Helly Hansen v Jane Nor
A cutting taken from parent company Edinburgh Woolen Mill but branching off as a brand within its own right, Jane Nor, having found its legs in the 1990s, was the epitome of cool and was the defining feature of girlhood way back in my first year of high school, circa 2007. So what was the masculine counterpart? I hear you ask. No need to fret as I will reveal all before the completion of this sentence, so without further ado, let me present to you: Mr Helly Hansen.
It is only through thorough research that I am led to believe that the popularity of Helly Hansen and Jane Norman exclusively, was, lo and behold, a geographic anomaly. Much to my amazement, it turned out that my small-town high school wasn’t actually capital of cool (think if Napoleon Dynamite was set in Scotland), regardless, I do see the appeal of these brands despite being immune to their charm at the time. For every Mr puffy-esque H/H jacket was a Jane Nor bag in its characteristic girlish font reminiscent of a funky friends product featuring butterflies, love hearts, you get the drift. In those days tribe mentality was strong, we’re talking peak neds versus moshers territory here. The controversy behind which pack you belonged to, whether you affiliated with them by choice or were otherwise informed, was high on everyone’s agenda. Whether you did or did not prescribe to the trends of the time ultimately dictated which group you were allocated to. Needless to say, I had no Jane Nor bag to speak of ergo Ich bin ein mosher, not really but I did have a pair of converse, which I remember being told sealed the deal.
Personal politics, I know, a serious matter, not to be taken lightly. After recently visiting a local Caledonian Countrywear store I was struck with the subtly revised appearance which I didn’t initially associate with the hoodless raincoat from way back in the day. What was this? Could it be that Helly Hansen seemed to favour less of an attention grabbing garment as dictated by changing trends? Once more I find myself rendered dumbstruck by the continually baffling process that is the natural passage of time. Did memory serve me? Perhaps puffy was just a popular look at the time...maybe it was not so much the jacket itself but what, or more importantly who, I connected it with. (Suddenly the choice to have Sam Heughan as Barbour brand ambassador made sense). No doubt, I could certainly see the appeal in buying outerwear with a mind for it to last. Soon I found myself lost in a maze of the best of what Scotland and the Nordic regions had to offer and mentally set a reminder for myself to return again in the near future.
The rigidity of the rules regarding which clothing belonged to who felt restrictive in those days, there was no freedom to express yourself without being given a label. In the end, I opted not to let the opinions of others deter me from dressing however I felt, though it could be trying at times. Truth be told, my biggest opponents were my teachers, constantly aggravated by my inability to adhere to the school’s policy on uniform. Reality needn’t be an unscripted redo of St. Trinians, as humans we all contain multitudes. While it can be fun to simplify and study trends, even to commit to belonging to a community we love, none of us are one-dimensional beings. Essentially, we ought to have the right to decide for ourselves how we want to be identified.
Whilst in high school such things are often emphasized and taken to extremes. As our identities emerge whilst young, it can be comforting for teenagers to anchor themselves onto one particular notion with regards to who they are. I’m glad to find that as we grow older, the world is not split into black and white so much as it was then. Following on from my research into weatherable clothing in the Nordic hemisphere, there lies in me a newfound appreciation of the appetite for attractive yet practical finds in these regions. This applies most especially when it comes to durable, sturdy stuff, which is no surprise, as after all that’s what we Scots are made of! Isn’t it?
Images attributed to "Helly Hansen" by Frank Oslo is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
