A Formal Work Jacket Made From...Fire Hose Cloth? Right!
Written: Apr 03 '09 (Updated Apr 03 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Looks, materials, and pockets.
Cons: Possibly a bit pricey.
The Bottom Line: A great to look good in challenging conditions ad yet will blend in just about anywhere.
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| Ed.Williamson's Full Review: Duluth Trading Co. Men's Fire Hose Presentation Ja... |
Another incarnation of the somewhat innovative "Presentation Jacket" made by the Duluth Trading Company is the "Fire Hose" version. If at first, using the material of a "fire hose" to make a fine men's semi-formal jacket seems a bit oxymoronic, that is perhaps understandable. But, to quote Kung Fu, "Persevere in your quest for understanding, Grasshopper."
The reason that "fire hose" material is used is because of its innate toughness and resistance to abrasion. This "bombproof" cloth is just the thing for wearing in cold winter winds where one must be out in the harsh weather a lot, such as a contractor on a job site, a park ranger, a law enforcement officer, or simply your average citizen who wants to have a highly protective garment in a place sometimes ravaged by high winds and storms, etc., but still wants the looks of a semi-formal sport jacket rather than a baseball-type informal jacket.
This jacket is about three good things. First is its looks. It almost has the look of a formal dress coat you'd wear with a suit. Because of the stiffness of the material, it's not going to wrinkle easily and it travels well. It has lapels of a traditional suit-style and it looks like a regular sports coat, but it also has the authoritative air of a hunting or explorer's jacket to it. It looks great outdoors but it can also blend in in the office boardroom, at church, at the university commons, and out on the job site of the skyscraper going up.
How does it compare to the "Twill Cloth" Presentation Jacket? While the "Twill Cloth" version is a somewhat softer and more civilized version, the "Fire Hose" version is made for tougher environments and probably for colder and windier weather. Think of it as the Big Brother to the "Twill Cloth" Presentation Jacket.
Aside from looks, the second plus is the cloth. It is actually canvas, valued for its flexibility as well as its toughness. This is the same kind of canvas used to wrap fire hoses all over the U.S.A., so you know it's not going to tear open on you down in Little Italy when you snag it on a brick going around a street corner (don't you hate that when that happens to your silk Pinnini tailored suit from Florence?) This 8.0 oz. 100% cotton fabric actually is sewn into a jacket that is comfortable and surprisingly soft. The sleeves are lined with nylon. Its colors are khaki, brown, dark brown, steel blue, and black. I got mine in brown, and it looks great; guys wonder where I got mine and I think the ladies probably like it too. The cloth is treated for stain-resistance. It has a rear center vent to keep your lower back area cool, and it sports unobtrusive elbow patches, for those long chess matches at the park. Wearing a canvas-cloth garment might seem like an invitation to overheating, but it stays cool when you wear it at your desk or in the easy-chair in the den. No sweat and lookin' good.
The third thing I like about the Fire Hose Presentation Jacket is the pocket system. That's right, the pockets! All 13 of them. You know how on a regular suit coat or sports coat the "hand" pockets on the outside are usually worthless and simply decorative? Not so here. On this jacket the "hand" pockets are (a) right where your hand can slide into them, which gives you a sort of Indiana-Jones-with-his-hands-in-his-pockets-as-he-skeptically-studies-the-ancient-artifact look. And, as if that weren't enough, there are (b) secondary pockets inside the "hand" pockets that fasten with zippers, so you can put a cell phone in there, zip it up, and not worry about it sliding out when you are running away from a pack of Wise Guys down in Little Italy. You get a left chest pocket just made for your sunglasses, and then, on the inside, the upper left pocket "array" has two ball-point pen pockets, a credit-card-sized pocket, and a large pocket with a snap. The lower pocket down below this one is a big one, again, with a zipper- just right for a wallet or an extra stash of a few loose currency bills, or that old black-and-white photo of Maybellene, in a zippered place tough on the pickpockets. The right upper inside has two snap-fitted pockets just about pocket-knife sized and below that is another large pocket with a snap. If you are a CHL guy one of these pockets will work for what you have, too. Love these pockets.
This jacket is normally $140.00 plus shipping, and if you are overly tall like me it is $150.00, but it's money well spent. This one will last you a lifetime, and you'll smile every time you get it out of the closet. It's a man-coat.
To find this coat online, click on: www.duluthtrading.com
For my review of the "Twill Cloth" version of this Presentation Jacket, go to my Epinions Profile page and look a couple of reviews back.
Five Stars/ *****
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150.00
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Epinions.com ID:
Ed.Williamson
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Member: Ed Williamson
Location: Way Out West, USA
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About Me:
Fight 'em till Hell freezes over, then fight 'em on the ice!
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