The 1st Rohan Garment
The first Rohan Salopette note the pockets
Way way back in the early 1970’s a new garment appeared on the UK outdoor clothing market. The garment a high stretch mountaineering salopette, the company responsible Rohan Designs. The Helanca high stretch salopette was the first of a many ground breaking and innovative outdoor garments that embraced the spirit of early Rohan Designs.
I am the surviving part of the original partnership that founded Rohan in the early 1970’s and sold the company in the early 1990′s. Sadly Paul Howcroft died in 1993 so the following task is down to me. My aim is to capture the unique spirit of early Rohan through your words and pictures.
The tale of early Rohan would be nothing with out the memories of all the people involved in the saga. I can add my own memories including why Rohan came into the world. However the story needs your memories, pictures, garments and thoughts from you the customer, supplier, co-worker, old friend and acquaintance, accountant, banker, journalist and yes competitor.
I decided to do this not because I need a trip down memory lane. I think many bits of the process could evoke some unhappy memories. I am doing it because time has revealed the unique spirit of early Rohan is worth capturing. We are living in the world of the bland with so many look alike products and organisations. This is not only pertinent to the outdoor garment industry. Walk down any high street and we find brand after brand that differs very little.
Rohan stands alone – that original spirit lives on.
Unless we jointly capture the uniqueness of early Rohan it will be lost for ever. Which would be a great shame. Your contributions are the vital and most important part of this undertaking. Without your memories this exercise will not work.
This website is designed to invite contributions from us all. Large, small, funny and sad. However you would like to share your memories is great with me. The story will be updated by us all as we go along this journey. Hopefully it will make interesting and entertaining reading. Single line thoughts, pages of text that make a story, pictures , old catalogues any thing and everything. Contact me direct if that helps and we can talk further about anything you may have that you wish to share.
I have no preconceived ending for this undertaking. I would like us jointly to see what we end up with.
So start sending people. Don’t worry about getting it all down at once. Little and often is good and will keep us all interested. A ‘do you remember opener ‘ or ‘can anyone tell me why or when’ will be good to start us all off. Who knows you may catch up with people long since gone off your radar. I have written a few posts under different topics to get the ball going. So if these trigger anything in you please use the comments box at the bottom of each post in the first instance. If you would like to write your own story just send it to me in any form.
If you have pictures, garments, old catalogues, old adds or reviews let me know. All material will be returned to you. In fact just write it down folks If you would rather talk to me and get me to record the moment no problem let me know and I will get back to you.
The dates we are interested in are 1972 – 1990
Rohan Designs 1972 – 1990… its like a Mastermind Question.
So lets start the journey and please pass it on to any contacts that you have that may be interested. We need as many contributors as possible.
Sarah Howcroft
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24 Comments
That last post had some wonky html. Try the text below instead:
A very Big Thanks to David, who very kindly scanned all the pages from his Rohan 1978 catalogue. I have posted them at Rohan 1978 Catalogue, for anyone who wants to have a peek at what the peak of outdoor chic looked like, 32 years ago.
A very Big Thanks to David, who very kindly scanned all the pages from his Rohan 1978 catalogue. I have posted them at Rohan 1978 Catalogue</a, for anyone who wants to have a peek at what the peak of outdoor chic looked like, 32 years ago.
Warren, Thanks for comments.
To see part of the 1978 leaflet [Norfolk Jacket & dog] go to:
http://rohantime.com/56/in-the-beginning/
So ROHANTIME already have that leaflet and could display it on a web site.
I thought your Rohantime story: ‘History of Rohan Clothing’ to be excellent – part of a much bigger project involving many brands.
I was thinking of a narrower scope – just ROHAN company documents – which would still need quite a large storage file.
To make it searchable one approach is to use which can search full text.
One reason for considering a search facility at the beginning is that the database or file would be very large if it contained every page of every brochure. And to be a worthwhile Archive it should aim for completeness. This sort of thing would be best done under the ROHAN umbrella, to avoid any future possible copyright difficulties. It would help if ROHAN could list only the documents they do NOT have – then these could be scanned and submitted by users.
Many hands make light work!
