Just beyond the high-cut collar of Gill’s OS2 foul-weather jacket lies a wonderful world of fleece.
Here’s a little slice of hell: You have your foul-weather jacket zipped up against the elements. Every time you turn your head, your chin brushes against the mildly abrasive material lining the collar. Soon your chin is chafed to a perfect pink, so you unzip the collar seeking relief. In the howling wind, the loose collar promptly smacks you square in the teeth.
The designers of Gill’s OS2 jacket have clearly visited this inferno, or at least they’re incredibly sympathetic to those of us who have. Lining the collar of this coastal/offshore garment is a paradise of soft fleece that treats the chin like royalty. There’s a fleece-lined flap covering the zipper pull and a fleece-lined face protector that folds up and secures to the side when not in use– so you’ll never get smacked in the teeth again (at least not by your foul-weather jacket). The high-backed collar conceals a fluorescent yellow storm hood.
In the same way that the collar of the OS2 accommodates multiple modes– from fully zipped to partially open– the cuffs allow you to choose just how tightly you want to batten down the hatches. For light duty, the adjustable, hook and loop outer cuffs should suffice. If it’s really wet, clamp down on the spray top-style polyurethane cuffs, which provide a watertight seal when in use but disappear into the sleeve when not needed. The versatility of the collar and cuff systems expands the range of conditions in which you can wear the OS2, thereby saving you room in your gear bag and money in your wallet.
The placement and variety of pockets in the OS2 also win my vote. My favorite is the wallet pocket, located on the chest inside the storm flap but outside the zipper, so you can whip out your wad without exposing yourself to the cold. At the hips you’ll find two sets of pockets– one fleece-lined for hand warming and one zippered for keeping essential tools at the ready.
The exterior fabric of the OS2 is a two-layer laminate that is both waterproof and breathable; the interior features soft mesh for insulation and drainage. Reflective patches serve as styling accents, giving the jacket a bit of a techy look. The fit is generous through the back and shoulders, allowing for a full range of motion, and the arms are long enough not to expose your wrists no matter what you’re reaching for.
The OS2 comes in red, yellow, silver, and graphite, in men’s and women’s styles.
$279, www.gillna.com
