Wainwright walks into fashion

The famously private and gruff author of the definitive guides to the Lake District fells is the driving force behind a new dress code on British streets, Debenhams said.

The "Wainwright chic" effect had seen niche, all-weather clothing styles "making the leap from crag edge to the catwalk" with demand for hiking-style jackets, rucksacks and boots soaring following a series of TV and radio programmes about his life.

Paul Baldwin, director of menswear buying, said: "We're calling it Wainwright chic. Men and women have fallen in love with the rugged outdoor image the hill climbing clothing style portrays.

"At one time, these specialist clothes would have been bought only by long-distance hill walkers and mountaineers. Now, however, you're more likely to see them worn on the streets of Kensington and Chelsea than Scafell or Grisedale Pike."