Front view, unzipped.
Profile view, stowe-hood on.
/ FEATURE SET
• 3L Gore-Tex Pro, fully waterproof construction.
• Cycling-focused biomechanical articulated fit.
• Faceless bi-swing back reduces bulk and maintains a slim silhouette.
• Low profile waist cinch to control wind uptake or accomodate layering.
• Lightweight packable drop hood with crown cinch.
• Extended tall collar / lapel.
• Bonded pitzips.
• Side-entry hand pockets.
• Angled sleeve ends with snap-adjustable cuffs.
• Interior zipper and dump pockets.
• Deadstock Arc'teryx materials.
• Reflective hi-vis appliques for night visibility throughout.
Intent/Urban commuter's cycling trenchcoat.
Faceless bi-swing back articulation; stowe hood zipper.
2L Lightweight taped and packable stoweable drop hood.
Snap-adjustable sleeve cuffs.
A Gore-Tex Pro facelift to the trenchcoat, this hardshell knee-length jacket is packed full of commuting-specific features to complement her commute, no matter how adverse the weather conditions. With storage inside and out, a stowable drop hood and modular, articulated fit; the Agility trenchcoat stylishly bridges the gap from bike lanes to her office chair, perfect for the ALL-IN-ONE Commuter.
DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW / block by block
Early Gore-Tex Pro full 3L cycling set sketch.
Initial pattern, bodice front cut in half to fit laser cutter.
Lasercutting burns along muslin gusset block.
Comparing the lengths of the windbreaker block and shell jacket.
Attack pose in the initial block.
A-line block fit.
With early designs, pocket placements and seamlines were loose; reliant on the widths of the lasercutters accessible to me.
While the block used in fittings includes this horizontal seam (and subtle burn marks as seen on the underarm gussets), it was replaced with a dropped front shoulder seam, which conveniently connects a layer of tricot-knit lining to house the bonded zippered & dump pockets and avoid ghosting.
Attaching the gusset+sleeve in one operation.
Internal zipper pocket applied to sacrificial tricot knit lining to lessen ghosting on exterior.
Lasercut custom-sized Gore-Tex wordmark and logo.
Initial internal diagram for features & donut placement.
/ INTERNAL LAYOUT
Examining placements of pockets and other surface-bonded features, we can assume locations for her EDC's. Phone pocket, glove dump pockets, phone sleeve within a hand pocket*.
*Visible in the finished prototype, you will notice both dump pockets are "off," misplaced or shaped differently from the layout diagram. Additionally, the unused space below the current side-entry hand pockets begs the question: why the extra length?
A better balance between cycling biomechanics, loose items bouncing around with each pedal, and extra storage could have been explored. With this first version, the former were prioritized, avoiding too much bulk above the thighs when cycling, but at the cost of storage space.
Open spread of Agility Trenchcoat interior.
Interior features & finishing.
Interior construction details.
Worn inside-out view of construction details.
Melissa adjusting the waist-cinch drawrcord.
/ Bi-Swing Back
With the ALL-IN-ONE concept in mind, comparing a variety of outerwear constructions contributed to the faceless bi-swing articulated back, incorporating movement while preserving waterproofing.
Exploring the construction of technical apparel, function of the workwear function, and trim choices for (non-protective) motorcycle gear was the focus for the articulation and internal trim selection, which altogether offer a unique approach to waterproof shoulder ease and arm movement.
Pleating Gore-tex for seamless pleats, conceptual render.
Pleated bi-swing in motion.
Workwear implementation of a bi-swing articulated back using a facing.
Motorcycle jacket's implementation of an elasticated bi-swing back with facings.
3/4 Rear view of left shoulder bi-swing articulation.
/ UNUSED FEATURE MOCKUPS
Watch window with invisible zip.
Knit wrist gaiter extension, bonded to inside cuff.
3D Printed Eyelok (Explored before samples arrived).
// POST MORTEM
3L Gore-Tex Waterproof construction, while costly, offers unique finishing and methodology that arguably simplifies certain areas of construction. Seam tape feeds and speeds (finishing) leave much to be desired and the depths of the bonded hand pockets could utilize more of the design's length for deeper storage suitable to such a long coat.
Construction & Finishing: Fails — while certainly water-resistant to the degree of the face fabric's DWR, puckering and hurried construction is this piece's downfall.
There were many lessons learned during a first attempt at a seamsealed, waterproof garment, including but not limited to: order of operations, seam allowances & taping, adhesives' time/heat/pressures, pattern development, and waterproofing & its associated testing procedures.
Functionality: Partial Success, wherein most high-priority and universal features were included (ie. not everyone wears a watch, nor on one specific wrist), and executed well for a first draft. And again, side-entry pocket depths.
Bi-Swing Back: Bulky Success, as lighter elastics would have been cleaner, paired with a deeper yoke seam to increase the height of the pleat's pivot point and therefore increase mobility even further without sacrificing the silhouette.
Modularity: Partial Success, the lightweight hood stands out, but the cuff adjustment (besides snap choice) have been done better. The waist cinch, I would simply remove the grommet and grosgrain, leaving the cords loose inside with a pull at either end.
Visibility: Success — Why aren't more shells incorporating reflectivity? I have designs in mind that do so to an even better degree than the bike-like "Prism reflector" shapes across this piece.
With developments in ePE membrane 3L materials, a more sustainably-aligned material set could further suit the target market outlined in my AIO Capstone collection, and her environmental concerns (besides deadstock). As of 2024, I am listening closely to the the switch Gore-Tex has made to their expanded polyethelyne membranes and C0 DWR coatings.
