Monday 12 April 2010

North Face Girl's Resolve Jacket



As you can see from the big grin on her face, Juliette was over the moon when she was sent a funky pink jacket from North Face to test and immediately adopted it as her new school coat. It does the job perfectly as a school coat or a day-to-day coat but it is also more than that, being designed for harsh conditions for serious outdoorsy-types. We did also test it on a really windy day on the top of a cliff and it kept her nice and warm, as these photos show.



As well as the wind test, Juliette has also worn it to school on several rainy days and came home bone dry, unsurprisingly as North Face is renowned for its outdoor products and even sponsors professional athletes from the world of extreme sports. On their website, they explain "Combining technical performance with style, the Resolve Jacket will keep girls dry during the heaviest of downpours. Its advanced HyVent™ fabric leaves the shell reliably waterproof yet breathable, managing moisture both inside and out for maximum comfort. Mesh lined and with a brushed collar, it feels good against the body, and a full-length zip and elasticised cuffs ensure a snug, secure fit at all times. When the rain eases the hood can be detached and stored in the collar until the next shower, and the whole jacket rolls up small for stashing in a backpack or bag. Smartly designed and cut, it will keep the rain out on girls’ walks about town as well as out on the hills."

Well, I agree wholeheartedly with all of that except for the bit about the hood. Firstly, it's not detachable at all - it can be rolled up and stashed away in a velcro-sealed pouch in the collar but it remains attached to the coat, which is actually more practical than if it was detachable. Unfortunately, the hood seems much too big for the rest of the coat (which fits perfectly, in length and stature - I just needed to roll the sleeves up a little bit). This caused visibility issues (that could be dangerous if you were walking up a mountain, as many North Face buyers probably would be) and also meant that it didn't stay up in windy conditions.

That is my only criticism though. It's a great all round jacket, which means that it is great value because unlike more hardcore outdoor-wear jackets that only look cool in extreme conditions and aren't really suited to the school playground, this one will get worn lots before your child outgrows it. The little extras like the zippered pockets, the hood that can be packed away and the fact that it is so lightweight, plus the advanced technology of the Hyvent waterproof, breathable material, really make it stand out from its cheaper high-street rivals.

As Juliette is a real little tomboy who loves playing in the dirt and scrambling over rocks, the back of the coat soon got dirty but it's just been through the washing machine and came out in pristine condition. It can't be tumble-dried but drip-dried really quickly.

It will definitely see her through the whole of spring and come back out for autumn (or, dare I say it, summer, if the sun doesn't pay us much of a visit this year). The pink colour appealed to Juliette's girlie-girlie side but it does also come in a range of funky colours that should keep everyone happy. I love the fact that it is an all purpose outdoor jacket that looks and feels as good on a day out hiking in all weathers as it does being worn day-to-day as a school coat.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £49.99

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