There’s no other way to describe this tee, it looks like bondage wear. It’s a crazy-looking mix of mesh with a layer of windproof fabric to the front, suffice to say I wouldn’t be wearing this as a layer by itself!
It’s packaged in a neat little box that is charmingly both detailed and vague on product description. The gist is the mesh is the best thing since sliced bread, capable of keeping you warm and dry as a bone no matter how much of a lather you get yourself into. ‘It works for explorers and will work for you! Use it for everything!’ the copy invites. Which I actually find a bit confusing. Everything? What, even cleaning my bathroom? Lying in bed reading a romance novel?
Who am I kidding. I haven’t cleaned my bathroom in years and all I read in bed these days is TWC on my mobile. I wear the t-shirt for a 30-miler, underneath a long-sleeved jersey on a brisk blustery day.
Sure enough I am warm and comfortable without pouring sweat, but I feel I would be in the same state had I just worn the jersey, which has windproof panels. And I’d look less bulky.
I have to admit I can’t really see the point of this tee. I wouldn’t wear it by itself, for obvious reasons, but if I wanted a bit of extra layering on a blustery day I’d just pop on a windproof jersey. Or, a thin merino and a light windproof jacket.
I want my clothes to streamline me if possible, not bulk me up and this feels like it adds a bit too much of the latter for my liking. The windproof layer isn’t snug against the skin, it’s sort of papery and loose, so the overall effect is to add thickness to the front and stomach area – an area I’m pretty much constantly trying to reduce thickness from!
It’s designed for and aimed at men really I think – it’s not overtly labelled as such but I’ve been sent a S and in no universe am I a women’s S! It’s also a fraction too short in the body, probably because the cut is not designed to accommodate breasts.
While it’s a functional piece of kit and it does do what it says on the tin – it does keep you dry and warm – it’s not something I would wear myself on a regular basis, and it’s certainly not something I would buy.
To me it’s a classic example of men’s clothing not really translating to the women’s market. Others may beg to differ, and they will certainly not be disappointed by the functionality of this layer.
Verdict
Functional but hard to see a place for it in the women’s market.
Pros
Comfortable
Keeps you warm and dry
Used by explorers, apparently!
Cons
Bulky
Poor fit
Seems aimed at and tailored to men
Price: £32.00, available from Brynje.
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