The new Amsterdam jacket from wet weather specialist Showers Pass blends protection from rain and cold with casual styling that looks good on the road or in the office. Based on the company's existing Portland model, the Amsterdam ups the ante with heavier fabrics to extend the comfort range further into the winter months.
We've only just received our Amsterdam test sample a few days ago and yet it's already garnered lots of compliments for its sleek cut, understated styling, and luxurious-feeling herringbone-pattern fabric. Branding is limited to a pair of discreet black-on-black embroidered logos, allowing you to go as incognito as you wish.
The US$200/£150 Amsterdam still incorporates a lot of cycling-specific function, however, like a three-layer softshell construction designed to shrug off wind and rain, a DWR-coated exterior and a drop-down tail that snaps up and out of view once you've reached your destination. A big 3M reflective panel on that tail plus additional reflective piping on the upper chest and back help offset the dark charcoal grey shell's otherwise inherent lack of nighttime visibility.
The drop-down tail includes a big panel of 3M reflective material for extra nighttime visibility. When not needed, the tail snaps up and out of view
We're still a little ways off from true winter weather but so far, the Amsterdam at least feels warm thanks to its fleece lining, tight-fitting zippered cuffs, adjustable shock cord-equipped hem, and burly full-length front zipper flap. Should you need to let off a little steam, invisible pit zips are neatly hidden along the seams and the YKK front zipper can be let up or down.
Storage is pretty reasonable as well with two zippered side pockets, a single zippered chest pocket with a pass-through for headphone wires, and three interior pockets.
Bring it on, winter! Let's see what you've got.
The three-layer softshell is augmented with a DWR coating to help shed rain and road spray