I always feel a little melancholy at the start聽of fall, with shorter days, cooler temperatures, and fluctuating weather marking the end of big summer adventures. But if there鈥檚 one thing I look forward to this time of year it鈥檚 unpacking my shirt聽from the bottom drawer.
This might look like any old flannel button-up, but it鈥檚 actually a finely crafted, highly technical, and seriously cozy long-sleeve jersey. The worsted flannel wool crafted by Pendleton is, at once, soft enough to wear next-to-skin but so insulating that I鈥檝e donned it, over a midweight baselayer, in full winter conditions. It鈥檚 also surprisingly breathable, as with all good wool, as well as warm even when wet. It鈥檚 tailored trim so there鈥檚 no excess fabric to flop around in the wind, and the sleeves are long for the riding position.
But what really sets it apart are the smart technical touches. At the shoulder hemline, stretch mesh-lined vents add mobility without extra fabric and also allow heat to escape when you鈥檙e going hard. The plastic snaps make cooling off quick and easy鈥攁 strip club yank on the lapel gets the whole front open in an instant鈥攂ut they are also extremely durable and haven鈥檛 broken or failed in years of use. And the laser-cut Schoeller patches on the elbows and shoulders have shrugged off inadvertent contact with brush, branches, and even dirt and rock (yep, we all take the occasional tumble).
For its second edition of the Icon, Kitsbow has used lots of flashy colors. But I have the original plain gray, which I love for it understated versatility. I鈥檝e worn it out ski touring, in the river to fish, as a layering piece for winter hunts, and as the ultimate travel top in places like Scotland and New Zealand, where the weather can turn in an instant and you鈥檙e just as likely to end up at a pub or museum as you are ripping singletrack.
At $195,聽it鈥檚 pricey, partly because it鈥檚 made in the U.S. But before you roll your eyes and dismiss this as dentist wear,聽think about all those cheap, cotton flannels you鈥檝e bought and tossed over the years and how much, collectively, they cost you. And also consider how flimsy those cheap ones are and how they rip up and fall apart when you ride hard in them. Not so the Icon. Mine鈥檚 going on three years and it looks just like it did the day I got it, even though I鈥檝e crashed hard in it, worn it virtually nonstop through winter (and laundered it accordingly), left it in smelly packs for weeks at a time, and stained it with pretty much anything you can think of: mud, dung, blood, you name it. And still, my Icon looks like new.
This piece falls into the old 鈥淏uy it right, and buy it once adage.鈥 That鈥檚 true, but only partly so because given that I wear it so regularly, I鈥檓 occasionally tempted to get another Icon. But I won鈥檛 do it. Choosing between two perfect things would be too tough.