My casual techwear wardrobe
Casual techwear??
According to the article"Intro to techwear" he style of the clothing in my wardrobe should be clasified as casual techwear . Some people think
that techwear has to be urban/militar/tech-ninja stuff (like this album). I don't agree with that, to me, if it uses technically advanced fabrics, it's techwear. Most of the things on my wardrobe are discrete with muted colours and a modern lean cut.
Definition of casual techwear: AKA business casual Techwear. These brands fit very easily into a normal office lifestyle while still featuring new fabrics and treatments, usually for stretch, odor reduction, and water repellency.
In this page are the pieces I've chosen for my wardrobe over the last 2 years. I love reading reviews and searching for cool stuff online so I'm pretty sure that the things here are some of the best quality items you can buy right now.
I posted the album on top in reddit's MFA a couple weeks ago (My techwear wardrobe) and people were interested so I decided to expand it a bit making this site. I will post full reviews and pictures of the garments that I have and will keep
trying and reporting on new stuff that I get.
I try to cover almost every kind of situations keeping a minimal style. I'm 31, work in a casual office, travel on the weekends with my girlfriend (getting married in a month), have two cats... don't know.. I'm normal guy, I exercise
a bit, I'm around 5'10", 160lb and wear 31 in trousers and usually S in tops (sometimes M depending on the brand).
Brands
After 3 years transitioning my clothes to technical fabrics and improving what I own, 90% of the clothes I have are made by 3 companies, Outlier, Icebreaker and Stone Island. I like to know how the things I wear are made, and where they come from. These companies have a pretty transparent process and pride themselves in good craftsmanship and using the best fabrics available. They also have some inspiring backstories, there's more info about this in the "brands" section.
What I look for in clothes
Being comfortable is my top priority, that means not being too hot, cold, having to take too much care of my clothes, and being able to use most of the things in a casual situation but also dress it up.
Fabric, fabric, fabric..
The most important thing about clothing? The fabrics used. Once you try some nice merino clothing you won't wear cotton again, it's addictive. Same with the technical fabrics made by schoeller. Having durable fabrics that stretch and
are stain-resistant makes you to not want to go back to normal clothes again. Nice fabrics paired with thoughtful cut design (gusseted crotch, pivot sleeve, etc) make you appreciate your clothes all day long.
The comfort, versatility and protection against heat, cold and water of technicals fabrics are worth it even thought they are expensive as fuck.
Pants
Do you notice the trend? I like outlier. They make some of the best modern technical trousers, other brands like proofNY are copying them lately and becoming good alternatives but Outlier is still my favorite. Once you find your size in outlier's trousers you can get any of the models and they should fit fine. I wear a 31 in all of them.
2x Slim dungarees (indigo, zinc)
My absolute favorite pair of pants. I have two pairs and will probably get a third one because they are the ones that I use the most.
In indigo blue, they are the perfect replacement for denim. I bought a pair of raw APC Petit Standard a couple of months before the dungarees and I haven't wore them since I got the dungarees. They are much more comfortable than denim
with a similar 5 pocket look. Wearable in any situation, I've used the indigo pair probably 150 times in 2013 and they still look like new.
Zinc is an interesting colour, it looks gray indoors but has a strong green tint when you are outside. A first I was disappointed because the colour was different than the pictures but now I like it a lot.
1x Outlier new OG (black)
Most comfortable pair of pants ever and perfect for the office. The fabric is made by schoeller, has 4-way-stretch so it's like wearing very comfortable sweatpants. They look more serious and conservative so I don't wear them as much as the
dungarees but they are stretchier and more comfortable. I think they'll get more use as I get older. The fabric is not as durable as the dungarees (can snag if you get into bushes or fight cats)
I would stay away from the "concrete" colour. A colleague at work has them and they are so clear that they get stains easily.
1x Outlier Ultralight trousers (gray)
The ultralights are life-savers in summer. They are the lightest trousers you can probably find. They breath like crazy, have 4 way stretch and have a perfect look for the office or looking sharp in summer. The only downside is that
they have pilled a bit in the thighs after only one summer, I think it's my fault as I gained some weight.
Longer review coming soon...
2x Outlier Three-way-shorts (green, purple) SOLD
In summer I probably wore this two pairs every single day that I didn't have to go to the office. They are made with the same fabric as the OGs and climbers so they are stretchy. They can be used as a swimsuit, and I've used them tens of times
in the swimming pool and the beach without any fading or damage. The only problem is that they take longer to dry than a regular swimsuit. It can take about an hour in the heat to get the waistband completely dry. That can be a
bit uncomfortable but it if's a hot day you won't care much.
You can put them on, go to a family lunch looking sharp with shorts and a shirt and then go straight to the beach.
