As seen in Traitors III, Yorkshire brand Rydale Country Clothing has outdoor fashion from dry coat changing robes to fleece dog coats

Rydale fans tend to be country life enthusiasts who might live in Yorkshire, perhaps, or the Cotswolds. “Our shoppers include equestrians, shooters, hikers, anglers, and everyone in between – even city dwellers love our quintessentially British designs,” says Rachel Ashton, head designer, and an outdoor events veteran who has worked for the brand for 28 years.

Established in 1954, Rydale prides itself on bridging the gap between style and practicality for outdoorsy types, offering a range of clothing and accessories for men, women, children and pets.

The brand is part of the Yorkshire Trading Company, a family-owned and run business since 1954, when John Nichols opened its first store. Today, it has 34 shops and nearly 600 employees working at its head office in Driffield. Rydale launched from an outdoor events clothing company started by Molly Nichols (John’s wife) and run by her sons Paul and Robert Nichols.

“Paul had a vision to provide farmers, shooters, dog walkers and equestrians with gear that performs well for their daily activities,” Rachel says. “Having already built relationships with manufacturers, starting a new brand was achievable. So, Rydale Country Clothing was born.

“The brand name ‘Rydale’ came from a flash of inspiration while trading at the Royal Show at Stoneleigh, and is a nod to our roots in the heart of Yorkshire. The scripted logo was handwritten by Paul when the brand debuted, and is still a huge part of Rydale today.”

Every design begins in-house in Driffield. “We have manufacturers in the UK, Italy, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China.” Rachel says. “Most factories are dealt with directly and we’ve built strong relationships with them over the years.”

Rachel describes Rydale’s designs as “understated country wear for everyday comfort”. There is an impressive range of styles from fleeces and smart walking trousers to shirts, tweeds and chino skirts, rugby shirts and shorts, knitwear, brogues, boots, wellies and hats - and a collection of dog coats and jumpers, bandanas, leads, plus accessories for horses including some lovely quilted saddle bags.

“We know our customers value timeless style as well as impressive functionality, and we use this as a driving force when creating new products,” says Rachel. “Our designs are rooted in practicality, giving country folk a wardrobe full of versatile country gear that never lets them down. But that’s not to say we neglect aesthetics in favour of performance.

“We also take great care in choosing the softest, thickest, and most hard-wearing fabrics, so

getting this spot-on took time and patience.”

Wearing and testing the clothing herself for warmth, comfort, durability, and waterproofing helps Rachel with making design improvements.

“Being outdoors in all weathers at all different types of events helps me understand which clothing pieces we need to add into the range to fill huge gaps in the market,” she adds.

Everything is delivered, stored and dispatched from Rydale’s 200,000 sq ft warehouse in Driffield.

The brand sells internationally through rydale.com, launched in 2015, as well as at outdoor events during the summer months. “We travel to outdoor events all over the country, including Cornwall, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland,” she says. “At Badminton and Burghley Horse Trials, as well as the Game Fair, many international customers attend, which has helped build brand awareness.”

Rachel herself loves to wear Rydale’s country check shirts. “We made such a good job of the men’s shirts that we introduced the ladies’ version to our clothing range early on.” she says. “The fabric is super soft, warm and comfortable for all-day wear.”

Lockdown saw an increase in demand for quality outdoor clothing. “Products that became more popular as a result include walking boots, wellingtons, dog jumpers and walking trousers. Even now, they’re still a popular choice for customers,” Rachel says.

“Obviously, lockdown cancelled all outdoor events which had a big impact on us. This left us with only online channels to retail Rydale. Fortunately, we were well positioned to meet the increased demand created, due to people having more time to spend outdoors while furloughed.

“In the short term, we made a decision to contact our suppliers and cancel upcoming orders placed specifically for the events, but this was reversed when we realised the website was entering a strong period of growth.”

Recently, Rydale launched his and hers utility changing robes, which look like long, stylish coats on the outside but have fleecy linings which makes them ideal for throwing on when you are damp and cold, perhaps after wild water swimming, or on a particularly soggy walk or ride.

This year, there are plans for a series of pop-up sales around the country. “We tried this at York Auction Mart just before Christmas 2024 and it proved quite popular,” Rachel says. All events will be advertised via Rydale’s social media platforms.

“We’re also introducing a few additions to our product range. New tweed fabrics will be added to our British Made tweed range, as well as a new design of long leather boots, great for the stable and for dog walking.”

rydale.com