Hi to David Jones, The suggestion you made is exactly the endeavour I was attempting with the project mentioned in this Rohantime story: ‘History of Rohan Clothing’, where, so far, I’ve included over 70 scans of Rohan publications and adverts, from 1978 to 1990.
You might also click on the ‘Flickr’ logo at top right of Rohantime pages, to find photo sets of Rohan heritage clothing and catalogues.
Would be great to see images from your 1978 catalogue up on either, or both, of these websites.
Sarah, what an excellent idea!
Surprising it has taken so long for someone to actually do something, as opposed to just musing on it.
“However the story needs your memories, pictures,”
Yes, pictures are a must, as how many new customers know what OLFIO looks like?
How do we submit pictures?
I have a 1978 catalogue – one of the models appears to be SH.
It contains my favourite – the Norfolk Jacket 2812 – though I have never actually seen one. Wonder if any still exist?
I laughed when I first saw the photo, not realising that I would end up looking like the aged model ( no, not the dog ).
I think it would be prudent to create a purely ROHAN picture archive.
This could contain all the past brochures, catalogues, newsletters etc.
It would be best to keep it just for company pictures – user photos of “my best holiday stuff” should be stored separately.
If no-one else does it, a YAHOO Group could be created for just those brochures etc.
Just dug out my old Olfio as I’m starting to feel the cold right now and thankfully it still fits (unlike the several pairs of Bags and Bag Shorts in my “Rohan Collection”) and it still ‘works’. Must check out my pair of Winter Bags and see if they still fit!
I can’t remember the first pair of Bags I bought but I do recall seeing the first ads for Rohan clothing back in the 70′s when I lived in the far north of Scotland. I was hooked then.
Since then we’ve” been ‘steady’ customers of Rohan (his and hers clothing) and I have found the Assignment Jacket a great bit of clothing. I bought a black version which proved great for travelling and liked it so much I bought the Khaki one too (I have worn the black one so much I have just got another on sale for when the black one ‘wears out’!!). Definitely one of my favourite items.
I thought I’d Google “Rohan Olfio” to see what results were thrown up – and now I’ve found Rohantime!
Hi Richard
If you wish to donate/loan any of your Rohan garments (preferably pre 1985) to our ‘Rohan Originals’ collection in Keswick then please get in touch.
Many thanks
Ben Evans at Rohan Keswick
Dear Sarah,
When I started walking I used a pair of cut-off dress trousers (DJ type). But I ripped the back-side out of them glissading down Coire na Tulaich (the descent gully off Buachaille Etive Mor) so I bought a pair of Rohan salopettes which stood up to this sort of treatment much better. This would have been about 1983. They were fine except for the built-in braces which stretched terribly. I sometimes finished the day walking like The Penguin from Batman. I only stopped wearing them a couple of years ago and it was not because I could not get into them, honest.
I have just checked the wardrobe and I have seven pairs of Bags (plus another couple of pairs in the wash, and five Wild Vests, plus loads of other odds and sods (including water-proof top and leggings specifically for cycling, which I must say was not the high point in your design strategy, in fact the leggings are just about useless). So, as you can see, I have been keeping Rohan going for many years. Somewhere (in the garage, I think) I have the precursor of the Wild Vest which has press-studs up the front instead of a zip. I cannot remember when I bought it but it must have been late 70s, and I still use it as an insulating layer for cycling
At that time I used the Long Preston shop and actually met Paul there once. We had a mutual friend who worked at the outdoor education centre at Ingleborough Hall in Clapham.
Keep up the good work.
Best regards, Richard Wood.
Still have my Rohan high stretch mountaineering salopette. All blue knee length, they are still brilliant though a little tight now! I wore them for years, in Scotland mainly and a couple of trips to the Alps. I bought them in 1980/81. Looking back I wish I had bought a full length version as well, they really were the garment to have, and ultra comfy and cosy on those winter days.
Hello Neil
Thank you so much for the offer . I would love to see the early catalogue. Thank you for sharing the great stories with us all. I will be in contact. Best Regards Sarah
I have a small collection of brochures starting with the first one I received, 1982 ish, with a grainy B + W photo of two blokes getting out of a plane and into what looks like a Lancia.Also, I have several issues of Tu Quo Que, the Rohan users magazine, including a Special Grovelling Issue.
