A “2 in 1” waterproof jacket to rule them all…
The ambition of this jacket was as follows: it had to satisfy the use of a frequent urban traveler
Imagine: I tell you that tomorrow you are going on a world tour and you are only allowed to take one jacket.
Well, this is the jacket we wanted to create, in two colors.
With quite a set of specifications since it must face:
- a hot, humid and rainy climate in Tokyo, whether for a shopping trip to Harajuku or the discovery of Mount Fuji
- then continue to Montreal where the evenings can be very cold, with even a little snow
- then take a road trip to the west coast of the United States, thinking of the cool of Oregon and the sun of Las Vegas
- then go to Mongolia, face rain, cold in the north of the country and heat near the Gobi desert
(yes, I took inspiration from some of my travels to plan on using this jacket).
Or quite simply, be able to wear it one day in Lille, the next day in Brittany, the next day in Biarritz, and finish your getaway in Aix-en-Provence. Whatever the season or month of the year.
So as you can see, we are very ambitious about the versatility of this jacket. I wanted to make it THE jacket in your wardrobe, if there was only one left!
And I'll go even further: if this jacket makes you want to travel and explore, then my mission will be 110% successful.
Obviously, for such requirements, the question of the fabric used is of the utmost importance.
It is therefore the combination of Ventile fabric, 100% cotton, Japanese nylon and Climashield that will work wonders...
First piece: a (very) breathable and water-resistant Ventile fabric ☔
If you had to remember only 3 things about Ventile, it would be this:
- it is water resistant
- it is breathable
- and it’s a very beautiful fabric!
Now let’s get into the details…
Why choose Ventile?💡
🌊 It's water resistant
This is THE characteristic of Ventile! Its operation is easy to understand: it is a densely woven cotton which prevents water from entering.
I will tell you about my personal experience on this subject a little further…
🌬️ It's breathable
Ventile claims it is the most breathable waterproof fabric available. I won't go that far, but it's clear that its breathability far exceeds that of any membrane. Quite simply because air can easily circulate between the cotton fibers, unlike the plastic film of a membrane.
🌪️ It's windproof
The Ventile having a very dense weave, it effectively protects from the wind, and that is why it is appreciated by certain arctic explorers, the challenge for them being to have a very breathable fabric, which allows the vapor of the body while protecting them from the wind.
😌 It's comfortable
Because it's a 100% cotton fabric, it's as comfortable as wearing a cotton shirt. And that's THE important thing for a summer rain jacket, because you can wear it next to the skin with just a t-shirt.
Try doing the same thing with a technical fabric like Gore-Tex, you will see that it is much less comfortable.
🤫 It's silent
A synthetic technical fabric sometimes makes a little "noise" when you move, because of its crunchy hand. On Ventile, this is not the case, and it will make as much noise as if you move with a cotton shirt, which is not much.
🌦️ It’s useful in many different climates
Obviously, it is a very useful jacket against the rain, but not only that. Are you looking for a jacket for vacations by the sea? It will be perfect for walking in the evening, without feeling the plastic appearance of a membrane against your skin.
Are you facing snow? No problem ! As long as you have the right thermal layers under your jacket, it will be able to withstand snowy precipitation without worry.
Ventile says it's a fabric you can wear "while going salmon fishing in Scotland, hiking in the Alps or during a windy golf lesson."
And again, I'm being nice, but know that Ventile jackets were worn in the high mountains to climb Everest, in the Arctic by Ranulph Fiennes or even in the jungle under the recommendation of General MacArthur!
⚒️ It’s sustainable
Not only does Ventile take on a nice patina over time, but it is also a durable fabric. No delamination issues
This is a point that may seem trivial, but it changes everything: Ventile is a fabric that withstands use over several years much better than a technical membrane, especially if you regularly wear a backpack with this jacket.
It is for this reason that among techwear fans, some are now turning to Ventile jackets for their daily lives, and reserving their Gore-Tex jackets only for heavy rainy days.
To my great surprise, I noticed that experienced hikers, mountaineers and even soldiers continued to prefer Ventile to technical membranes for all the reasons I have mentioned.
🖼️ And it’s BEAUTIFUL!
Since it is a 100% cotton fabric, we are light years away from a "plastic" rendering of a technical polyester fabric.
Cotton will age and patina beautifully, and it's common for high-end heritage/vintage/workwear brands to use Ventile for trenches, parkas, jackets and even safari jackets.
Where does Ventile come from?🤔
The birth of Ventile is very romanticized, and the version relayed almost everywhere is not the most accurate. I conducted the investigation for you:
The best-known "official" story is this, short version: it's a fabric invented to allow English plane pilots to survive in icy water during the Second World War .
