From the Princess of Wales to "Rich Autumn Dad", and from houndstooth and Fair Isle to tweed caps and waxed jackets, "country-coded" clothing has been hard to miss this year. It looks set to continue its reign into 2026 – but why the fascination with country-set style?

Can you smell it? There's the whiff of manure in the air, because 2025 has seen the styles of the British countryside permeate everyday life in even the most urban locations. At farmers' markets in British towns and cities – as well as on the backs of Sienna Miller and many other celebrities – Barbour jackets have been two a penny. And you can't move on UK city streets for Argyle and Fair Isle knits, houndstooth tailoring, tweed caps and kilts.

British rural wear isn't just a mood in its country of origin, though. In the States, stars including Katie Holmes have also been spotted in Barbour, and celebrities like Hailey Bieber and brands including New York-based Proenza Schouler have been having fun with Fair Isle patterns. Plus, in international fashion circles, kilts have become an It-item of late, not least thanks to the London-based brand Chopova Lowena's subverted take on the Scottish classic, with US actor Julia Fox among its fans.

British TV presenter Claudia Winkleman gallivanting around the Scottish highlands wearing a cable-knit jumoer and a kilt in the UK version of reality TV hit The Traitors has done much to galvanise the trend in the UK. However, this penchant for British countryside-styled fashion has been present on catwalks for a while. Fendi's autumn/winter 2024-25 menswear collection, for instance, was inspired by the no-nonsense fashion approach of Princess Anne. Named Town and Country, it included oversized Barbour-style parkas, leather wellies, and an embarrassment of tartan.

The look is of course a long-term favourite of the British Royal Family. The Princess of Wales is often seen in countryside or equestrian staples from tweed to riding boots – and has a particular love of houndstooth, a fabric with rustic shepherd roots. The classic pattern was most recently sported by Catherine in the form of an Emilia Wickstead tailored midi dress in blue-and-black houndstooth check, worn for a charity event last week. Her love of the fabric echoes Princess Diana's own houndstooth-heavy wardrobe.

Also this year, Erdem collaborated with Barbour on a capsule of waxed jackets – the two British brands had first teamed up for Erdem's spring/summer 2024 collection. And brands from British Burberry to decidedly French Louis Vuitton looked to the rolling hills of England for inspiration for their autumn-winter 2025........

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