When I worked as a pub waitress in the country village I grew up in, every now and again a group or a couple would wander in from London.
The pub was usually a mix of locals and pensioners spending a break away, but when the DFLs (Down from Londons), as we called them, did visit they were instantly recognisable; their Barbours were pristine and clearly not battered by wind or rain, their hiking boots or wellies barely worn (no one locally used hiking boots; it was Kent not the Hebrides), and they wore sunglasses in the winter. Coats would be unsealed to reveal Fairisle jumpers (no one I knew, even the adults, owned one), and they’d always take up a lot of space on the sofas by the fire. They talked a lot about how picturesque the village was, and how nice it was to “get out the city”. As a 15-year-old desperate to be AA Gill (a lofty aim), all I wanted was to get to the city, and start my life in earnest. In my eyes, and I would argue the view of wider culture, the British countryside was quiet, static and a bit of a time warp. All the exciting things happened in London; that was where the ideas, action and progressiveness lived.
Barbour x GANNI Waxed Duffle Coat, £545
Well, all that seems to have shifted. The great British countryside is very much ‘in’. The DFL uniform I identified as a teen is now worn by at least a handful of commuters every time I travel from South East London to Central London to work or meetings. Fashion has enthusiastically adopted a traditional version of rural dress; barn jackets shot to popularity last year, plaid shirts are back and even Katie Holmes wears a Barbour now. Chunky British knitwear is having a resurgence; Kiltane, &Daughter, Navygrey and Herd leading the way, with Fairisle jumpers taking a starring role. Hiking boots re-entered fashion circles a few years ago, and the last few months have seen walking shoes (Keen is a popular choice), become a part of the urbanite wardrobe. Head to any East London pub and you’ll find people wearing outdoorsy brands like Patagonia and The North Face despite having not left the city in months.
“Fashion is always a reflection of the bigger picture and what’s happening in society and wider culture,” says stylist and writer Alex Fullerton, who lives with her family in rural Norfolk. “Country life is something that more and more former city-dwellers are drawn to, for mental health, physical and financial reasons. Post-pandemic, it’s no longer a given that one needs to live in the capital (or any city) to access interesting people or to do a job. The fashion world has noticed and reflected back how we are living today.”
Alex Fullerton
British knitwear brand Herd has become a favourite among editors over the past few months, with its Fairisle and cable knits now heralded in the same way a pair of YSL loafers might be. The draw is the quality and story; Herd’s signature yarn is made from 100% Bluefaced Leicester fleeces within just 150 miles of the farms in Yorkshire, North West England. The brand has grown 39% year on year in the past 12 months. “We’ve seen excellent growth, and this is linked to the rise in interest in ‘countrycore’, an aesthetic built on being outside in nature and celebrating the history and beauty of the countryside,” says Herd founder Ruth Alice Rands. “Herd is all about connection to landscape, craft and community and we grew from deep roots into where our materials come from. Country life has a reassuring appeal, a steadiness and longevity, opposed to the fast pace of technology and global events, which many find comforting right now.”
Herd Fleetwood Jumper in Damson, £495
The appeal of country life isn’t prompted only by fashion insiders. In entertainment, Traitors and Rivals have cast rural spots in a new light. Traitors host Claudia Winkleman now wields so much style influence that The Times said she might even be responsible for the return of the ever-divisive flares. Our modern way of hybrid working is also a factor. The exodus of urbanites to more bucolic destinations is well documented and began during the pandemic when a ‘race for space’ began and London’s population fell by 75,000. Although the capital is now attracting rural residents once again, attitudes have changed – British cities are certainly no longer the only place to find interesting people, jobs and forward-thinking mindsets. “The turn towards the British countryside can be understood as both an aesthetic and ideological shift,” explains Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst at strategic foresight consultancy, The Future Laboratory. “As urbanisation is projected to exceed 90% of the population in the UK by 2050 (Statista), everyday life is becoming denser, louder and more overstimulating. Against this backdrop, the countryside offers an alternative imaginary: one grounded in continuity – in land, labour and history.”
