It rains almost every other day in Seattle, and if trends are any indicator, it’s only going to get worse.
When that threat of rain looms over your head like a Charlie Brown-esque cartoon storm cloud at all times, there’s only two things you can do. You can move, or you can fight back.
The team behind Freeman (no affiliation with New York’s Freeman’s Sporting Club) decided to stand their ground by battling Seattle’s ever-present precipitation with a better raincoat. This meant a jacket that wasn’t just waterproof, but also wouldn’t make someone look like they’re about to scale Kilimanjaro. Sure, a technically advanced jacket might “work,†but it might also be better suited for the ski slopes than a city street.
To design a jacket that was fit for everyday wear, even, or really especially, when there’s a torrential downpour, the brains behind Freeman found their inspiration in the outerwear of the sixties and seventies. Back then hikers and outdoor hobbyists traversed the Pacific Northwest’s routes and roads in a variety of nylon slickers and hooded field coats, and it’s from these that Freeman’s rain jacket was born.
Using these classic jackets as their basis, the Freeman team pieced together a simple slicker that looks like something you might spot on the pages of Take Ivy. The jacket, which is produced entirely in Seattle, packs a two-ply nylon shell which blocks against any sort of storm, while its flannel lining keeps the inside nice and balmy. It’s a rain jacket that’s stylish enough to make you forget you’re even wearing a rain jacket, yet still effective enough to make you thankful that you are once the sky’s open up. Leave it up to a bunch of Seattleites to pull off that one. –JG
But is it breathable? Two ply nylon sounds like being wrapped in a plastic bag.
As someone who owns two of these, yes they are perfectly breathable. It’s a great jacket in look and fit and is excellent in the rain. Highly recommended.
Another very happy Freeman jacket owner here that can attest to its breathability, as well as its fit. I’ve never been so comfortable in a rain jacket before.
I went on their website and was impressed with what I saw. Unfortunately, much of their selection is either sold out or unavailable.
Very recommended, I was looking for one of these jackets, I used to have one but I lost it, I need it as I live in a rainy state, love it!
In my humble opinion, they are not long enough. As someone who has lived and worked outside in the Pacific Northwest his entire life (over a half century now), I can tell you that if the jacket doesn’t cover your ass it’s not great rainwear. The two most miserable things on a cold rainy day are a wet head and a wet backside.
These are the best jackets. I love the work that these two do. The most beautiful design and most amazing quality. Love them. Psyched to see them get this press!