How to build your cold-weather outfit to go trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois

Do you know your amtrak from your monorail? Do you find your heart racing at the mere prospect of watching the Flying Scotsman thundering by? Then you may find yourself fortuitously on-trend this month.

These are glory days for trainspotters. For that, we have social media star Francis Bourgeois to thank. Adored by his 2 million TikTok followers for his wholesome dedication to documenting all things trackside, engineering student Bourgeois has gone from school geek to fashion darling – and earned a high profile following to boot. Having previously appeared in style bible The Face and scored a place on the books of a modelling agency, this week he became the star of a luxury fashion campaign and found a friend in Joe Jonas who joined him for a day of engine spotting in Milton Keynes.

Are you inspired to ditch the sofa for a day by the rails? Follow Bourgeois’s lead and dress the part. The Hounslow-born enthusiast is all about tactile chunky sweaters - the more wholesome, the better - and seems to love striped scarves as much as he does locomotives. Bourgeois, clearly a sensible soul (bless!), wraps up warm for his hobby, but he also likes to keep things smart. Oxford shirts are worn buttoned to the collar and layered under a neat fitting anorak or jacket. Binoculars and an army of TikTok followers serve as must-have accessories. 

The look is one party Seventies schoolboy (see early episodes of Grange Hill for inspiration) and another Gorpcore ambassador. It’s little wonder the fashion world can’t stop cooing over him.