Summer anorak goodness from Gloverall

Readers with an attention span longer than that of a gnat will recall that last winter I succumbed to the charms of Gloverall not once, but twice, and will show little surprise at me falling head over heels again. And after a duffle, it’s another duffle! Not a big wool duffle though, but a summer duffle. Is that even something? Well, yes, it’s cut to the same pattern as a winter duffle (at least to the same design), but it’s made in rain proofed cotton.

What really strikes you about this jacket though is the colour. The light blue is so clear, so strong, and so very blue. Great stuff. T’was a hard choice though, truth be told, as I was sorely tempted by the green version, the orange version and even the yellow version. I’m really enjoying the strong colours these days.

As per usual for Gloverall, the jackets made in their London factory are spot on quality-wise. The construction is flawless and the detailing perfect. I’m not entirely sure how rainproof this cotton is, as I’ve not had a chance to try it in really hard rain, but it’s quite lightweight and certainly not rubberised cotton. I imagine it might hold off light rain, and then quickly dry out again. Plus, you wouldn’t want to have anything like a wallet in the front pockets, and there are no flaps. There is a small inside pocket though, with a press button closing.

In addition to the toggles, there are two snap-buttons on the front to further close it up. This helps keep the wind out and also ensures the front lines up nicely. The hood is also handy in case of a shower, with a drawstring to snug it up a bit. There is a drawstring at the waist as well, though I usually disregard these as they tend to accentuate a female shape better than a bloke!

One point I like a lot is how Gloverall play down the branding aspect of their jackets (well, my 1951 winter duffle has a little less subtle, but that was part of the design). The small badge on the arm is about as subtle as it can be and even though I tend to shy away from overt branding, this is totally acceptable.

In summary, a nice, yet distinctive, lightweight, quite simple, but very nice summer jacket. And the range of colours is brilliant.

UPS:

• Classic duffle design and great construction
• Nice lightweight anorak for summer with a distinctive look
• An awesome range of colours.

DOWNS:

• More press buttons would make it more windproof.

SCORE:

AVAILABILITY:

Available from Gloverall.

 

 

 

 

 

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