Windows Phone Thoughts: The New SCOTTeVEST Classic Vest Asks, "Do You Really Need Sleeves?"

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Friday, September 24, 2004

The New SCOTTeVEST Classic Vest Asks, "Do You Really Need Sleeves?"

Posted by Brad Adrian in "HARDWARE" @ 09:00 AM


What Is A "New Classic?"
I know it sounds a little strange to describe something as a "new classic;" it sounds about as oxymoronic as "Microsoft Works" and "mature male." But in creating its new Classic vest, SCOTTeVEST has tried to bring all of the great features that have been part of the vests for years "kicking and screaming" into the 21st century. All of the great pockets, channels for concealing cords and style carry through to this version. But, there are some pretty neat surprises that are delivered by the latest and greatest in high-tech fabrics and design.

I'm not necessarily going to go through the long list of features that make up the Classic vest, item by item or pocket by pocket; for those things that are the same as the other SCOTTeVEST duds I've looked at, you can take a look at the other [brilliant] reviews I've written. In this review of the Classic vest, I'm going to focus more on what makes this version different.

Materials
Whenever I get a look at a new item from SCOTTeVEST, I've grown accustomed to seeing the finest in materials and workmanship. In looking at the new Classic vest, I wasn't disappointed. I really hate to sound like a broken record, but when it comes to the quality of materials and construction, you really cannot beat SCOTTeVEST. It's the fabrics used for the Classic vest that set it far apart from its early ancestors, the Versions 1.0 and 2.0 vests. Unlike the earlier versions' nylon shells, the Classic's outer shell is a cotton blend. I LOVE cotton! It is cool, breathable and very easy to clean. But, heck, I may not have to even clean the Classic vest very often, because it also has a Teflon® coating that'll make it hard for even me to stain. The coating also makes water run right off the vest. I was really interested in the water repellant feature, so I tested it myself. You can take my word for the fact that water really does just bead up and run off the shell. But, if you should decide that you must test this feature for yourself, please do not repeat my mistakes by testing it in the shower without first locking the bathroom door. It will eliminate the need to explain a situation that to the unsophisticated mind might appear a bit silly.


Figure 1: The new, cooler mesh lining.

Another slick upgrade is in the fabric used for the lining. In older vests, the lining was much the same as the outer shell; the Classic vest uses a great nylon mesh throughout the interior, kind of like the mesh in those tank-tops we wore in the 1980s. This mesh makes the vest much more breathable and comfortable in warm weather.

The Classic vest is currently available in black and slate gray. I sometimes wish that SCOTTeVEST were more consistent in the colors they offer their duds in. All come in black, but some also include gray or olive or stone or red. I'd like to see the Classic vest also in a cooler tan or stone, because the darker colors can make the vest too warm on sunny days.

But, what about the workmanship of the vest's construction? I looked the Classic vest over and over, turned many of its pockets inside out, pulled and tugged at interior seams and literally searched every square inch of the vest. I am not exaggerating when I say that I wasn't able to find a single mis-aligned hem, crooked seam or loose stitch.

Specific Features
The very first thing you probably notice about the Classic vest that makes it different from other SCOTTeVESTs is that it is, um, well, a vest. Most versions of the SCOTTeVEST have included zip-off sleeves, making them more like convertible jackets than vests. The Classic vest, true to its roots, has no sleeves. If you really need your pocketed attire to have sleeves, the Classic vest will be a disappointment. To be honest, though, I couldn't care less if the Classic vest included sleeves. In fact, whenever I've gotten a new SCOTTeVEST, the very first thing I do is remove the sleeves and toss them into the closet. To this very day, my daughter refuses to venture into my closet because she's afraid of the dark, snakelike tubes that seem to have nested in the back corner. I keep the sleeves on my Version Three.0 outer shell, but I simply prefer the freedom of movement that a sleeveless bag-o-pockets gives me.

Even though the Classic vest doesn't have sleeves of its own, it is designed to zip inside the Version Three.0 SCOTTeVEST outer shell. This makes it useful even when the weather turns colder.

As I mentioned earlier, the Classic vest has all the pockets and Personal Area Network (PAN) features that set all SCOTTeVESTs apart from the fishing vest look-alikes out there. It has a total of 28 pockets and nice amenities like a key holder and CamelBak pocket.


Figure 2: Quick-release cord holders on the collars.

One nice feature that's new are the cord holders on the collar. Older models have elastic loops for keeping headphone and hands-free cords organized, but the Classic vest also has newly-designed plastic clips that make attaching and detaching cords much, much easier.

Another great change SCOTTeVEST made is with the zippers. Older vests have large, fairly bulky and fairly obvious zippers. The Classic vest, though, uses hidden zippers and seaming techniques that make the outside zippers (and thus the pockets) virtually invisible. SCOTTeVEST has also opted to eliminate the largish nylon ribbon pulls on many of the zippers, making the pockets even less obvious. People who know me personally can attest to how grotesquely tall and large I am, and my big fingers sometimes fumble with small pulls. So I've ended up putting some pulls of my own onto some of the zippers, just so I can find and operate them quickly. Most [normal] people should be able to use the new zippers without problems.


Figure 3: Old internal pocket layout (top) and new pocket layout (bottom).

Some of the interior pockets have been redesigned, too. Most of the noisy Velcro closures have been replaced with stealthy zippers, which is an excellent feature when I'm trying to locate my cache of jellybeans in a crowded movie theater. The layout of the interior pockets is slightly different, too, so that your mobile phone can now be placed in a pocket which is actually mobile phone-shaped. I like the new layout and I think it makes the vest much easier for me to use.


Figure 4: Old placket (top) and new placket with logo (bottom).

Finally, the Classic vest includes a few minor cosmetic changes, such as the inclusion of very slick-looking logos.

Conclusions
I know that whenever I review a SCOTTeVEST product, I usually don't have very many negative comments to make. I really believe, though, that these garments are top-notch. Their materials, design and workmanship surpass anything else I've seen. I wish that the price could somehow be a bit lower and thus within reach of more of us who spend too much of our money on Pocket PCs, but even though the Classic vest currently goes for $129.99, you honestly DO get your money's worth.

In the end, my initial underwhelmed reaction to the Classic vest was unjustified. I'll continue to use my Version Three.0 SCOTTeVEST shell a lot in cold weather, but the new fabrics and design of the new Classic vest give it my highest MVP ranking (Measured Vest Preference) of all.

NOTE: SCOTTeVEST is giving Pocket PC Thoughts readers an additional $20 discount on any Classic vest (either color). All you have to do is enter the discount code classicthoughts at checkout. This discount is valid through October 6, 2004.

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