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Layering in the winter months is vital. And a key asset in your layering arsenal should be a nice hoodie.
Pop on a t-shirt, throw over a hoodie or jumper and a medium-weight jacket and you should be plenty warm on your upper body for whatever chills you may face.
There’s also something very satisfying and cosy about wearing a hoodie. Sure, wear one too often and you may well be deemed a student layabout, but hey – it’s good to treat yourself sometimes.
That leads me on to my latest hoodie acquisition – the Paxton men’s hoodie from American cycling apparel specialists: Primal Wear (more specifically, their sub-division Happy Trails).
For starters, this is a very lightweight hoodie – a borderline jacket at that – with a zip running down the front.
I opted for the ‘Jet Black’ model, which is ironically more of a very dark charcoal colour for the body of the jacket, with true black finishing around the edge of the pockets, sleeves, side panels, hood and other seams. The interior is decorated with an army-inspired camouflage with a metallic hint.
The Paxton Hoodie comes in a loose fit cut, ideal for layering. This, combined with a very spacious hood, makes for a great casual and relaxing feel.
The highlight of this Primal Wear piece though is the multitude of embedded cycling-friendly features.
For starters, there are four discreet reflective strips: a thin 10cm strip on each shoulder blade, reflective detailing running down the zipper and another 3.5cm strip in front of the left pocket. You won’t be glowing like a beacon with these features, but, as a major supermarket famously says: every little helps.
The sleeves also offer a generous length on the Paxton and boast thumb holes – something I find perfect on icy days to prevent cold air shooting up the arms.
And, as with all good cycling jackets and tops, the material (a polyester/cotton blend) is very breathable. So much so, I’ve actually been running in this hoodie too and certainly haven’t felt like overheating.
Coming in at a pretty hefty $145 (about £118 – of course fluctuating on daily Brexit fears/hopes), this is certainly a serious investment for a casual urban hoodie. On the other hand though, this is a high quality product and brimming with cycling functionality.
