Cut for the peg: six of the best ladies’ shooting jackets

New Forest Ladies Marsh Jacket

RRP c. £145
newforestclothing.com

New Forest’s Marsh Jacket is the newest thing in its women’s line and arguably the best value in this group. The membrane is rated 10,000mm hydrostatic head with 5,000 MVP breathability – the highest waterproof figure here, and comfortably beyond what a day standing in Hampshire drizzle demands.

The outer is 100% brushed polyester twill over a fully brushed polyester lining, which gives it a soft, quiet handle rather than the papery rustle of cheaper shells. The detail is where it earns its place: bellows pockets with drain holes, fleece-lined handwarmers, neoprene cuffs, a concealed 18cm security zip pocket behind the placket, two 24cm zipped internal pockets, and internal drawcords at both chest and hem. The hood is fully adjustable, detachable and peaked. A two-way YKK main zip lets you sit down without fighting it.

Machine washable at 30°C. Sold direct only, and currently pre-order in the UK.

Fortis Ladies Classic Field Jacket

RRP c. £280
fortisclothing.co.uk

Fortis is the outlier here, and deliberately so. The company was founded on a Devon farm, has a background supplying specialist and defence sectors, and every garment is handmade to order in Britain. That last point comes with a warning: lead times run up to 12 weeks. This is not a jacket you buy the week before the season opens.

The construction is a ripstop outer over Fortex, Fortis’s own multilayer waterproof drop-liner system. Ripstop grid reinforcement is the right answer for anyone working through brambles and wire rather than standing on a peg.

A fixed elasticated back waist gives shape without a drawcord to snag; the scoop-back hem covers you when you bend. The hood detaches and the lower pockets fasten securely.

Fortis is the only brand in this review that is unambiguously British-made – and one of only two, with Sasta, that publishes the garment weights of its range.

Also at onthepegclothing.co.uk and iancoleycountry.co.uk

Seeland Hillside Harriet Ladies Jacket

RRP £279.99
seeland.com

The Hillside collection is Seeland’s move towards traditional British gameshooting style, and the Harriet is the most conventionally smart jacket in this round-up – the one that will not look out of place at a shoot lunch.

The fabric is a wool-polyester blend rather than pure synthetic, which is what gives it the drape and the muted finish. Underneath sits Seeland’s SEETEX membrane, the same waterproof, windproof and breathable system used across its technical range, so the traditional look is not bought at the cost of the jacket’s performance.

Adjustable fittings and practical pockets are standard for the collection. Seeland’s stated design principle for its women’s range is worth quoting back at the industry: the same technologies as the men’s jackets, with the only difference being the fit.

Also at uttings.co.uk

Alan Paine Lockwood Ladies Jacket

RRP c. £199
alanpaine.co.uk

The Lockwood range is Alan Paine’s performance line, and the ladies’ jacket is the lightest coat here by feel. The outer is a polyester/elastane blend, so it stretches – a genuine advantage when mounting a gun, and a reminder that a rigid shell fights you every time you raise your arms.

Waterproofing is rated 5,000mm/5,000 MVP. That is moderate-to-heavy rain protection rather than all-day-on-the-hill protection, which is the honest trade for the weight saving. The lining is a printed floral, which will divide readers; it is a deliberate departure from the technical-grey school.

Practically, you get a detachable hood, two lower bellows pockets, microfleece-lined handwarmers, an adjustable waist and a two-way zip. Additional half-yoke panels front and back add reinforcement across the shoulders. Cut in Alan Paine’s regular fit, which builds in three to four inches over actual chest size for layering.

Also at williampowell.com and ardmoor.co.uk

Sasta Aurora Jacket

RRP c. £250
sasta.com

Sasta is the only brand in this round-up that publishes the full picture, and the Aurora is the better for the scrutiny. It weighs 615g. It is made in Estonia. The main fabric comes from Korea. Every other brand here should be taking notes.

The Aurora is Sasta’s lightweight technical hunting jacket for women, built for moving rather than standing. The shell is 100% polyester and the lining is polyester carrying an ePTFE membrane, so it is waterproof and windproof without the bulk of a drop liner.

The hood is fixed rather than detachable, which is a real consideration if you dislike a hood flapping on a driven day. You get an adjustable collar, adjustable hem, Velcro cuffs, zipped resting pockets and a radio/phone pocket with an antenna port – a detail that betrays its stalking heritage.

Finnish sizing runs 32-46N, so check the measurement table rather than assuming your UK size.

UK stockists via outwearltd.co.uk

Deerhunter Lady Mary Jacket

RRP c. £270
deerhunterclothing.co.uk

If the forecast is genuinely grim, the Lady Mary is the coat in this group that is built for it. Deerhunter positions it as a high-performance winter shooting jacket, and it is the only insulated option here – everything else is a shell you layer under.

The shell is 100% double-knitted polyester twill with stretch, treated with a water-repellent finish, so it sheds surface water and dries faster. Reinforcement panels are a 50/50 polyurethane and polyamide mix at the wear points. The waterproofing comes from Deerhunter’s own DeerTex membrane, which floats loosely between the outer and inner layers and carries a five-year warranty – the longest guarantee in this comparison.

The hood detaches. Matching Lady Mary waterproof trousers are available if you want head-to-toe cover, which matters more for wildfowling and picking-up than it does on the peg.

It’s a jacket that’s quiet, warm and unfussy, rather than elegant.

Also at safarley.co.uk