Aquascutum anorak

As tough as Edmund Hillary's original

Product

Aquascutum anorak

Promise

No brand has such a famously adventurous history as Aquascutum. The British outerwear specialist has clothed thousands of adventurers in their excursions to every corner of the world – and what’s more, they’ve let them do it in style.

Performance

The new 2009 model anorak is crafted from the same material that clothed Sir Edmund Hillary as he peaked Everest. A combination weave of cotton and nylon poplin makes a windproof and tear-resistant outer shell in a lightweight jacket that reeks of historical greatness.

Verdict

As tough as the original? Considering the distance that fabrics have come, it’s better than the originals could ever be. Museum pieces these are not – tough and active, but still just as much at home on the back of a pavement-pounding night owl.