This is what is repeated, almost word for word, by the vast majority of brands that use Ventile (example here , here too , there again , and there too ), in the three lines reserved for the description of the material.
In French brands and media, it is also this same story that is repeated over and over again.
But I like to dig, this explanation was unsatisfactory to me. So let’s start from scratch…
The “official version” of the birth of Ventile
In the 1930s, with the boom in textile industrialization, the British government feared a shortage of linen, which was used to make water hoses and buckets for firefighters.
So, he encouraged research to replace linen with cotton, and after several researches, they witnessed the creation of a fabric with a weave so compact that it retained water.
And the worst part is that it almost works!
But everything accelerates with the Second World War...
Who says war says convoys of supplies, food or equipment, and it is the English Hurricane Fighter pilots, from the RAF (= Royal Air Force), who must escort maritime convoys.
But the distance between the air base and the boat is too great for the autonomy of the planes. Churchill therefore proposed to perilously launch the Hurricanes from a boat with a catapult system .
On the Ventile website, the brand says that the Hurricanes had no way of landing again on the boat, and therefore had to land, even though they were not seaplanes.
I find it very hard to believe that we were making single-use planes , incapable of landing on water without putting the safety of the pilots at risk, and that they were ready to risk their lives to this extent.
Despite my research, I was unable to find more details on this curious and dangerous procedure except on the Ventile website, but hey, let's move on.
Don's response
Don, who has delighted you with his articles on watches here and there , is also a great history enthusiast, and especially the Second World War.
So I asked him if he knew more about this story about planes that couldn't land.
Here is his response:
The Sea Hurricane:
That's the end of the story: these planes did exist, but they were supposed to land on an air base. Landing was only considered in desperate situations.
Exactly, let's resume our story at the moment when a pilot crashes into the sea, and when water enters his cockpit...
Whether it was intended or not, these pilots had to survive contact with the icy water of the English Channel... or an even colder sea, until they were recovered.
However, as surprising as it may be, the subject of cold water immersion has only been taken seriously since the Second World War.
We barely knew what caused death once in the water (hypothermia, but not only that). And we thought that it was inevitable, a “job risk”, to be accepted with good conscience.
It really wasn't a well-researched subject, with real scientific rigor and standard norms in conducting tests and experiments.
As a result, we cannot say that the different maritime countries around the world worked together very hard to find a solution. Even less so in a world war context where textile technologies were rudimentary, and where everything remained to be invented.
(And if you are really interested in survival in cold water, the French Society of Maritime Medicine has published a good summary here and our Canadian friends have made a nice video there )
Except that there, it was absolutely necessary to increase the chances of survival of an RAF pilot in cold water.
We needed a comfortable fabric to wear in the cockpit, which allows perspiration to pass through, but which becomes waterproof on contact with water.
After many tests, the Shirley Institute, a research center specially dedicated to cotton, developed the famous Ventile, this 100% waterproof cotton fabric .
From a few minutes, the chances of survival in the water increase to 20 minutes, giving rescuers much more time. 80% of the pilots were finally able to survive after their Hurricane landed, thanks to their Ventile cotton survival suit.
Today, RAF suits are still made of Ventile, as are those of other pilots from NATO countries.
Nice story, isn't it? It's all there: bravery, adventure, survival, military and innovation.
Except… you can’t get your hands on an RAF survival suit from the Second World War! And it is even possible that they never existed.
Because the production dates of the first Ventile survival suits do not really match those of the Second World War...
In other words, there were indeed Hurricanes (in anecdotal numbers) that were forced to land, but the pilots likely did not have Ventile survival suits.
What is the origin of the urban legend of Ventile?
It was the author of the excellent Well Dressed Dad who was the first to question “the official version”.
He claims that most of the stories surrounding Ventile are difficult to verify.
In fact, the legend of Ventile owes a lot to Nigel Cabourn, an English designer passionate about Ventile and workwear. Its famous Ventile parka with a vintage design is the perfect illustration of its influences.
In 2003, to relaunch and mark the occasion, the brand called on Karol Marketing , a… (easy) marketing agency.
She decides to create a book, "Ascent of Cabourn" which is inspired by " Ascent of Everest ", by John Hunt. And it is in this book that Cabourn explains the origin of Ventile in his own way (the 2nd World War, pilots in the water, etc.).
Its source ? He claims to have a friend who helped invent Ventile and that it has been in mass production since 1943.
