Veilance FW20 Range IS Jacket Review
Context
Veilance was founded in 2009, and it only took a few years for the brand to establish its methods and design language: carefully chosen technical materials, strategically placed paneling and articulation, extensive use of lamination, and minimal seam allowances. Veilance designs are both inspired and constrained by the brand’s construction techniques and minimalist urban aesthetic, bringing interesting and subtle approaches to design, fit, hardware, storage, and temperature regulation.
Sometime in the last few years (I want to say around 2018), Veilance veritably mastered its design language and construction techniques, and began utilizing this firmly established core for experimentation in new arenas. Examples of this include the SS19 Fast and Light collection, a capsule of running gear capable of high output performance, and the SS20 Cambre Jacket and Pants, a surprising materials experiment with denim that served to expand the Veilance aesthetic into workwear and Americana.
Veilance continues to experiment, and in the case of the Range IS it is with design and fit. Early on, Veilance’s “fit block” was borrowed directly from mainline Arc’Teryx, and eventually followed trends in men’s fashion towards slimmer and sleeker cuts. In recent seasons Veilance has played with different fits and begun to establish their own unique fit block: slim and elongated tops, and straight cut pants that sit right at the border of slim and relaxed.
Veilance’s design language also emerged directly from its application of Arc’Teryx construction techniques to classic menswear silhouettes, but in recent years I would argue that the brand has developed a more unique aesthetic that is less tied to its production methods and technical details. It is even more minimalist than in previous years, and continues to sacrifice very little in garment performance and technical details. It plays with garment shape and structure/drape in unique and interesting ways, and sometimes creates surprising new designs.
The Range IS Jacket embodies Veilance’s new direction: it’s a fresh design that utilizes their new fit block, made with their longstanding signature insulated Gore-Tex jacket fabrication. The result is magnificent, and possibly the best jacket design from Veilance in the last several years.
Style and Intended Use Case
The Range IS is a truly original Veilance design, and much harder to describe than the official copy makes it seem. Veilance.com calls the jacket a “classic bomber silhouette,” which reads a bit funny but vaguely makes sense taking into account the jacket’s lack of a hood. At first glance the Range looks more like an insulated mock neck — or your typical outdoor performance insulator — than a bomber.
The Range vaguely resembles a Harrington jacket, but makes sense as a bomber if viewed in the context of Veilance’s new fit block and design approach: it is an elongated, sleek, and extremely minimal interpretation of a classic jacket. One can see how far Veilance has pushed their minimalist aesthetic in recent years by comparing the Range IS to their previous bombers like the Bomber LT and Nemis Jacket, which look veritably clunky in comparison.
While the Range IS shines for its design, it’s far from lacking in utility. It’s a great piece to throw on in cold, dry weather without having to think about layers, and can be styled in many different ways. The Range is a bit wider through the body than most Veilance jackets, which allows it to be worn with all kinds of different pants shapes without sacrificing a sleek aesthetic.
The lack of a hood makes the Range unviable for heavy precipitation, but the Gore-Tex Pro fabric will keep the wearer’s body dry if caught in a storm. Pair it with one Veilance’s Gore-Tex hats (preferably the Stealth Cap) for full hoodless weather protection.
Materials
Insulated 3-layer Gore-Tex jackets are a signature Veilance offering, embodying the brand’s uncompromising commitment to using the best materials and experimenting with fabric combinations, while exuding a very particular kind of “technical luxury.” Veilance’s approach to materials is a balancing act of performance and aesthetics, as a highly technical fabric like Gore-Tex is used just as much for its structure, texture, and the feeling it evokes in the wearer as it is for technical performance.
While insulated 3L Gore-Tex is impractical in the outdoors (too heavy, not breathable enough, too expensive), it’s a nice fabric combination for casual/urban use and executed extremely well on the Range IS. A little performance is sacrificed for design, and the fabrics used on the Range serve to provide the garment with structure, texture, and a visual that is both elegant and aggressive. Admittedly a 2-layer Gore-Tex fabric using the same shell fabric as on the Range would have been an ideal choice for the jacket, but I understand this might be complicated for Veilance to execute due to how they source their fabrics and their history of using 3L for their most luxurious (read: expensive) designs.
The Range uses a beautifully matte and streaky 70 denier plain weave shell fabric, which is extremely durable and abrasion resistant. The fabric includes Gore’s new Most Rugged membrane, which Gore markets as “delamination proof” (doubtful, but nice), and a similarly streaky plain weave backer fabric that is only visible on the bottom rear of the jacket. Regardless of Gore’s claims, the Range should still hold up for years with proper care.
The jacket is lined with “Coreloft S insulation” (100 gsm in the body/80 gsm in the arms) which I believe is a new synthetic insulation developed specifically for Veilance. It is Coreloft (a short-staple insulation) mixed with Sorona for increased loft retention (Coreloft has been known to lose its loft somewhat easily) and breathability. It’s difficult to find information about this insulation fabric, and I’m not sure why it was developed for Veilance and chosen over Coreloft Compact or Coreloft Continuous for the Range IS.
Regardless, the 100/80 Coreloft-S insulation feels like the perfect amount for the Range, as it provides ample warmth (much more than your average insulator) and adds shape to the jacket without making it look too bulky. As with the Gore-Tex, if the insulation is properly cared for (avoiding compression, washing regularly) it should retain its loft and breathability and keep the wearer warm and comfortable for years.
