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Someone took the Oasis reunion a little bit too seriously...
And by that I mean I got a coat that makes me look like I could be the sixth member of the band, ready to fall out with my wayward brothers Liam and Noel.
Before you wonder, no, I didn't get tickets. I'm road-testing Uniqlo's next-generation Hybrid Down Coat, a brand new addition to their AW24 collection that's super-lightweight but promises to keep you warm and dry whatever the weather.
The latest iteration of Uniqlo's sellout down range, it's filled with a mixture of cotton padding and down, and coated with a water-repellent finish, while breathable mesh and ventilation holes mean you won't get sweaty when jumping out of a cold winter's morning onto a hot, crowded bus. It's no surprise people are already raving about the 'showerproof' coat which has racked up dozens of five-star reviews. And the best part? The hood is removable.
But how does it stack up against the Great British Weather?
In the cold ❄️
If you've ever been to my current hometown of Manchester, you know that grey skies and rainy clouds are the norm up here.
On the coat goes, and the first thing I notice about it is the genuine high quality feel of it. It feels pretty lightweight considering the size and bulk of it, one of those where if you were wearing it on a cold morning but the weather got warm in the afternoon, you'd have no problem carrying it under one arm or stuffing it into your laptop bag.
It has a zip that goes about three quarters of the way down the coat, but buttons all the way down to make it a nice snug fit and keep all the warmth locked in when you need it.
In the rain ☔️
The following day, it was time to really put this coat to the test. I have around a 10-minute walk to the bus stop and it is lashing it down, with fast winds too. Let's do it.
The first thing I notice is the coat doesn't flap out, some coats are chaos to wear when it comes to winds as they flap all over the place, but this one seems to hold pretty well. The rain also appears to just brush off the coat? Small trickles remain but the majority of the rainfall seems to just be bouncing off the coat with grace.
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In midler weather 🌦️
I wouldn't ever wear this coat with anything else heavy on, a light jumper at most. Otherwise you might end up sweating even in the cold because this thing keeps you warm!
The coat is obviously quite long, so worrying about how to style it isn't really a concern of mine outside of not wearing a hoodie underneath - lesson learnt. You can wear whatever bottoms you feel comfortable in with this piece as it's quite a casual coat mainly concerned with protecting you from the elements.
My verdict?
I love it. Uniqlo's Hybrid Down Coat is one that I'll certainly be using on repeat throughout autumn and into winter. It's easy to look after, I wear it most days when commuting into work and if I'm heading to do my Big Shop. At £110, this coat is definitely an investment but you'll get a lot of wear out of it and compared to some others on the market, you're paying for quality that will last in the long run.
Browse Uniqlo's Hybrid Down collection here.
Featured Image Credit: LADbible/ Uniqlo
Adam Hamdani