My personal theory is that, given that it was a marketing agency that created this book for promotional purposes, and that does not specialize in fashion, it is likely that some specific details escaped them and/or that They only stuck to Cabourn's assertions .
The whole, very romanticized story of Ventile comes from there.
But then, what is the true origin of Ventile? Where is he from ? The investigation is not over...
(ah, this suspense!)
The truth about the history of Ventile
A reliable element of answer comes from a document as unexpected as it is surprising : in 2003, the Marine Safety Directorate of Transport Canada commissioned a comprehensive report on survival in cold water .
And as the two official languages of Canada are English and French, all public and administrative documents must be translated into French . So you can also read this report in French !
Well, the translation is… rustic (Ventile was translated as “ventilated cotton fabric”), but… “it works” , that was not translated using Google Translate.
The very rigorous authors note that survival suit test reports regularly fall into oblivion , whether because of the closure of a military laboratory, the end of a war, etc.
They therefore decided, once and for all, to make a complete history of survival suits over the past 60 years , for future researchers on the subject.
And it’s exciting! Everything is very well documented and rigorously sourced.
Concerning our Ventile survival suits, the truth appears in Chapter 2 : Hurricane pilots' survival suits were made of leather... during the Second World War. Their inventor was also called Frankenstein, you can't make that up.
It was not until after the war that RAF suits were made from Ventile.
More precisely, the first six so-called "Mk" suits were made in neoprene, then it was from the Mk 7 versions that they were made in Ventile, just after the war, from 1951.
It's written in black and white.
The use of Ventile allowed perspiration to escape through the gaps in the fibers when the fabric was dry, but once in water, the fibers swelled and blocked the passage of water, making the fabric waterproof.
There were also two layers of fabric , because because of the pressure of the water, we noticed that the water was passing through the Ventile without the fibers having time to swell.
Another problem: the fabric was very expensive to produce on a large scale (taking a long time to manufacture), it was also expensive to assemble as a suit. In addition, body sebum and heavy sweating could disrupt the swelling power of the fiber when wet.
Other more general obstacles have undermined the future of Ventile in survival suits: difficulty in finding perfectly waterproof zips, quality control that can largely be improved, etc.
So the RAF decided, for a time, to use so-called “wet” suits, where a little bit of water is let in to warm it up, exactly like a surfing or diving suit.
(and at the end of the story, it was the rise of offshore oil platforms that finally allowed the creation of effective survival suits)
Ultimately, the Ventile was indeed used for RAF survival suits but only after the Second World War , and was then replaced for very mundane reasons: cost, difficulty of assembly, etc.
On the other hand – and this is really badass – Edmund Hillary really used Ventile clothing for his ascent of Everest in 1953.
If Ventile was not fully satisfactory for making survival suits in icy water, I assure you that in urban use, it is a material that largely keeps its promises . Because yes, the RAF still tested Ventile survival suits!
The acquisition of Ventile by Stotz
Stotz , to put it simply, is Ventile of Swiss origin. Their flagship product, Etaproof is also a 100% cotton fabric that is intended to be waterproof (this is the one that Acronym and Enfin Levé sometimes use for techwear pants and jackets for example).
Etaproof is a very, very, very similar product to Ventile, so much so that it has become difficult to differentiate the two... especially since Stotz bought Ventile!
Indeed, in the 1990s, the British Ministry of Defense struggled to satisfy its demand for a 100% waterproof cotton fabric due to the decline of English textiles. So they decided to contact Stotz, which already supplied 100% cotton for the Scandinavian and American armies.
The English were very happy with Stotz and it was logical that the Swiss manufacturer became the ideal candidate to buy Ventile.
In 2017, Stotz fully acquired the Ventile brand to expand its Etaproof fabric range.
Do you understand why we chose this material for our rain jacket? Besides, let’s talk more about it!
How does Ventile protect you from water? ⛈️
We have seen it: when the material becomes wet, the water causes the cotton fibers to swell, and since the weave is very tight, this prevents the water from passing through.
This is how the material becomes “waterproof”.
It sounds simple like that, but to have a very compact weave, you need extrafine fibers from Supima cotton, grown in the United States, which represents barely 2% of global cotton production.
It is therefore this alloy of very fine fibers and a very dense weave which gives all the properties to Ventile.
The cotton is spun in Germany and the threads then go to Switzerland to be woven into a finished product.
Ventile and the “mass market” 📦
If this material is so fabulous, one might wonder why it hasn't become even more mainstream in men's fashion.
We must already mention the difficulties of having constant quality. I invite you to read the timeline on the Ventile website , where we realize that dyeing such a compact fabric gave Stotz, the Swiss company which bought the Ventile brand, a lot of trouble.
