.

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Taith Merino leggings (pictured right and previous spread) available at howies.co.uk

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Women’s underwear

This underwear has been made from an amazing fibre called Modal. Modal is a natural material made from the humble Beech tree. The fibres are ultra smooth, which makes the fabric feel softer than cotton. Unlike cotton it remains soft, wash after wash, as the soap scum has nothing to cling on to. It also doesn’t lose its colour. Oh, and wood also has natural hygienic properties and is completely biodegradable. We used a fine circular knitting process when we made this underwear to make sure that there are no annoying seams.

Mimosa vest Pretty girly-looking vest that has been knitted in one piece so there are no side seams. Adjustable straps. Rib section around bust and back for a close fit. Small holey pattern knitted within top edge of vest for venting. Small buttons on front chest. Elasticated lace trim along top edge.

The Modal fibre is made by an Austrian company called Lenzing. The beech trees are sustainably grown and the wood pulp is turned into fibre in a closed loop process, which uses up to twenty times less water than cotton production. Any waste is used for by-products.

Pretty impressive, huh? It makes other underwear seem like ‘pants’.

Mimosa brief Short-style briefs. Knitted in one piece so there are no side seams only one small flat-locked seam where the fabric is sewn together. Rib section at sides for a snug fit. Small holey pattern knitted within top edge of briefs for venting. Small buttons on front. Elasticated lace trim around waist and leg openings.

Mimosa leggings Ankle length leggings that have been knitted in one piece. The only seams are on the inside leg which has been flat-locked for comfort. Double layer rib waistband and hems for snug fit.

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Second skin Merino jumper

Slugger t-shirt Regular fit baseball style t-shirt. Organic cotton jersey fabric with sleeves in a contrast colour. Shaped hem.

Relaxed fit crew neck jumper. Beautiful fine-gauge knit made from extra-fine 21 micron Merino. Our Merino is the highest quality New Zealand Merino and it is Zque accredited. This will become a classic howies staple, with all the properties of our Merino base layers but in a crew neck jumper that can be worn every day, work or play.

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So one night I’m having dinner with my parents and my Dad asks, “How’s work, what are you working on?” “We’re just starting a new catalogue,” I say. “It’s all about the Welsh colonies in Patagonia.” “Oh yes? My cousin Rachel is over there, you know,” he says in a matter-of-fact way. “What?” “Yeah, you had family emigrate out there.” I nearly choked on my spaghetti. I know my aunts, uncles, cousins and whatnot in Australia and America but thought that was it, to be honest. Turns out my granddad, Albert Davies, had a brother named Howel who went out to Patagonia in 1925 and married an Argentinian girl. Their daughter, Rachel, was born in 1930. “Can we get hold of her?” I ask. “I only met her once,” he said. “But we never really kept in touch.” He went on to tell me about a time in the mid-60s when he was twenty-something and there was a knock at his door.

Fact: Rachel’s father Howel Davies was once 128 Mayor of the town of Gaiman. 6

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It was a young lady he’d never seen before, claiming to be his cousin from Patagonia. She was visiting Wales in order to trace her family history and had managed to track him down. He’d had no idea he even had a cousin on that side of his family. At first she spoke to him in Welsh with a strange Spanish twang in her accent. But after realising my Dad couldn’t understand a word of it she resorted to broken English. She stayed for a few days before returning to South America. Then they sadly lost contact. “Great, I’ll get Anna to phonebook her when she gets to Patagonia,” I say. Bit like finding a needle in a needlestack, I think. Anyway, we passed the name on to Arturo, our Patagonian guide. “Oh I know Rachel Davies,” he says. “She lives in Gaiman.” Surely not the same one? It can’t be. Not that easily? I mean, how many Davies’s must there be out there? It’s a big country. With quite a few Welsh people. With Welsh names... like Davies. “I’ll arrange a visit,” Arturo says.

