7 Fashion, Lifestyle Must-Haves in Cotswolds, ‘Hamptons of England’

If one item defines the British countryside look, it’s a waxed Barbour jacket. Quilted and waterproof, it’s not just practical for the Cotswolds’ changeable weather but built to last.

Although it may need the occasional rewaxing, many locals wear theirs until it’s scuffed and faded, hanging on to the countryside favorite year after year.

Whether you’re in Bibury or Chipping Norton, expect to see a good number of Barbour jackets in the wild.

Originally worn by Scottish and Irish farmers, tweed is a favourite of Britain’s upper classes.

From tailored riding jackets to blazers and pants, the traditional fabric is a versatile fixture of the Cotswolds. The current brand of choice is Holland Cooper, known for its contemporary take on tweed.

You’ll see well-dressed, tweed-clad Cotswolders at fancy restaurants, as well as social events, like the Cheltenham Festival, a major horse race, and the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Traditionally, the Cotswolds streets were filled with Hunter Wellington boots. But with an influx of Londoners, Americans, and trendy Europeans, the French footwear brand Veja has taken over.

A favourite of urban media types, the simple white trainers are now everywhere in the Cotswolds, especially at places like Soho Farmhouse and Daylesford Organic.

For a more casual look, pair jeans with a gilet. Once worn for country pursuits like hunting and shooting, and later embraced by finance bros, the gilet is a smart-casual staple in the British countryside.

The brands of choice for the old-money set are Schöffel Country for men and Fairfax & Favor for women.

Stores selling country clothing, which you’ll find in Stow-on-the-Wold and in Moreton on the Marsh, among other villages, are where you can pick up this staple Cotswolds item.

In London, you’ll spot small, fluffy breeds like Cavapoos and French bulldogs in the city’s parks. But it’s Labradors and other working dogs-turned pets that are the companions of choice for the Cotswolds set.

You’ll find them running through Oxfordshire’s farmland, as well as cosying up by a fire while the country elite sip on gin and tonics at gastropubs.

At upscale Cotswolds hot spots like Soho Farmhouse, Daylesford Organic, and Burford Garden Company, there’s one car you’re sure to see in the parking lot — the Land Rover Defender.

I saw plenty of these, parked in market squares and at every chic country hangout.

The large 4×4 handles off-road driving well, perfect for navigating muddy fields and narrow snow-covered lanes.

“Some things simply belong together,” Dominic Worsley, group managing director of AGA Rangemaster, told Business Insider. “Tea and biscuits, gin and tonic, and, of course, an AGA in the Cotswolds.”

Whether in a sprawling estate or a honeystone cottage, a traditional Cotswolds kitchen is likely to have an AGA cooker.

The hand-built cookers are designed to be always on, keeping the kitchen warm and making it quick to heat up a cosy fall meal. Bonus points if you’re using Le Creuset pots and pans.

Work these into your life, and you might just get mistaken for a Cotswolds local this fall.