Outerwear For Winter | Function + Form

 Mat putting the Marmot Precip Jacket to the test

I don't think Buckets & Spades as ever focused on fashion that isn't functional. Nothing that is 100% style and 0% substance, at least. Often though, clothes don't reveal their lack of functionality until you properly test them. Sometimes a zip doesn't quite close and in the rain, your pocket fills with water (not good when your phone is in it!). Mat's very keen on practicality too - usually sporting his Marmot jacket at the first whiff of rain

 

The rare excursion to Wales aside, I'm not that much of an outdoors type, so it's not usually a problem. Living in London means you're protected from the harshest of the elements - you spend the year boiling on the tube no matter what the season.

Summer has long gone and the shops are full of Autumn/Winter gear, so here's a round-up of some outerwear pieces that have caught my attention; that promise a high degree of both style and function. The Fullin Jacket by Bench, is a soft-lined water-repellent coat that closes in against all the elements. When the zips are done up, there’s no water getting in these pockets. The real bonus, for me, is that it folds down small enough to fit in a bag - a must in the ever changing weather of Autumn and the horribly-humid tube.

 

Then we have the coats from BEE Clothing, which include their very own Signature Jacket - created using a water-repellent, breathable fabric called Blenheim. Featuring a sleeve pocket for an Oyster card and a wool/silk blend lining. This coat was surely designed for me - I do like to moan about the horrors of the rush hour tube. BEE also produce a great looking cycling jacket, with a list of features I couldn’t possibly do justice to here, but the star of which are the reversible sides: from hi-vis on one-side to neat city jacket on the other.

 

Other coats that have crossed my path are the lightweight, heat reflective-lined Ansgar Jacket by Swedish outerwear experts Elvine, the ludicrously waterproof Vareo from Henri Lloyd and the runner's friendly Nike Hurricane Jacket.

As the UK is pretty wet in general but the temperatures do also dip, it helps to a jacket which covers all bases. Has anyone else started thinking about the winter yet? - Nik

You can find Nik at - Conrad's Beer | Twitter | Instagram

Snow:Sylvain Hooded Parka Bomber Jacket