I passed on the vague details that my Dad could remember about that side of his family, just so we knew if we had the right person or not. Anyway, when Anna got to Patagonia she was taken to a large farm in Gaiman to meet this Rachel. They all had a sit-down and a cup of tea. Anna remarked straight away on how she looked like me – except much older and a woman. Rachel confirmed that she did grow up in Patagonia and did indeed visit Wales during the mid-60s and did indeed travel to South Wales and did indeed meet my Dad, so was in fact my Dad’s long-lost cousin. Crazy huh? Anna passed on my Dad’s contact details to her and the next day Rachel called him and they had a good old chin-wag for the first time in forty-something years. My Dad has since learned quite a bit from her about his family history and I am now his favourite son. They are planning a reunion this year. Genealogy is cool, isn’t it? Pete Davies, Head of art at howies

My dad’s dad’s long-lost brother’s daughter

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Annaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new cold water buddy.

The New Bay surf thermal has been in the trusty surf bag for months now. The cold and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get on too well, so when Mel asked me to test the surf vest it seemed like it would soon become my new cold water buddy. The added length in the body makes it easier to tuck in to my wetsuit. The thumb holds are perfect for not losing the sleeve in the suit and the extra high neck meant no more rubbing in the cold seas. Perfect. The shape of the side panels also made for a relaxed and comfy surf. The thermal has been with me through some great surfs and some bad, but the warmth factor has still kept me smiling. I will continue to wear it all year round, not only for the warmth the Merino provides and how quickly it dries but also for the comfort. Words: Anna Kayaker: Nums 130

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Women’s surfwear

New Bay Merino surf thermal Corker boardies

After many years of hearing stories about people wearing our Merino base layers under wetsuits for extra warmth when they surf in our cold waters, we have finally designed one specifically to wear for surfing. With Lycra knitted in for an extra-snug fit. Flatlocked seams don’t rub your skin. High collar to protect your neck from wetsuit rubbing. Thumb holes make it easier to put your arms through your wetsuit. Extra-long body length.

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Reading { twinned with } Speightstown, Barbados Bristol { twinned with } Beira, Mozambique

{ twinned with } Skegness

{ twinned with } Camden

{ twinned with } Lambeth

Bad Gandersheim, Germany Mochudi, Botswana Bluefields, Nicaragua

Chesterfield { twinned with } Tsumeb, Namibia

{ twinned with } Tower Hamlets

Exeter { twinned with } Yaroslavi, Russia

{ twinned with } Liverpool

{ twinned with } Sefton

{ twinned with } Norwich

{ twinned with } Whitby

Waimea, Hawaii

{ twinned with } Henley on Thames

Borama, Somalia

{ twinned with } Wincanton

Ottery St. Mary { twinned with } Otari, Japan Tiverton { twinned with } Kabale, Uganda Hull { twinned with } Freetown, Sierra Leone Basildon { twinned with } Gweru, Zimbabwe Billericay { twinned with } Billerica, Massachusetts

Mödling, Austria Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Gdansk, Poland El Viejo, Nicaragua

Ankh-Morpork, Discworld (fictional)

Gloucester { twinned with } St. Ann, Jamaica

{ twinned with } Haworth

Machu Picchu, Peru

Bolton { twinned with } Le Mans, France

{ twinned with } Keighley

Manzini, Swaziland

Bury { twinned with } Datong, China

{ twinned with } Leeds

Manchester { twinned with } Los Angeles, California

{ twinned with } Glasgow

St. Albans { twinned with } Nyíregyháza, Hungary

{ twinned with } Hay-on-Wye

Blackpool { twinned with } Bottrop, Germany

{ twinned with } Swansea

Leicester { twinned with } Masaya, Nicaragua

{ twinned with } Kensington & Chelsea

Grimsby { twinned with } Banjul, Gambia

Source: Wikipedia

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Luton { twinned with } Spandau, Germany

{ twinned with } Swindon

Ulan Bator, Mongolia Havana, Cuba Timbuktu, Mali Bydgoszcz, Poland Cannes, France Disney World, Florida

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Boy's t-shirts

Girl's t-shirts

Clockwise from top left: When I Grow Up, Rad Dog, Waverider, Return To Simple.

