Note: this item was sent by Western Rise at no cost.

Along with the Movement Shorts (our review), I have been testing Western Rise’s new Session Tee which is made for active/workouts and is first and foremost made to be light and breathable. It is all those things and then some, let’s dive in.

Material

At first it seemed like this fabric might be at least 10% Magic, but Western Rise lists it as: 100% Deltapeak™ Polyester coming in as an 88 gsm mesh double-knit fabric. 88gsm. That’s insanely light, and in practice that’s what makes it feel like magic because it isn’t see-through or paper thin, it is amazingly light.

In addition to weighing nothing, the material itself has a very soft hand feel, and makes no noise at all. I am a huge fan of this fabric.

Fit & Style?

This is an active shirt, so style is dead on with active, I guess. The shirt has an athletic fit, and my standard size large fit me nicely.

The bottom of the shirt has rounded corners, and gives it a bit of a unique look, instead of just a straight across hem common in many active shirts. Overall, a good solid athletic style for an athletic shirt.

Performance

So, let me be clear about how I have been testing this: I’ve been wearing this while rucking with my super abrasive GORUCK Rucker, and doing that in the August heat of Houston, which has consistently been about 90°F, and add about another 10°F to that for the “feels like” with the humidity. In other words: I have been testing in this in hot and humid weather, and been sweating in it a lot, while also grinding the material against 1000D Cordura.

Most of the shirts I test like this, fail quickly.

That has not been the case here. So let me bullet this out:

• Breathability: I own no other shirt as breathable and as comfortable as this shirt is to wear when I work out. Every other shirt I have causes me to build up sweat faster than this shirt under nearly identical situations. This shirt excels for this.
• Moisture Control: it does get wet, yes, but it dries insanely fast. I have not yet had to toss this in the drier, because you pull it out of the washer and it is nearly ready to wear, hang it, and it’s dry faster than the next time I come to check on it. Even with sweat, it is almost like the shirt hates being wet, and starts drying as soon as you give it a chance to.
• Odor Resistance: look, given the amount of sweat I have put in this shirt, I have yet to smell any odor, but I have also not been trying to wear it multiple times. There’s little to no need — it dries too fast after washing to not wash it. But I do think it resists odors well, as many of my other active shirts will have smells even after one hard workout in them — this shirt never smelled.
• Durability: as I mentioned, GORUCK bags on workout shirts can be a death sentence of pilling for shirts. Not so with this one. It shows zero signs of wear. I am shocked.

As I implied at the start of this review, this shirt performs very well.

Overall

I love this shirt, and while $68 might seem steep for an active wear t-shirt, I can assure you it is worth every penny. I’d like to own more, and hope that they expand the color range. I have the Ash color and love it, I’d love more colors — but truthfully you only need one of these, even if you work out daily. Ok, two would make life a touch easier.

So I guess I am saying you should buy two of these.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

Note: these were provided by Western Rise at no cost for review.

When Western Rise launched their new Active Collection, I was excited to see the Spectrum Jogger, as I was already thinking that I needed another pair of joggers going into Fall.

Joggers are something that can easily go too far in the fashion or comfort directions, but Western Rise hit the sweet spot with these pants. Performant for exercise while still looking great.

Material

The joggers are made from a 100% polyester, warp-knit, four-way mechanical stretch fabric with a C6 DWR from Toray in Japan. It weighs in at 220 gsm, so it is substantial.

What does that all mean? The hand feel is soft like a knit fabric, but it is thicker and more durable like a woven. The DWR helps repel water and stains. All while having a firm stretch so they can move with you.

This is the perfect material for a jogger.

Performance

Being a warm summer, I hadn’t had a chance to give these pants much of a try until we had an early morning in the 50s (°F). I wore these for a run and I was impressed by the performance. Typically, I don’t wear pants for exercise until its into the 40s but these pants breath so well they remained comfortable. I was expecting to get too hot, but never got there. That in its own is enough for me to get excited about them.

They also never seemed to pick up much sweat, absorbing and releasing the moisture quite quickly. This is also beneficial when washing, as they air dry quickly.

The mechanical stretch, while firm, is surprisingly forgiving even with the modern fit. I never felt the pants binding or restricting my motion running or stretching.

Fit & Style

The fit here is great. It’s a modern cut, which for me means that there is enough room for my thighs, with a taper from the knee down, keeping them from being too big around my calves or ankles. This is a solution I prefer to the typical elastic ankle cuff you see on many joggers.

I found the design of the elastic waist to be top notch, as it never felt too tight or too loose where I needed to use the drawstring (which ends with a small knot secured by shrink tubing).

This fit combined with the fabric make these look great for around town on the weekend.

A few other touches include a zipper pocket hidden in the side seam that’s a good size for keys, and a zippered back pocket for your wallet.