The backer (the fabric closest to the wearer’s body) on the insulated portion of the jacket is a dope dyed, shiny ripstop nylon that I believe can be found on all of the Veilance down jackets. This backer is used on Veilance down jackets because it seals well and prevents feathers from poking through. It’s less breathable than the Permeair backer found on most Veilance and Arc’Teryx synthetically insulated jackets though. Permeair allows vapor to reach the insulated portion of the jacket faster than the backer on the Range, which incidentally also generates a lot of static.
Thankfully, Permeair panels can be found under the armpits of the Range, which is a very nice little touch of design. I do wish Peremair was used as a backer throughout the jacket, but I’m sure Veilance has a reason (hopefully not cost cutting!) for utilizing the backer they chose for the rest of the jacket.
Features
The Range IS can’t really be described as feature rich (it lacks a hood after all) but has a lot of nice details that add up to make it an amazing garment.
The Gore-Tex Pro shell is durable and waterproof, and the arms and wrist are articulated for mobility and comfort. The cuffs have internal stretchy nylon inserts that are very comfortable and sleek, and do a good job sealing out cold air. The collar and waist also have strips of fabric sewn in to block wind and retain heat, and the collar insert also serves to keep the collar itself from touching the wearer’s skin, which adds some comfort and protects the Gore-Tex from getting contaminated with skin and body oil and potentially delaminating.
Speaking of the collar: it makes the Range. It’s crescent shaped and has a low profile but adds a hell of a lot of intrigue to the jacket. It gives the Range a look that is subtle and unique, where a hood would look rather predictable and too “outdoorsy.” The Range collar also invites a lot of styling options, as it looks great on its own zipped up or unzipped, with a turtleneck or neck scarf, or with a hoody layered under.
The main zipper on the Range is a watertight Excella zip that fits the gritty aesthetic of the Range and functions well. It’s the same zipper used on the Monitor shell and Dinitz Comp Jacket, and the retail version has a different pull tab (the standard Veilance nylon webbing tab) than the one shown on the Veilance website (a branded metal tab). I strongly prefer the unbranded pull tab, for what it’s worth.
The Range pocket array includes two flapped (unlike the product photo which shows a watertight zip closure) hip pockets that have a beautiful geometric shape, are virtually waterproof, and offer plenty of storage without looking bulky when filled. Directly behind the flapped pockets are fleece-lined hand pockets with a zipper closure.
The retail jacket’s pocket array makes more sense to me than the sample version shown in the Veilance.com product photos, as zippers prevent items from falling out of the hand pockets, and the flapped hip pocket flaps are plenty secure, waterproof and easier to access without zippers. The Range also features a small gravity pocket on the sleeve that adds a subtle asymmetry to the design, and is practically useless. The pocket itself is awkward to access and doesn’t really hold anything, but the zipper can be tucked into the cavity for maximum minimalism.
Two internal pockets complete the Range’s array. There’s very large zipped (with a zip pull!) vertical pocket on the left chest with a small internal organization pouch, which is set between the liner and the insulation. There’s another large slanted horizontal zip pocket on the right side of the jacket. The Range has a deceptively huge amount of storage for such a sleek looking jacket.
Fit
Veilance’s departure from mainline Arc’Teryx as their sizing reference is a good thing, as it means that their styles are more accommodating for people who don’t have a slim/athletic climber build. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the Range IS.
Like all Veilance, the Range IS fits true to size. It’s slim and long, with just a little bit of roominess through the body, which allows for some layering (a hoody at most) if sized properly. The front of the jacket should hit the wearer at or just below the hips, and the back should cover the wearer’s butt. One’s movement shouldn’t feel restricted by the jacket at all, and the back of the cuff should cover the back of the wearer’s palm. For reference, I’m 5’8” and weigh 130 pounds and wear XS in all my Veilance, including the Range IS.
I think the best references for the Range fit are AV’s other more recent designs that utilize their new fit block, like the Component Overshirt, Mionn IS Overshirt and revised Blazer LT. If those fit you TTS, the Range most likely will too. I imagine people who tend to be between sizes in Veilance will struggle with the Range’s fit. Size down and it will probably be too slim through the body, size up and it will probably to be too long and bulky.
Conclusion
The Range IS Jacket is a true Veilance original, and perhaps an original design in the fashion world at large. In one stroke it manages to look and feel both subtle and aggressive, classic and modern, and elegant and technical. It embodies the current direction of Veilance, which is now developing its own unique garment shapes, fits, and designs unconstrained by their association with Arc’Teryx. While the Range is more about design than raw performance, it is far from lacking in the latter, as it’s a warm, comfortable, and waterproof winter jacket that uses high quality materials, offers plenty of storage, and an array of other impressive technical features.
For someone looking for one jacket to carry them through winter, the Range is not the ideal choice due to its lack of a hood and insulated 3-layer Gore-Tex construction. 1200 USD retail price is indeed expensive, but I can accept paying a premium for pieces that I can only get from Veilance. For someone that likes the design of the Range and is looking to spice up their winter wardrobe, look no further. And get it in black.
Thanks to @John-gal for lending his renowned Veilance punditry to me for this review. Check out my Instagram for some Range/Veilance styling, and join the Veilance Discord to discuss!
