I first saw this jacket and tried it at the Aether Apparel store on Crosby in SoHo. It was last spring and because it was so late in the season they didn’t have the size and colour I wanted. I’d been hoping there would be a summer sale where I could pick this up at a discount. Unfortunately that didn’t happen so I paid full price in late September (and then, of course, there was a Black Friday sale, but I was already using the jacket in Newfoundland when that happened)
Cost is definitely a barrier for the jacket as it goes for $550, but I believe it’s decent value given the quality of materials, workmanship, and design. It’s been my go-to jacket through the late fall and early winter and because I tend to keep quality gear for a long time, I’m happy.
The key differentiator for this jacket is that it has a much slimmer, more “urban” style than most down or primaloft jackets. It looks more like the quilted Barbour jackets that everyone wears in Italy in the winter, but has the functionality of most technical down jackets. The outer material is Schoeller microfiber which is a big plus for me because I’ve been very happy with other items using Schoeller fabrics in the past.
Overall it’s been warm enough for use into the 20’s F (-6º C) and I expect it will still be practical for 10-15º cooler. Water resistance is good although it’s not a rain jacket. My only observation / complaint is that the water repellent treatment on the lower sleeves has worn after 3 months use.
Fit is great for tall people like me. The body is long, and I love that it’s longer at the back. The sleeves are also a perfect length for me – I wear 35″ in dress shirts. One of my favorite touches is that the inner lining on the grey jacket is bright red. I also really like the multiple pockets on the chest and hips. One of the inner chest pockets also has headphone cord routing. There are many other great small details like this.
You do pay a premium for the style compared to a similar jackets from, say, Patagonia, Marmot or Arc’teryx but this is definitely a tough, warm, dry technical garment on a par with offerings from those brands. If style is also something to think about – i.e. you don’t want to look like you just got back from skiing or ice-climbing when you are in the city – then I would certainly recommend this.
(Images above are grabbed from the Aether Apparel web site – all rights are theirs.)