Overall

These are a great entry into the jogger space, and have earned a top spot in my closet. They can easily go from a workout or hike to coffee or hanging out on the weekend. I’m excited to see how these perform as the weather cools off, as they seem like they will have a wide comfort range.

Highly recommended.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

Note: these were provided free for review.

Living in Houston can quickly make you appreciate a good pair of workout shorts, and also quickly exposes the shorts that are more hype than performant. When Western Rise let us know they had new active wear coming out, I personally could not wait. I’ve been testing their Movement Short during my workouts in 100°+ F weather, and they have been great.

Material

These are 100% polyester and come in at a feather weight of 94gsm. Western Rise has also applied a DWR coating to them, which gives a nice bit of water repellence to the setup. While these shorts have no spandex built in, Western Rise does note that they have mechanical stretch. In my experience when companies say this, you can expect very little stretch, but on the movement shorts I was surprised to learn there was no spandex in the material — because they do have stretch. Albeit very firm stretch, they do stretch.

The overall hand feel on this is fantastic. The shorts feel smooth but a little soft to the touch and I really like the material.

Fit & Style

These are workout/athletic shorts, so we can skip over the style portion this go round. Instead, the fit on these is fantastic.

I got my standard large size and they fit really well. Snug enough that I don’t need to use the drawstring, even with a phone in my pocket, while also not feeling too tight at any point. My thighs have ample room to freely move and breathe, while the leg openings are not so large that you risk any ‘exposure’. Which is not important in the likeliness of it happening so much as the mental security it gives for people used to wearing a short with a longer inseam. At 7” this is a shorter inseam which helps to keep you cool, and give you full range of motion.

This is also shorter than many guys are comfortable wearing. Personally I think these are cut really nicely and fit well.

Performance

I tested these during my normal Ruck style workouts, in 95°F+ temperatures with the humidity soaring. In other words: I wore these working hard in the hottest climate I can safely handle. They performed extremely well, better than any shorts I have ever tested before.

They dry really fast, and they never seem to collect moisture. The few drops water streaming from my face when taking a drink never stayed on the shorts, and in fact no matter the sweat coming off my body, the shorts themselves never looked sweaty and gross.

They also come out of the washer almost wrinkle free and ready to go (what you see in the pics is the shorts after they spent the night wadded up in a ball in the corner of my backpack). The front pockets work well and don’t reduce the breathability of the shorts at all. The added zippered pocket on the left side is a nice add, especially for those not working out with a backpack to store their stuff.

Lastly, as you might expect given the material, these shorts weigh nothing. They are surprisingly light weight, and really I think my boxer shorts weigh more than these. It’s impressive.

Overall

I love these shorts. Not only are they going to be my go to shorts for active use, but I see no reason not to always pack them in my bag when (if) I travel again. They perform great, and get by in a pinch as a swimsuit, and take up no room while adding essentially no weight.

Highly recommended.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

Nau’s mission is to “make the world’s most sustainable performance wear”. When I saw their Kanab Short Sleeve T-Shirt on clearance last year and saw that it was made from a majority hemp blend, I had to give it a try.

The shirt has become a favorite over the last year, so I thought it was time for a review.

Material

The material (along with the whole Kanab line) is a jersey knit 55% hemp, 45% organic cotton. Some contrasting yarn gives the shirt a great heathered texture, and close-up it almost has micro stripes. To the eye, it has a slub cotton texture and to the hand it is substantial and slightly rough. With wear and washing, the fabric has broken in and softened nicely.

One thing I love about hemp fabrics is the weight while still being breathable. This fabric is no exception. The weight gives it a great drape and keeps it from clinging to your body like merino and synthetics can do.

Performance

This is definitely a performance t-shirt.

The breathability is excellent. The knit is slightly more open than what you typically find in a cotton or merino tee. I always see this in blends like this, I’m guessing it is because the hemp fibers are larger in diameter and rougher than a usual cotton or wool fiber. Even on the hottest days, I’ve remained comfortable.

While it doesn’t manage moisture like a synthetic, I find it more comfortable than merino when sweating a lot. While it does tend to hold a similar amount of moisture, it feels less heavy because the fabric is more substantial. I also find that it does a better job at holding that moisture away from your skin.

When it comes to odor-resistance, I can get 3-4 days between wears. This is quite impressive considering there is no odor treatment, and is a testament to hemp as another fiber to look out for.

Fit & Style

The fit here is a standard straight cut. To be noted is the size chart, as I am happy with the size L when I typically take an XL (with the exception of brands like Patagonia).

Style is perfect for an all-around casual t-shirt. The length sits right at that perfect middle ground for an everyday t-shirt that could be dressed up a bit (thanks to the drape and texture).

Overall

The Nau Kanab Short Sleeve T-Shirt is a great example of how performant a hemp-dominant blend can be without getting too rough from the hemp, and shows that it can be a merino alternative.