They therefore had to develop a very specific dyeing process themselves to avoid streaks or irregularities in the color at the end of production.
And as we have seen, Ventile requires impeccable quality cotton, therefore one of the most expensive on the market. Add to this the need to have a very dense weave, and a price accordingly, and this is enough to dampen the enthusiasm of some men's fashion brands...
Outdoor brands preferred to turn to Gore-Tex, with well-established marketing and more easily accessible.
Today, Ventile's main customers are air forces who understand the value of this fabric and are willing to pay the price.
This is why with this piece, I am very proud to participate in the democratization of this fabric.
Ventile vs Gore-Tex/membrane: who wins? ⚔️
You can see that I'm enthusiastic about Ventile and you also know that I'm a fan of techwear and technical materials...
I therefore have one foot in each universe, and above all, I have been able to test both approaches quite intensively, because I am the owner:
- an Acronym jacket in Gore-Tex Pro
- and another in Ventile
.
It is clear that Gore-Tex or any other membrane remains on top when it comes to waterproofing. Clearly, if you have to walk an entire afternoon in pouring rain, with a backpack and its straps pressing on your shoulders – outdoor conditions for which Gore-Tex was designed – it is undeniable that a material like Gore-Tex is essential.
But I remind you that as breathable as it is, it remains a membrane and therefore a plastic film which wraps your torso. And unfortunately, as soon as the temperatures rise, it's easy to get too hot.
It's very well explained in this article from the military brand UF Pro (which sells Gore-Tex and Ventile jackets).
Especially in an urban environment where we go from cool to hot constantly (metro, street, store, etc.).
As a result - and from my experience - Ventile is much more comfortable on a daily basis, because like any other cotton fabric, air circulates with great ease through the weave, and this is incomparable when compared to Gore-Tex.
The same goes for a summer climate: in an urban environment, the Ventile is very pleasant.
How waterproof is Ventile? 🌧️
It's an anecdote that I've already told: when we arrived in Japan for our web series, we had to walk 20-25 minutes in the streets of Tokyo to find our Airbnb, all in torrential rain like I didn't. have never experienced it
It was to the point where even the X-Pac fabric on my backpack
That evening I wore my Acronym Ventile jacket and in the face of this endless downpour, the water had slightly seeped through the unwelded seams. But it was quite honorable considering the intensity of this Tokyo rain.
So I guarantee it: for urban use, this jacket will keep you dry, I promise you. And if you also wear the Climashield liner underneath, you still have plenty of room!
Ventilation, water and freshness: what we will never tell you 💨
You go out into the street with a shirt and your jacket.
It's raining on your Ventile jacket.
You may have a “cool” feeling in certain areas.
Don't panic, it's not the water coming in! If you look inside the jacket, you will see that everything is dry.
In fact - and like any waterproof fabric - the water which remains on the surface "refreshes" the fabric, without necessarily entering it.
Nothing serious, it's even rather pleasant this refreshing effect when you're hot. And if it ever bothers you, just put the removable liner, a sweater or a sweatshirt between your skin and the jacket!
And what does the world think of buschcraft and the outdoors?🌲
It's very simple: it's a very popular material, particularly for its ability to not make noise when you move. There is not this "cute" side of technical materials, which is why ornithologists and nature photographers appreciate this material so much.
In the outdoor/bushcraft forums, some say that it takes about 2 hours in moderate rain for the Ventile to show its limits. Another says he spent six hours in the rain and that the water only seeped into the straps of his bag.
Some also praise the longevity of Ventile (several years), which is incomparable to that of Gore-Tex for example.
And finally, I came to the same conclusion as them:
- for everyday life: the Ventile is really comfortable and practical
- for days when you have to walk for a long time in heavy rain predicted by the weather forecast: a Gore-Tex/NeoShell/eVent type membrane
In conclusion ⚠️
With Ventile, what you lose in waterproofing compared to a membrane, you gain in comfort and breathability.
The construction of our Ventile jacket 📐
Our new Polish workshop behind the making of this jacket 🇵🇱
I would like to start this paragraph with a huge THANK YOU to this new Polish workshop with whom we are working.
Rarely has a workshop been so responsive, accessible and understanding in the development of this jacket.
It's a very renowned workshop in the manufacture of outdoor clothing, and they are experienced in lots of small details that a "classic" workshop has difficulty understanding: the fabric that we will put on the chin for softness , the drape of a hood, the thickness of a cord, etc.
So thanks to them, they tore everything up.