I still have and use the SuperStriders, Supersalopettes, Olfios and Moving On etc.
My favourite piece of Rohan was a Jekyll. I wore that to death. It has a few holes where the RDF Dunova meets the collar but with some careful stitching could be repaired.
Does Rohan still offer a repair service?
I remember the Dunova garments were strictly limited to one per order. Was it because of production difficulties?
What first got me into Rohan was a motorcycle trip to the south of France in 1981. Space was limited and I had two pairs of jeans that took up lots of space in my panniers and were very clammy in the heat and took ages to dry after I washed them. I remember thinking then if only there were some lightweight, fast drying, small pack size trousers I could wear on these trips.
Sometime later in one of the Observer? suppliments there was an advert describing just what I had been looking for. I’ve never looked back since.The jeans are long gone and I have worn Rohan of some sort or other ever since.
I once visited the Long Preston shop when it was Rohan’s only one and I remember getting some shorts to try on and getting changed in what seemed to be a large metal filing cabinet instead of a changing room.
I’m now more into sea kayaking than motorcycling so the small pack size is still important.
Sarah,If you want the brochures etc. to look at please drop me a line.
Cheers
Neil.
I have a 3 pairs of the 1975 Action Bags which I find to be amazing. There so comfortable and the material is amazing. They are amazing for about 75% of the year which I find to be useful. Why don’t you produce them any more I would buy 5 more pairs if rohan did. Alas I will have to wear my action bags out first which by the looks of them as I have had them for about 3 years will be many a year to come when I am proberly 40 (haha!!). I have used them to go round the world with me most recently to Canada for 3 months where they were amazing with the chilly wind and everything that goes on with canadian weather it was good to have such good trousers on. I think I am starting to get what everyone goes on about how Rohan clothing never dies. I have draws and wardrobes full of the stuff which means I don’t need to get anymore clothing proberly. Last thing please rohan reproduce the 1975 range it was all amazingly good stuff espesially the Mariner top.
Thanks for the great story on your Salopettes Steve we are always interested in seeing photo’s of all Rohan garments and Rohanists in action
I bought my first pair of blue & black Rohan Salopettes 1979/1980. They were absolutely brilliant, the stretch material was comfortable next to the skin and extremely quick drying and hard wearing. The knee and bottom patches gave that extra protection when climbing. At the time I was a member of Scarborough & District Search & Rescue team and a SARDA dog handler consequently they got a lot of wear and tear. The salopettes ticked all the boxes at that time. The large chest pocket was big enough for a map and lots of dog stuff.
I still wear a lot of Rohan gear today although nowadays my time is spent between walking my two labradors, golf and landscape photography. My photography has taken me to many places around Europe and beyond and the Rohan clothing is still as stylish, practical and comfortable as ever, although I do miss those salopettes. Best wishes.
Thank you for your comments Joyce, we appreciate all the feedback we
receive. We have good news and can confirm that on selected styles for
Winter 2009 we will be offering size 20 and XL for women.
Also, although we don’t have a Rohan store in Belfast we do have a
Retail Partner. Surf Mountain is in Belfast and they stock Rohan
clothing. They also offer the same level of expertise and advice that
you would expect from any of our Rohan Stores. For details on their
location please visit our website: http://www.rohan.co.uk.
What am I thinking?….a lot about Rohan! I do own about 6 items and agree with others that they launder well, wear well and I feel confident wearing them knowing that I can wash and wear the next day.
I have addressed my wishes already to Rohan….I wear size 18 and have no problem with skirts and trousers but the shirts and tops are just nippy on me. In fact I have a travel linen shirt in size 18 which is ok in the body, a bit nippy but the sleeves are so slim I haven’t been able to wear it at all….I have kept it in the hope that I will in the near future have slimmer arms! Sigh! At most another inch of fabric would be all it takes to make the sleeves a bit more roomy. My son says, Mum – the clothes are for young fit people. In fact know that there are folk who are larger than me who would love to be able to purchase Rohan garments. I also wish that we had a Rohan shop in Northern Ireland – there is no substitute, even with a good website, for being able to touch and feel a garment before purchase, so come on Rohan, now that our ‘troubles’ are behind us and we have endless new malls such as the Victoria Centre in Belfast lets see a Rohan shop here as soon as possible. I promote your clothes as often as I can and when I say to folk who are looking for technical clothing if they know Rohan, they don’t – so it’s time you showed your face and your super clothing in Northern Ireland.