Hemp is also a great, sustainable option for clothing. It adds nutrients to the soil, so it needs no synthetic fertilizer. It also needs little to no irrigation. Hemp is also very durable so clothing lasts longer, and when it finally does wear out, it can be composted. While cotton does counteract some of the environmental impact, choosing to blend with organic cotton does help swing the pendulum back in the right direction.

I keep reaching for this shirt. Highly recommended.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

We’ve reviewed quite a few Taylor Stitch items, but this is the first piece of outerwear we’ve checked out. The Ojai Jacket is one of their signature pieces that they make in various fabrics, from cotton to waxed canvas to wool. The style is a take on the classic French workwear jacket, sometimes called a “chore coat”.

I am taking a look at the Washed Charcoal variant.

Material

The fabric is a washed, 8-oz. 100% organic cotton. The wash gives it a soft feel right out of the box, so no need for any break-in to feel comfortable. To give the weight some context, it is heavier than all your shirting except the most burly wool or flannel shirts.

Performance

The fabric performs as you’d expect being 100% cotton, it breathes but isn’t moisture wicking. Functionality is where the jacket shines.

With functional sleeve buttons, dual entry patch pockets, and a large chest pocket (with stitching to keep a pen or pencil in place), the jacket shows its heritage as a work jacket. It is easy to roll up the sleeves when you are getting dirty or keep your hands out of the wind in the side entry portion of the pockets.

It’s a great outer layer for the 40-60s °F, depending on what you layer underneath — a t-shirt for warmer weather or a flannel in the fall.

Fit & Style

There is a reason the Ojai is one of Taylor Stitch’s signature styles that keeps coming back. They’ve managed to make the classic French chore coat a more modern and functional jacket. The fit is perfect, as it’s not too bulky while still allowing for a layer underneath. It’s a good balance where it works with something as light as a t-shirt up to a flannel.

This fabric makes the jacket a pure casual/workwear piece, but works well with the overall look.

The most interesting style choice is the ring-back buttons. This means that the buttons have a brass stud on the back with a ring on the inside to hold the buttons on.

Having these buttons on the cuffs is the only issue I have as it isn’t great for watch-wearers. I’m not sure if it would cause damage, but I’m cautious when wearing a watch, as the metal button stud and ring can come in contact with it.

Overall

The Ojai Jacket in Washed Charcoal is a great interpretation of a chore coat in a classic fabric. I found myself reaching for the jacket quite a bit in the spring, and I am looking forward to wearing it more once the weather cools down.

At $188, I don’t think I’d add the jacket to my wardrobe, but during a sale, I’d definitely pick it up. Recommended.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

Popovers are all the rage for looking sharp and casual at once. Alex Mill offers a take on the garment using ‘paper cotton’, something I haven’t tried before. Here’s what it all adds up to.

Material

This is 100% cotton, so the difference in this is how the cotton is put together, not the material itself. The best way I can describe this is that if most shirts feel like construction paper (not super smooth, not rough, and maybe a little porous feeling) then ‘paper cotton’ feels like white copier paper. Dense and incredibly smooth, while still being very thin.

That’s paper cotton. It’s smooth (almost unrealistically so) and very thin.

Fit and Style

As I mentioned above, these shirts are very on-trend right now. They are somewhat like a mullet: business up top, party in the back? If you are only looking collar bone and up most will think you have a button-down on. But show the whole picture and — is this some weird polo shirt?

Either way, the fit is great, cut a little loose while still looking sharp. The style is what I am going to dub ‘laid-back but put-together casual’. Or maybe it’s more like ‘poolside cocktail formal’?

Performance

Nope. Sorry I thought it would perform much better. It’s wrinkly as hell, and thin, but somehow not that breathable. That’s not the entire story, but when I compare it to most of the other stuff I review for this site, it’s near the bottom for performance.

Here’s the deal: it’s made to be completely no-fuss. Toss in the washer, hang it dry, wear it. And in that sense the wrinkles and rumples become a part of the style. It’s what keeps it from looking weird. If you iron/steam this then the looks is really like a mullet. If you leave it be, the look is relaxed. So in that vein, there is a nice style-performance with the care of this.

The last point is that it is weirdly not the breathable. However the thinness also means it doesn’t insulate at all, thus it actually wears well in warm-to-cold environments. Think those that take you from a hot outside, to a chilly AC interior. You won’t be overly hot outside, and the shirt does dry fast if you sweat in it. And inside the AC doesn’t seem to be penetrating your soul through the shirt. Very hard to describe. It’s light without being breezy.

Overall

I still really like this shirt, and would wear it all the time for work from home. But it’s not performance. So while I recommend it, I don’t in the vein of performance, as a standard athletic poly shirt performs better. But, of all the shirt-sleeved items I have reviewed on this site, none look as good as what Alex Mill made here.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.