1. A hood ready for all showers
The specifications for this hood were very clear: protect as much as possible from rain and wind by allowing very fine adjustment.
There is therefore a "bonding" on the visor of the hood. This stiffens the fabric so that it keeps its shape even in the rain, by “gluing” a material that is both flexible and rigid inside the fabric (hence the term “bonding” or “thermobonding”). .
There is a tightening system at the back of the hood which allows you to adjust the depth of the coat, then another system which allows it to be held securely, thanks to the cords on each side of the chin.
In short, I guarantee that not a single drop will enter, and that it will hold in place, whatever the wind in your face.
2. A raglan fitting on the shoulders
Like our coach jacket , the shoulders have a raglan fit. In the case of this jacket intended against the rain, this is logical, because unlike a classic shirt shoulder type assembly, this prevents water from falling directly on a seam in the event of a downpour.
3. Ventilation eyelets in the armpits
Not only is Ventile very breathable, but we have also added ventilation eyelets to wick away body moisture even more effectively.
4. Two external pockets and one interior zipped pocket
We used a new system of exterior pockets to have easy access while preventing water from running inside.
They have been designed to be spacious, while limiting the risk of an object accidentally escaping from them.
And inside, you will find an internal zippered pocket to put your passport or other important personal belongings.
5. Snap buttons at the cuffs and a drawstring at the waist
In very windy weather, you can tighten the cuffs using a set of snap buttons:
Same at the waist, if the wind rushes in from below, you can tighten the piece using a cord:
How to maintain the Ventile? 🧼
Ventile is easy to maintain. It is a material that is not easy to wash, and we recommend dry cleaning.
You can do it once a year, but doing it more than that will be pointless unless there is a real need.
In case of very localized dirt, a wipe with a sponge may be enough!
If this is not possible, put the item in the machine, without anything else, on a delicate program at 30°C maximum, spin as weakly as possible.
Use specialized liquid detergent for waterproofing from Granger's or Cotton Proof from Nikwax , and everything will be fine!
But I insist: for urban use, no need to wash this piece very often. Once every two years is entirely possible for example.
Second piece: a removable liner in Japanese nylon and Climashield
As I told you, the goal of this part is to be very usable in as many situations as possible.
We've included a removable liner, with Climashield insulation.
As for the outer fabric, it is a mini riptstop nylon from the Japanese Komatsu (it is THE Japanese manufacturer specializing in this type of fabric).
Since this nylon is very light, it does not "press" on the Climashield which can fully express its swelling power.
The liner is completely wearable as is, without the Ventile jacket.
It is a system of press studs which allows it to be fixed in the jacket. Small nice detail: it is possible to close or open the lining independently of the Ventile jacket.
As for Climashield, I explained at length why I love this insulation so much, so I will recall the key points:
- they are continuous filaments: it therefore has much better resistance over time
- it resists compression very well, it regains its volume very quickly
- it wicks away moisture, unlike down which has difficulty managing it
For more details on the Climashield, I invite you to (re)read the article presenting our coach jacket .
A 67g insulation that owes nothing to chance… ⚖️
Precisely, like our coach jacket, the weight used here is Climashield APEX 67g.
To give you an idea, this is the weight used by all high-end outdoor or military brands for their mid layers .
It is also the weight of the Climashield used by hikers who complete the PCT , this very long hike on the American coast, over several months, where we pass through burning deserts and snow. And they can only carry one mid layer, which must be useful in as many situations as possible, neither too cold nor too hot.
And it is the Climashield APEX 67g which is unanimously appreciated, which was perfect for my wish to make this jacket as versatile as possible in many places around the world.
If you wait until winter, I am convinced that with a good wool sweater underneath, you will be able to go down to -5°C for example.
Those who have already purchased Climashield clothing from us know how pleasant and durable this insulation is.
Moreover, at home you can do a very simple experiment: when you are sitting on your sofa, place this completely unfolded jacket on your legs and you will feel this light and exquisite warmth...
What to wear it with? 🤔
Small selection of outfits that Jordan had to shoot in confinement, all alone with his camera:
How do you get these new parts?
Find our new products on our e-shop .
Note: deliveries of this launch (jeans, sweatshirt, 2in1 jacket)
Covid-19 has caused additional production delays.
Orders will be open this Saturday, May 9 , but deliveries will be a few days late:
- sweatshirt: delivered from May 15,
- jeans: delivered from May 21 ( attention, risk of significant sell out on this item )
- 2 in 1 jacket: delivery end of May
You know everything ! Our apologies for these small delays… and thank you for your support!