Outlier Nyco Slim (olive) SOLD
My least favorite of all of outlier's catalog. They are the first pair I got and I barely wear them. The construction is amazing, have a gusseted crotch and they look great, BUT (big big BUT) the fabric doesn't have any stretch. Some people
recommend them as an introduction to outlier because they are affordable but they are in another league compared to the schoeller fabrics.
My recommendation is to save and go straight for some dungarees or 60/30 chinos.
I'll expand on why I don't like them in here:
1x Climbers - (black)
I'm waiting to receive this model in a couple of days. I want the OG's fabric in a leaner and more modern cut, so I'm going to get the climbers in charcoal. They are even slimmer than the dungarees so it's the only pair in which I'll size up to a 32. Will write more once I get them.
More notes about outlier trousers
Grid linen shorts
Apart from the trousers above, I also have 2 pairs of grid linen shorts. They are made for lounging at home so I classified them as accessories. I'm always in my underwear at home and when my in-laws came to visit I realised that I didn't have anything but running shorts to look a bit decent. I got a pair and after seeing how comfortable they are I ordered a second one. More info on the bottom of this page.
Women's trousers
In 2013 I also got my soon-to-be wife (in a couple of months) two pairs of trousers. The Ladies Slim dungarees (not the new slimmer iteration, the new one looks even better) and the Women's daily riding pants. She loves them. They are comparable to the men's slim dungarees and climbers so the reviews above apply to them fine. If you want to make an awesome gift to your SO get her some outlier pants.
Outerwear
Icebreaker has some awesome laminate fabrics for outerwear. They have a merino exterior, some kind of plastic layer and a soft liner. They look like regular wool but are tought, waterproof and windproof.
Icebreaker boulder hood
My favorite jacket. The new version is called Legacy jacket and I think I read somewhere that it's a slightly different cut. Tough merino wool outside, waterproof and windproof laminate, sealed seams, etc. You won't get wet, it's really stylish and comfortable. It's my go-to jacket in winter.
Icebreaker Legacy Trench
Similar to the jacket above but dressier, longer and warmer. The pockets are lined with soft merino and it's cozy to have your hands in them. Also have an elastic hidden wrist-band than keeps air out. 320 merino and waterproof.
I have it in black and it's my dressier jacket.
Puma MMQ - wind jacket
Light jacket for rainy days. The video sold it to me. I like the modern camo pattern, can be packed down and stuffed in a backpack pocket. The fabric doesn't breath at all so it can get sweaty. There are much better options but I liked the design. Not recommended.
T-Shirts
Merino tshirts are probably the best way to get into techwear. Perfect for the summer. I'm going to order from other brands like finisterre, ibex, etc.. For now I have some by outlier and icebreaker
Icebreaker Tech Tlite 150
This shirt deserves to have it's own article. It's simply the best shirt I have. Perfect for F/W, it's thick and keeps you warm. You can travel with it and it doesn't wrinkle. I've been able to wear one without washing for about 12 times it
looked clean.. it's seriously impresive.
BUT... and this is a huge but, it shrank after a cold machine washing. Now they state on the sizing page that the shrink but didn't when I got them. A disappointing because they are fucking awesome. Auto-cop if available again.
UPDATE: outlier accepted a return on the shrunk shirts 2 months after the return period was over. Great customer service!! Will get a couple more in march when they re-stock them.
Outlier Superfine Tshirt
I think that this one was the first experimental tack collar shirt. It ran out of stock in hours but I managed to get one that someone has returned when I had to return the long sleeve pivot. I like it a lot, it's fresh, light blue and perfect for summer. Could be a bit slimmer on the bottom part but it's pretty good.
Shirts
All the shirts that are worth talking about in my wardrobe are outlier. They fit the techwear part because of the fabric's water and stain resistance and the cut, the pivot sleeve gives more freedom of movement, check this video ( http://vimeo.com/71919119 ) to understand how it works.
2x Outlier Merino/Co
This shirt deserves to have it's own article. It's simply the best shirt I have. Perfect for F/W, it's thick and keeps you warm. You can travel with it and it doesn't wrinkle. I've been able to wear one without washing for about 12 times it
looked clean.. it's seriously impresive.
BUT... and this is a huge but, it shrank after a cold machine washing. Now they state on the sizing page that the shrink but didn't when I got them. A disappointing because they are fucking awesome. Auto-cop if available again.
UPDATE: outlier accepted a return on the shrunk shirts 2 months after the return period was over. Great customer service!! Will get a couple more in march when they re-stock them.
