Today’s market is literally flooded with technical outdoor garments, ranging from fleece jackets, soft- and hardshell clothing to things as simple as shirts. They all offer superior functionality but tend to make you look like you are coming straight out of a mountain expedition. Despite the fact that technical garments are becoming more and more common -even in urban environments, they are not suited for a classic business casual or smart casual dresscode.
To make things worse, some tactical brands make you really shine out of the masses like a lighting tower, especially for those you want to be not seen by.
For example, I really like the comfort and insulation of the Arcteryx Atom LT jacket, paired with its low weight and breathability, but even the civilian, non-LEAF versions look a little bit too much like a typical outdoor jacket for certain missions or situations. So, there was really a gap in non-tactical, non-outdoor, but functional everyday wear.
This was until I -almost accidently, discovered Arcteryx Seton jacket. The Selton jacket is basically an Atom LT jacket, but made to the specifics of Arcteryx excellent casual line.
The feature that makes the most difference is the cut, which is based on blousons, or US bomber jackets, which have become more and more common in European everyday fashion in the last decade or so. The Selton jacket features a really small and elegant, woven collar which can be freely combined with shirts, t-shirts and pullovers. So, it doesn’t matter if you are around casual in the city wearing a t-shirt or polo or on your way to the office, wearing a white shirt with jeans or chino pants. Of course, the low-profile collar won’t protect you from windchill like the higher cut collar on the Atom LT jacket, but this can be fixed by just wearing a scarf.
The side areas, just underneath the arms are made out of a fleece, stretch material which not only enhances your mobility -despite the athletic cut, but also gives you some breathability. This also hugely resembles one of the Atom LT jackets most praised features.
Besides from the collar the jacket is cut really short, but long enough to conceal a weapon. The hem around the waist is made out of the same stretch material that is used on the collar. The Seton jacket is closed by an YKK zipper with webbing zipper pulls, which sadly tend to shift inside the zipper.
The outer shell is made of a DWR treated nylon fabric, similar to an Atom LT jacket. Even heavy rain starts to soak into the jacket after like 30 minutes of exposure. The fabric is also highly wind resistant, reducing felt windchill drastically. In fact, the Selton Jacket performs just like a light softshell jacket, when looking at wind and rain resistance.
Pocket wise you get three zippered pockets, two being placed on the waist and being partially lined with fleece like material on the inside. Aside from fitting and warming your hands well, they also function as simple stash pockets. The zippers are completely covered, so you wont notice them when not in use.
On the right chest you’ll also get a zippered inside pocket which lets you discreetly store a small writing block, or E&E tools.
Of course, the Selton jacket features insulation, it’s the same amount and kind of insulation which the Atom LT has. So, you can wear it from the early autumn till early winter, wearing the jacket as a standalone piece of clothing with a shirt stops getting comfortable at -1 degrees Celsius. But you have ample space to layer a pullover or a hoodie over your shirt.
All in all, the Seton jacket is a great option for everyday wear, especially for people who are working in investigations or close protection reconnaissance, where you might need a technical jacket with a discreet and sleek look. The only giveaway might be a small, subdued “deadbird” logo on the right sleeve.
You can get the Seton jacket directly from Arcteryx.
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