Product of the Week: The Purdey Vatersay Sporting Cape II

Purdey has been enjoying a resurgence in recent years under the design stewardship of Creative Director Giles Deacon. The brand has returned to the foundations that made it so famous when the venerable British gunmaker was established over 200 years ago, in 1814. Those foundations can be summed up simply as “making the best.”

The brand’s latest collection stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best names in luxury fashion. While Purdey has adapted itself for the urban man, it has certainly not forgotten its shooting roots. I would go so far as to say that Purdey is currently producing some of the most technically advanced and beautiful shooting clothing available.

One area where the brand has particularly excelled is in the fabrics it uses, such as HD Wool®, which regulates temperature, breathes naturally and flexes with you, keeping things cool when the action heats up and warm when the weather turns. Another standout is Sympatex®, a durable and lightweight material that’s arguably one of the most innovative fabrics used in technical outerwear today. In many ways, it’s similar to Gore-Tex, featuring an impenetrable three-layer membrane that is 100% rainproof, windproof and breathable.

This fabric is used in one of Purdey’s hero products, the Vatersay Cape. I recently tested it to the maximum on what was probably one of the wettest days I’ve ever experienced in the field. Beyond the fabric itself, the cape features a drawstring waist; a detachable hood that can be neatly packed away; two-way side zips for convenient access to your trousers beneath; large, bellowed cartridge pockets with retainer straps on both sides; fleece-lined hand-warmer pockets; an internal chest pocket; and adjustable Velcro cuffs. In short, the Purdey design team has thought of pretty much everything.

The result is a truly “dry-as-a-bone” jacket in the truest sense of the phrase. It’s also one of those pieces of clothing you instinctively know will outlast you, such is the quality of its construction.