The perfect layer for sipping coffee in the parking lot before the sun comes up is Patagonia’s Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T Vest. Now certified free trade. Photo: Weisberg
Editor’s note: This article was supported by our good friends at Patagonia.
After a sweltering fall heatwave, Southern California is finally settling into characteristic autumn temperatures. Coastal Californians are lucky in that only rarely do temperatures drop below fifty degrees (Fahrenheit, that is). But chillier mornings in the parking lot of your local, sipping coffee call for a reliable layer that doesn’t overdo it. Enter Patagonia’s Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T Vest.
For some time, Patagonia’s been a leader in, among other things, polyester fleece. Their trademarked Synchilla is between 80 to 85% recycled. And it’s light, quick drying, and insulates well. In fact, the material is so warm, sometimes even the lightweight varieties with sleeves can be overkill in SoCal.
I also own a Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T pullover, and on even the coldest California days, I find myself sweating once the sun breaks through the marine layer. The Snap-T Vest is a happy medium, because it can be worn with a short or long sleeve t-shirt, and unzipped a bit when temps start to warm.
An added benefit of the vest over the pullover, too, is that it has side pockets to shove your mitts in. Side pockets are really something you don’t think about not having until you really need them, which I’ve personally experienced a time or two.
Outside of temperate zones, the Snap T Vest is also a great insulation layer underneath a puffy or hard shell. On a camping trip to Joshua Tree last month, this vest was a great additional layer once temperatures quickly dropped.
Ever the ones trying to outdo themselves, Patagonia announced this year that all of their Better Sweater and Snap-T lines are certified fair trade sewn.
“The Fair Trade program is Patagonia’s midterm strategy for achieving fair wages,” said the brand in a press release. “Patagonia pays a premium for Fair Trade products: the extra money goes directly into a workers’ fund, and they decide how to spend it. Because every Fair Trade product sold sends money back to apparel workers through these premium payments, Patagonia chose products that would ensure a high volume and significant return.”
The Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T Vest retails for $99.00.
To learn more about Patagonia’s Fair Trade Fleece collection, click here.
