For many years there was pretty much zero cycle clothing that you could wear on your bike and then comfortably keep on at the office. The garish colours, the shiny polyester and the terrible cut of most cycle clothing meant that it was potentially a career ending move to stay in your commuter gear for more than five minutes at your office desk.
Ten years ago Rapha launched on an unsuspecting world with part of its mission to make cycle clothing nice enough to wear on and off the bike. It is hard to remember how unusual that was, given the number of brands out there doing the same. Think Howies, Velobici or mainstream brands like Paul Smith and Levis who have cycling ranges or specials. And of course Vulpine, who have probably the highest profile of the smaller companies trying to catch up with the elite pro team that is Rapha.
Vulpine is slightly more than two years old and in that time they have done a great deal, led by their passionate founder Nick Hussey. Anyone who follows Nick on Twitter knows that he is anything but corporate and he is an interesting contrast to some of the 'style' brands that take themselves so seriously. Vulpine's stated aim is to create "stylish cycling apparel" which "marry technical fabrics, fit and construction with fine British tailoring and design, so you can wear the same garment for ride and destination."
The Oliver Spencer x Vulpine Cycling Blazer (I assume that's a multiplication sign there but who knows, perhaps X is short for collaboration in Soho?) is the first time these two companies have worked together, although Hussey has been friendly with Oliver Spencer (who is a real person) for some time. The Vulpine website explains: "When British menswear designer Oliver Spencer and Vulpine began talking jackets over a coffee, this was the result - The Cycling Blazer. The ultimate in sartorial cycling style; tailored to be comfortably worn on the bike and cut to be suitably smart on arrival."
When I first saw the announcement about this jacket I was quite excited. I am a big fan of Oliver Spencer, to the extent that my wife jokes that apart from cycle clothing it is the only place I ever buy anything (she's not a million miles away from the truth there). Oliver Spencer has a reputation for classic men's clothing with a little twist and he is ever reliable for clothes that are smart in the office but look just as good out on the town after work. He exhibits at London Fashion Week and definitely adds credibility to a cycle clothing brand, however much they would claim to have their own fashion/style credentials.
My only slight concern was that the price - £295 - was quite hefty and that I probably wouldn't really work out whether I liked it until I had been riding with it for a couple of weeks, by which time it would be too late to take it back.
I went to try it on in Oliver Spencer's shop in (super trendy) Lambs Conduit Street in Bloomsbury/Holborn (they have branches in Soho, London and Toronto, Canada too) and was pretty happy with the way it looked and its cut. It looks like a normal dark navy blazer that you could wear to business meetings (as long as you work in media or something where you're not expected to be in a dark suit all day) but has some nice little details (such as white piping in the lining and geo coordinates of the OS shop on the inside jacket pocket) that make it stand out a bit.
But perhaps the most important details are those specific to cyclists. Roll back the sleeves slightly and there is reflective tape, and turn up the jacket and you have the same, ideal for cycling at dusk. The rear vent also has the same reflective strips, so as the vent flaps in the wind it will be picked up by car headlights. Under the arms there are vent holes to keep your armpits cooler and there is a hidden button on the right lapel of the jacket to allow you a bit of protection in light rain.
On the subject of rain, the blazer is made of a showerproof material. It does give the blazer a slightly shiny (not massively so) appearance, which my wife did remark on when she first saw it. The tradeoff between rain-proofness (is that a word?) and shinyness is a big issue with cycle clothing and I think they've done a good job of making a jacket that is practical in mist/light rain without making something that is so shiny that it could offer some protection in a downpour (this blazer won't be much help when the heavens really open).
I've now worn the blazer for my morning commute for the last two weeks as well as around the office and to meetings and I can say that I am delighted with it. It has kept its shape perfectly, is comfortable on a bike (with or without a rucksack) and has been favourably remarked on by several people I have had meetings with. My only negative comments would be that the inside pocket is quite small (fine for a mobile phone or a passport but won't carry much more than that) and that you really do need to have at least one button done up when riding otherwise you end up with the jacket flapping and slowing you down (but it might perhaps be common sense to button up a jacket for riding).
Is it worth £295? A lot of people will say no, but if you look at similar clothes in smart shops then you're looking at a similar pricing level without the specific cycling features that this blazer has. If you compare it with similar jackets that Rapha has produced in the past (for example the Rapha Lapelled Jacket which currently retails for £300) then it is fairly priced and, I think, a better product.
Oliver Spencer x Vulpine Cycling Blazer
£295
Size reviewed: 40"
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