For our latest Classic Men’s Looks instalment, “The Gamekeeper”, we spent a day in the countryside with Jonny Carter — filmmaker, presenter, and the driving force behind TGS Outdoors, one of the most respected voices in the shooting and countryside space.
Before the cameras and the travel, Jonny worked both as a gunsmith and as a gamekeeper, two roles that shaped the way he sees the land, the tools we use on it, and the culture around Britain’s rural traditions. That early connection hasn’t faded. If anything, it has grown sharper and more meaningful as he now documents the craft, people, and landscapes that sit at the heart of country life.
For The Gamekeeper look, Jonny steps back, not into the job itself, but into the world that shaped him. Wearing the Tricker’s Ilkley and styled in classic British fieldwear from Farlows, he returns to a silhouette he once wore daily: practical, heritage-rich, and unmistakably rooted in the land.
Jonny is quick to acknowledge how formative those early years were. “I’ve always loved being outside, getting muddy, watching birds, being around animals. When I was younger, gamekeeping looked like the perfect way to turn all of that into a job. At its heart, you really are a custodian of the countryside. Without gamekeepers, a lot of our rural landscape would be a much bleaker place.”
That connection still grounds him. “When you put real effort into pursuing game, you become part of the landscape and the ecosystem, just like the plants and animals that live in it. I get the same feeling picking fruit, digging for worms with my kids or collecting firewood. The countryside keeps you grounded. It’s good stuff.”
The Role Revisited
Jonny was upfront about feeling a touch unsure when he heard the name of the look. “Honestly, I was a bit nervous about it because I’m not a gamekeeper anymore.” His friends in the profession know his feelings well. “They know how much I love them, the job and everything they stand for. I still work closely with the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation and I’ve made a lot of films showing the good that keepers do.”
What mattered to him was that the look reflected the work he has seen first-hand. “Gamekeepers are brilliant. The vast majority work incredibly hard to improve the land they manage and boost biodiversity. To be connected to that world again felt great. And as a label, The Gamekeeper is cool as hell!”
The countryside, for him, is still essential. “City life is fast and fun, but it’s easy to lose touch with your raw, basic humanity. Nature brings balance.”
The Pleasure of Dressing for the Day
Jonny’s day-to-day work revolves around travel, long shoot days and kit that has to survive all of it. Stepping back into more traditional British fieldwear for this look brought a sense of recognition. “It reminded me of how I used to dress years ago when I was gamekeeping or hosting days. It really does look the part. Classic, British, a bit nostalgic.”
He enjoys the small rituals of dressing for the countryside. “It’s part of the fun. I always joke that it’s a bit like tweed cosplay. You’re putting on the suit, just like you would for a black-tie evening.” Practicality still leads, especially on the move. “Style should never come at the cost of movement. You need to be able to swing the gun.”
There is also an affection for the quiet formality of British field style. “There is a quiet elegance to British outdoor wear. We somehow manage to dress for mud, rain and pheasants while still pretending we’re heading to lunch at the club. I think that’s brilliant.”
The Tricker’s Ilkley and the Rare Joy of a Proper Fit
Shoe shopping has never been straightforward for Jonny. With size 13 feet, options are usually limited. The Ilkley was an immediate surprise. “They were surprisingly comfortable for a brand-new leather shoe. I expected it to need some wearing in, but it felt great straight out of the box.”
Out in the mud, the shoe proved itself even more. “It really held its own, with plenty of grip and a nice bit of dexterity for a solid country shoe.” Even the sizing worked in his favour. “The pair we used were actually a size 12 and because they’ve got a bit more width, they fit really nicely. For once, something that looked good and actually fit.”
What resonated as much as the comfort, was the origin. “Finding a heritage brand that actually makes shoes in my size feels like discovering fire. And because Tricker’s is British, there is accountability. You can still pick up the phone and talk to someone who knows about shoe-making.”
His priorities are straightforward. “Comfort is king. If something hurts your feet, you’re never going to wear it. Next is build, then heritage.” And on what gives a brand staying power, he is equally direct. “A quality product, good business sense and proper customer service. Do those three things right and people will keep coming back for generations.”
Sustainability, Stewardship and Buying for the Long Term
Sustainability, for Jonny, is practical rather than theoretical. “Use less plastic, be less wasteful and own things that last.” Across guns, clothing and gear, longevity is what counts. “If something is built properly and cared for, it can last decades. That’s real sustainability.”
He believes responsible gamekeeping sits inside that same principle. “When it’s done properly, traditional country management is sustainability at its finest. It’s about leaving the land better than you found it.” The balance between habitat, species and human use is something he has seen play out repeatedly in his work. “Proper gamekeeping helps maintain that balance. When it’s done right, it’s a cornerstone of modern conservation.”
He buys his own gear with similar intent. “Once I find something I like, I tend to buy two or three of them. It’s got to look solid, fit properly for the job and be built to last.”
Wearing What Feels Like You
Clothing, in Jonny’s world, is both tool and expression. He laughs at his own tendencies. “Outside of shoot days, I’m probably a bit too practical. I tend to wear whatever the day physically requires and only think afterwards about whether I look like a bit of a donut.”
There is one constant in his wardrobe. “My tweed shooting vest. I wear it all the time. I can throw it over anything and suddenly I’m instantly British again. It’s practical, it looks the part and somehow it always feels like home.”
Authenticity is the anchor. A friend once told him, “You’re not an off-the-peg person, so you shouldn’t dress like one,” which stuck. “Your clothing should reflect your personality, not someone else’s idea of what you should look like. If it feels like yours, it is.”
Heritage, Confidence and Things Built to Last
Jonny summed up why people return to heritage brands with typical frankness. “Fast fashion is for the young. Most of us eventually want something made properly. There is something reassuring about owning something made with love and skill. It’s not about impressing others. It’s about not disappointing yourself.”
Asked to define his approach to clothing, he distilled it to three words: comfort, confidence and convenience.
And his take on longevity could not be more in line with Tricker’s own ethos. “Made to last means durable and repairable. It’s nice to know you are going to spend some real time with the thing you’ve acquired. To break it in, look after it and let it become part of your story.”
