Vulpine French Workers Jacket

The Vulpine French Workers Jacket is a cycling-friendly take on a design classic. Able to be dressed up or down, for working or Being Seen – on or off the bike – it's cracking value for what you get.

Dating back over a hundred years to before the First World War, the 'bleu de travail' – or 'working blues' jacket – is designed for factory and farm workers, who needed both rugged protection and cargo pockets. Made from denim or moleskin, originals can still be found – a testament to the longevity of the fabric, build and style.

> Buy the French Worker's Jacket from Vulpine now for £90

UK brand Vulpine has taken the design and sprinkled it with cycling-specific features (urban cycling, anyway) to appeal to riders both on and off their bikes.

The first thing you notice is the cotton-elastane fabric – it's stretchy. Not quite as stretchy as Lycra, but if you have it done up and need to bend over or twist, it lets you. The fabric isn't waterproof or even water-resistant, however, so while a few drops will be okay, it quickly wets out under even light rain. Think how your favourite jeans handle rain...

The pockets are the USP of the French worker's jacket, and if for some reason you're not in marketing that stands for 'unique selling proposition'. On the outside you get three large flat pockets. The two lower ones are each large enough to hold an A5-size Moleskine diary or (if for some reason you lack a Moleskine diary) a decent paperback, and do so without overly twisting the hang of the jacket. Heaven forfend your copy of Ulysses should sit crooked.

The top left pocket will easily swallow even the largest of modern phones, albeit with a bit protruding from the top.

Inside the right breast there is a zipped pocket that will secure a phone, with the top unattached so you get a second stash pocket between it and the outer fabric; just the place for a tourist map, train tickets and your very best fountain pen.

The collar can be turned up, but isn't reinforced in any way so adds minimal protection from weather. The cuffs are quite snug. There are two cuff buttons, the wider of the two allowing the jacket to be pulled on or off over the hands, the narrower to pretty much make a seal around the wrist.

At the wrists and at the waist hem are short lengths of retro-reflective piping, but it's hard to spot in daylight unless you're really looking. Actually, it's not that easy to spot even if it's dull or dark: being so small they're of questionable value in a busy urban night. But I suppose every little helps.

Fit-wise the Large recommended by Vulpine's guide worked perfectly for me. Having arms roughly two inches longer than the average bear, I was very pleased the cuffs sat comfortably on my wrists, not exposing skin when reaching out on a drop-bar bike or above head height to, for instance, surrrender. I don't know why that should matter in a French jacket, but I like to be thorough.

The hem reached down to just below my bum, and the stretchy fabric works well here. The cut of the jacket isn't snug, that's for sure – so if I was bent over in an aggressive position there's a fair bit of bunching. Matron. On an upright bike or walking around, the fit is fine.

Vulpine only offers the French Worker's Jacket in this 'Sandstone' colour, which is a pity as on the product page a model wears the traditional bright blue. Beigeness aside, people of a certain age will appreciate the opportunity to walk about the house, workshop or office shouting incredulously 'B-B-Buy, Granville? B-B-Buy?' before throwing a battered Oxo tin onto the kitchen counter or a bemused colleague's desk.

Elderly British comedy references aside, it would be good if Vulpine offered the French Worker's Jacket in more than one colour, but hey – it's neutral, so you can wear pretty much any other colour combo with it.

The only way I can think to improve things is with a DWR coating to at least bead off light showers. Jackets are for outside, and outside is where the rain is, I've noticed...

Otherwise, this design classic is well suited to city cycling. It works well as a layer over a thick top for added windblocking, or over a T-shirt in warmer times for style and convenience of pockets. The stretch fabric leaves you unconstrained, and value-wise at £90 it's a bit of a steal.

For this kind of role you could also look at the SWRVE Wander Over Shirt which I reviewed recently, though that's more at £135. For that you get a water-resistant fabric and different pocket options, though.

At £150 the &SONS Carver jacket mimics the same sort of 19th-century-exploited-masses look but uses a heavier cotton, though with a stretch in it so it's still suited to bent-over cycling. If you're after something with more warmth, the Chrome Industries Two Way Insulate Shacket is £140 and offers warmth and water-resistance, but fewer pockets.

Overall

If you aren't fussed about water resistance and don't want insulation, the Vulpine French Worker's Jacket is a stylish thing that copes well with gentle (and dry) cycling and will fit nicely into pretty much anyone's wardrobe – for a reasonable price, too.

Verdict

Light, bike-friendly and stylish jacket for layering about town across multiple seasons