The tagline for the Scottevest cotton hoodie is “A place for everything, and everything in its place”. Considering that the hoodie conceals no less then 13 pockets, it’s a pretty accurate description.
There are some things in our culture that most people consider to impossible to improve on: the mousetrap, the hammer. Some things are just so simple and useful that it’s really difficult to make it any better. I felt the same way about the ubiquitous “hoodie,” which is a staple of my personal wardrobe. Living in the high desert like I do, where it can (and will) get quite warm during the day, after the sun goes down it gets quite chilly.
When I first saw the Scottevest cotton hoodie on their site, I thought it looked like an interesting product, but didn’t give it much more thought. I have to say though, after having used the various features in the hoodie for a while, it really is possible to improve on such a basic article of clothing.
It’s quite remarkable really. Small changes that seem quite obvious when you think about them (in a “duh, why didn’t anyone else think of that” kind of way) really make a big difference. Things like magnetic closures, a keychain lanyard, and coin storage built into the front pockets. The interior pockets aren’t just haphazardly stitched in either – the MP3 pocket and cell phone pockets are up at the top, the sunglasses and water bottle pockets are located low, and in the front. So while you might have all 13 pockets full of stuff, you won’t look like a shoplifter trying to run out the door at Wal-mart.
In fact, I’ve even started wearing it when I’m out taking pictures. I normally carry a couple of lenses, a flash, lens cleaning kit, notebook, pen, GPS, cell phone, iPod touch, and a bottle of water with me when I’m shooting. Previously, I wore a backpack, which has a tendency to get in the way, and can be inconvenient to access. Now I just load up the pockets with what I want to take with me, and head out the door.
At $70, the Cotton hoodie is admittedly not cheap. But it is of a significantly higher quality fabric and better construction then your typical $20 throw-away that you can pick up just anywhere. I can honestly say that it’s worth the extra scratch for a product that’s not just a cool piece of geeky kit, but a well made product too.