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In travel, a great portion of the country’s chicest hotels are found outside the M25, from The Bull Charlbury and Cliveden House in Berkshire to The Pig’s collection of assorted outposts. Established travel journalist and Citizen Femme reviewer Gina Jackson says that the way country hotels look has fundamentally changed. Her favourites include Heckfield Place, The Newt in Somerset, and Fowlescombe Farm. “Gone are the dated, fusty interiors of generations past. Instead, muted palettes and quiet minimalism reigns in some of the country’s best hotels,” she says. “British rural hotels have really upped the ante of late. They’re no longer just places to stay when you’re visiting a destination; they are the destination. Think all-frills spas, padel courts, multiple restaurants and bars under one roof, and even two-day wellness retreats.” What’s also interesting, she explains, is the shift in demographic. ‘It’s not just older generations heading to these places for weekends away. For younger generations, a weekend staycation can be just as appealing as a city break abroad, and a stay at somewhere like Estelle Manor can be seen as the ultimate status symbol.”
Heckfield Place
As Coffey of The Future Laboratory points out, the roots of our changing perspective on the British countryside, whether we want to move there, holiday somewhere rural or just dress the part, is far from surface. It is a direct counterbalance to our frenzied, screen-orientated lives. “Country living provides clarity, restoration and emotional recalibration,” she says. “At its core, this is about a shift in how time is experienced and valued. Country living privileges slow, repeating patterns shaped by seasons, weather, daylight and the body, rather than immediacy, speed or constant responsiveness. Life is organised around cycles: planting and harvest, light and dark, rest and exertion, maintenance and renewal.”
Image credit: Jon Tonks
It doesn’t mean that city life is over and that everyone in fashion will move to farms. Some of us, myself included, will forever be urban dwellers, but the idea of “touching grass” – a term made popular by TikTokers – is something we want to incorporate into our lives. “The city is becoming a site for reimagination,” says Coffey. “Rather than retreating from urban life entirely, many consumers are seeking to import rural values into the city – through craft, material artisanship and community-led spaces. The outdoors is no longer defined by remoteness, but by accessibility, identity and belonging. In this sense, the resurgence of countryside aesthetics reflects less a rejection of the city, and more a demand that urban environments evolve to support slower, more human-centred ways of living.”
But back to clothes and the benefits of a country-coded wardrobe? Practicality. “From waxed jackets to keep off the rain, natural colours to blend into the landscape and cosy fabrics to keep warm while outside, every garment has a specific role,” says Fullerton. “Layers are key because one moment you’re shivering in a field and next you’re sitting by a roaring fire. Wearing wool, preferably from British sheep is essential.” Jeans should be avoided because they’re heavy and stiff when wet, and if you want to avoid looking like you’re in costume, then choose a baseball cap to offset your look. “From a style perspective, British heritage has been an aesthetic that has evolved and endured over centuries,” says Rand. “Natural materials and fabrics, warmth and practicality are foundations. It’s comforting to the core.”
THE COOLEST BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE SPOTS FOR 2026:
Yorkshire
Yorkshire by Illiya Vjestica
Emerald Fennell’s forthcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights will drive tourists this year. Head to Malton in North Yorkshire and its booming food scene. The Talbot is great for pub lunches and dinners, Roost for incredible coffee, and Florian Poirot, a French patisserie with a wonderful macaron selection.
STAY: West Cawthorne where chic renovated barns, sit alongside A-Frame cabins, all with beautiful views.
East Kent
Deal seafront by Jayjayli
You’ve heard of Margate, but have you been to Deal? Often overlooked in favour of gritty Margate or genteel Whitstable, this coastal town is now home to a rising number of creatives. It boasts a pretty pier, a charming high street and a number of great pubs. Don’t miss its renowned sunsets either. Folkestone, a short drive away, is home to the UK’s largest urban outdoor exhibition of contemporary art, so make sure you pay a visit.
STAY: The Rose, a former pub turned boutique hotel that’s cosy in the winter and has an enclosed courtyard for summer drinks.
South Devon coast
The Bull Inn, Totnes
The English Riviera is more than just a beautiful coastline. Tick off foodie spots at Ashburton (Briar Bakery and Emilia, a British-Italian restaurant from the same minds behind Ducksoup and Little Duck the Picklery in London), and for pub lunches, head to The Bull Inn in Totnes, a town known for its bohemian sensibility. It’s filled with second-hand bookshops, vintage stores, and galleries.
STAY: Fowlescombe Farm, which opened at the foothills of Dartmoor National Park last year.
Lead image: Herd
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