1x Outlier tack collar
I think that this one was the first experimental tack collar shirt. It ran out of stock in hours but I managed to get one that someone has returned when I had to return the long sleeve pivot. I like it a lot, it's fresh, light blue and perfect for summer. Could be a bit slimmer on the bottom part but it's pretty good.
1x Outlier Cali Shirt
This one has been discontinued and in the 2013 year end sales they stated that from now on outlier products need to have outlier fabrics. The problem with this shirt is that it's just a normal shirt. The cotton is not treated or has tech properties so it's nice but.. meh. I'm sure that there will be better offers next summer.
1x Outlier Pivot Blazed Shirt -
This one has been was an old iteration on the blazed shirt that used spanish fabric. I had some problems with a seam getting open and they exchanged it for the tack collar. You can expect them to come through if there are some issues with the fabric/construction.
Mid Layer - Sweaters
Layering for comfort in winter is the most important thing you can do. Merino wool has the best properties for this, thin, keeps the heat without making you sweat and nowadays it's also waterproof and windproof.
Icebreaker quatro hoodie
A really nice hoodie, I wore it over a year until it was basically destroyed. For what it costs t should be more durable but it can be used all year long. Great for cold summer nights and layering in winter. The perfect hoodie if it wasn't for the durability.
Stone island shadow project hoodie
Got it second hand online, seller's (tigerprawn) description:
I really, really, really wish this still fit or I bought it in a larger size. Super comfortable, really substantial feeling and not like a typical 100% cotton hoodie. Holds it shape, has a nice rebounding stretch to the fabric, and has a nice hand feel. Side zip hides a catch pocket. Really great hoodie that I only tried on and never got to wear.
I agree, a great hoodie, very warm and with side panels that allow movement similar to the pivot sleeve so it's very comfy.
Stone island camo sweatshirt
As the Stone island hoodie above this one is WARM, like, crazy warm for how thick it is. Sometimes I wear it without anything underneath because it gets too hot once you go inside.
Footwear
I like sneakers, I just do. I know I could dress up with some quality shoes or boots but I don't think they fit my style yet. I mostly like low sneakers, with discrete designs and if possible waterproof. It's usually hard to find 100% waterproof sneakers.
Outlier x Feit - supermarine shoes
Wearing the supermarines right now. They look good, are comfortable and make me taller but have construction issues on the side band, they also get lint and cat hair like crazy.
The upper is supermarine cotton with a very soft leather inside. There are no seams and the insoles are great. As far as I know hey won't be made again because outlier didn't have enough input on Feit's design process.
Converse X Schoeller
A colaboration between schoeller and converse. They are sold out everywhere. I like them a lot, the logo is almost un-noticeable in real life and the fabric looks very very durable, looks a bit like neoprene.
Reebok X SNS Gore-tex
8th part of the colaboration between Sneakersnstuff and reebok. A really well made Gore-tex sneaker. I don't usually like camo, but I really like this pair. They keep your feet warm and dry, perfect for winter.
The problem is that they are TOO waterproof, the gore text doesn't breath much so my feet are smelly at the end of the day (not sweaty thought). That doesn't happen with the rest of footwear I have.
Nike Lunar Terra Arktos Boot
The black version was supposed to be a limited release and I was about to get it on ebay when it was released by nike europe. I like this boots a lot, they are very tough and completely winter proof. Lighter and more comfortable than they look.
Base layer
I like sneakers, I just do. I know I'll probably would be able to dress up with quality shoes or boots but I don't think they fit my style yet. I like mostly low sneakers, with discrete designs and if possible waterproof. It's usually hard to find 100% waterproof sneakers.
Icebreaker 200 Everyday Long sleve
I have 2 pairs, can put one on and don't take it off except for showers for about a week. Going to work, sleeping it in, etc. No smell at all until about the fifth day so I just rotate a couple of pairs. Keeps you warm and just at a comfortable temperature all day long. A must-have
Icebreaker anatomica briefs
Incredibly comfortable, the lightest underwear I've found, as everything merino works great wicking humidity and keeping odours at bay.
One serious problem thought, durability. They are too thin and unless you own lots of pairs they won't last long. You will probably grab them as the first choice everyday so they get worn a lot and since the fabric it's pretty delicate. I
would recommend a pair or two just to experience how good they are but they are expensive for how long they last.
Accesories
Mujjo crochet touchscreen gloves
Leather crochet gloves that are touchscreen compatible. The cashmere lining is soft and the leather is treated to work on touchscreens. Haven't tried them in really cold weather yet but they seem to be hot and cozy. They are comfortable.
Tom Bihn Synapse 25 - Backpack
Light, durable and perfectly designed. There are tens of reviews online and not a single one of them is negative. It's light, has a very low profile but is able to hold astonishing amounts of stuff.
