Vespertine Road Hog Reflective Waistcoat

The first thing everyone is going to notice about this Vespertine Road Hog Reflective Waistcoat is the price. It's hard to see past a price tag of over £200, but designer Sarah Canner has not produced a run of the mill piece of safety equipment, here, nor even an average cycling gilet - this garment comes with a genuine New York designer pedigree, and results from a desire to fuse fashion and function.

Those not interested in the fact that this is a genuinely innovative and unusual garment, made by a designer, from extremely high quality materials should stop reading now. Yes, it's expensive, but it's fashion, dahling, for the bike.

Made from lightweight merino tweed, with a reflective 3M thread, woven in Scotland, this waistcoat looks smart and stylish by day, but it's really under the glow of car lights that it shows its true mettle.

Considering the fabric is as soft and 'normal' looking as it is, it's amazing how visible it becomes when it starts doing its funky reflective thing. The waistcoat is trimmed with a broad band of Scotchlite trim too, just in case you weren't convinced it was reflective enough. It's also fully reversible, with the interior of the piece lined in high viz pink (again trimmed with Scotchlite)100% recycled polyester, if you fancy being more visible during the day too.

On the bike, it's very comfortable and strikes a good balance of windproofing without being over hot, and the merino content shows its worth. It's a garment for Spring and Autumn use, rather than the depths of winter, although with a thermal baselayer, it does the trick on moderately cold dry winter nights too, as long as you're not generating too much speed.

The fabric is genuinely visible, giving a feeling of a bit more safety, without having to compromise on looks. THAT is the key area where this waistcoat differs from anything else available, it looks really good and stylish as well as having a technical role to play, whether it's worn on the bike or merely for walking around in low light. An unusual combination, albeit an expensive one.

The fit is slightly boxy, and best suited to more athletically shaped women. Some curvier ladies may find it doesn't suit quite as well.

Yes, it's an investment, but some women (and men) will spend this on a piece of designer clothing off the bike, so why not one for on the bike as well?

Verdict

Well made, looks good and really does do what it's supposed to.