Clockwise from top left: When I Grow Up, Cool Cat, Lucky, Mr Owl.

We print the designs shown here on lots of other t-shirt colours too. And there are, as always, plenty more designs to choose from on our website:

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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.

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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 Patagonia.

Call 01239 614 122 or visit howies.co.uk

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

Go get the fun!

Twin Towns

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

141

Find your love. You know that dream you carry around with you each day? It’s kinda important. Wasn’t it what you were put on planet Earth to do? They say everyone has a calling, can you still hear it? Doesn’t it eat away at you? That treadmill you are on, did it ever get too much? Did you ever wonder what it would be like to do your thing? Did you ever feel time was passing you by? Just how many days have you left before your last? Did you ever wonder about stuff like that? Did you ask yourself ’what was stopping you?’ There is never a right time. You will be too old. Too young. Too something or other. When was the last time you took a risk? Did you remember how alive it made you feel? There are no guarantees of success. It’s not called a leap of faith for nothing. It’s not too late, honest. Jump. You might fall. You might fly.

Written by David Hieatt, co-founder of howies for the Autumn 2005 catalogue. David ’jumped’ and left howies at the end of 2009, we reckon he will fly in whatever he does next.

142

Call 01239 614 122 or visit howies.co.uk

Twin Towns

143

Diolch (that’s thanks in Welsh) howies Bath House Road Cardigan SA43 1JY Telephone 01239 614 122 London shop 42 Carnaby Street London W1F 7DY Telephone 0207 287 2345 Bristol shop 62 Queens Road Bristol BS8 1RE Telephone 0117 929 8928 Cardigan sale shop Bridge Warehouse Teifi Wharf Cardigan SA43 3AA Telephone 01239 623 745 www.howies.co.uk

Design and art direction by Nick Hand, Pete Davies and Aron Jones. Wordy help from Jon Matthews. Produced by Millie Marotta. Patagonia photography by James Bowden and Anna Felton. Wales photography by Paul Bliss, Jon Cherry, Ruben Lightfoot, Jon Heslop, Paul Fenrich and Nick Hand. Styling by Anna Felton. Product photography and styling by Mojo Photography. Illustrations by Nicholas Saunders (pages 31, 42 & 136) and Sinead Evans (pages 6 & 33). Thank you to all who helped on this one. To Lydia, Jack and Elida. And in Patagonia – Arturo Lowndes and family and all the Trevelin folk for their hospitality. In Wales – thank you to John Adams Lewis for his help with research and for putting us in touch with so many great people. To the riders – Robbo, Joe Barnes, Pipe, Aiden, Chris Jones. And to Naomi, Chris, Pat and Jess, thanks for braving the Welsh weather. T-shirts designed by Tidy Mike (Ride Like The Wind), Andy J Miller (Nothing Good), Marcus Oakley (Rain Is Okay, Slow Down, Rad Dog and Mr Owl), Pete Davies (Wood Doesn’t Grow On Trees, Land Of The Free, These Boots, Peacock and Return To Simple) and Marcus Walters (When I Grow Up, Waverider, Lucky and Cool Cat). Archive Patagonia pictures (pages 8 and 78) by John Murray Thomas and the receipt and journal on the inside cover are courtesy of Archives and Special Collections, Bangor University. Hawlfraint Adran Archifau a Chasgliadau Arbennig, Prifysgol Bangor. Copyright Archives and Special Collections, Bangor University. Clipper painting (pages 4-5) is from a sea chest at Mary-Ann’s Cottage in Caithness. Nick shot that one while on his travels. Printed by Westdale Press, Cardiff. Paper is Regency Kiara an FSC certified paper and Regency Gloss, a Howard Smith paper. howies is a registered trademark. All designs are © howies 2010. All rights reserved. All wrongs reversed.