I have been wearing Rohan garments since the early 1980,s having had very many items over the years since that time. Up until a short while ago, I still had the original pair of trousers which I purchased, but alas they no longer fitted.
I have not worn out any garment, and they are still used daily, preferred to present day clothing items, so comfortable and always look smart, and launder extremely well.
They may be a little more expensive than other makes, but worth the extra. I have only had one complaint, this was rectified immediately with a replacement.
Long live Rohan, hoping that you do not lower your standards.
My most prized Rohan garment are called ‘outsiders’,breaches made of rdf multiflex dunova. They were a lighter and cooler than superstriders in green corded fabic circa 1985. I teamed them up with a red hyde mid layer giving me an early soft shell. I first saw Rohan in action on the pennine way aged 17 in the summer of 1983. I carried a 50lb berghaus a b system including three pairs of jeans!
From Kinder Downfall onward the issue of lightweight gear was focused in my mind and back.In following years on trips to the alps and pyrenees the a b system weighed a more managable 30lb,containing pampas, bags, cool Ts et al.
I have been wearing Rohan since the mid-1980s. I work in the overseas aid/humanitarian assitance sector and spend a lot of my career travelling in rough and remote parts particularly of Africa and sometimes Asia. I still haven’t found any travel clothing over the last 25 years that comes close to Rohan in terms of versatility, durability and packability. Can’t always afford the more expensive kit (working in the charity sector) but usually manage to pick up some good stuff in the sales. Long may you reign supreme!
I still even have some of my original Rohan kit including a long sleeved safari shirt that I bought to travel to Sudan in 1988 and I still am using on trips to Africa even now. Also have an original ‘Moving on’ which still comes in useful, although my original Bags bit the dust a few years ago and I have been using Jungle Cargos since which have proved very reliable. My only regret is not having a Rohan outlet locally. I live in Reading and Cotswold Outdoor used to stock Rohan in the past but don’t anymore and other stores including Milton Keynes and London are quite far, which is why I use on-line sales more than any other way of buying Rohan.
Its been a few years since I thought about the early days of Rohan. As I was only 12 in 1990 much of my memories are vague and a little patchy.
The innovation and attention to detail that goes into Rohan garments is a rare commodity today in the outdoor industry. Revisiting how two “outsiders” reshaped the industry is an important exercise to encourage a similar spirt in todays designers and outdoor enthusiasts.
The challanges facing the industry today are very different (e.g. sustainable manufacture and materials) but its encouraging to see how one company or one (or two in this case) individual can change the game.
Plus, I look forward to learning more about the early years of the company.
Caius (Son, or “offspring” as dad would have it, of Paul and Sarah Howcroft)
I have some very early Rohan catalogues. I would like them to go to a good home.
Reading this prompted me to look in a very dusty box to find out a series of catalogues from 81 onwards for several years. I feel sure there may be some even earlier ones around. Rohan had some great design and styling – it was outstanding for the time. I still wear some Rohan kit but these days I feel there are a range of other innovators around – but that’s good for the user and a sign that the message is understood more widely. One thing that is surprising though is the prices!! So high. I suppose it reflected the cost of smallscale home grown production and emphasises the benefits we now see from globalisation.
Rohan still stands alone and the original spirit lives on. I think its a great move to try and capture the spirit of Rohan before it is lost forever. Well done give us more.
yes as you say Sarah its not simply about memory lane but about the spirit and I wish you the very best in drawing together that amazing support and enthusiasm that brand fans and supporters can give.
I too am in a similar position to you as the past owner/designer/innovator at Karrimor until 1996 but started again with the Original Mountain Marathon OMM and is here where the true spirit of my old company lies.