Review: CircleRock -- High Road Vest and Cortina Nylon Vest
Last year, I got to talking with Paul Grangaard who had announced the start of his new company, CircleRock. Formerly the CEO of Allen Edmonds, an American shoe company, it was successfully kept afloat under his leadership. CircleRock would focus on giving the online made-to-order experience but with higher quality American-made tailored clothing. To that end, they enlisted the aid of Southwick who has been a respected clothing manufacturer for 90 years. They create all the suits, sports coats, trousers, and shirts.
Recently, however, they have moved into ready-to-wear business casual attire to meet the needs of people who don't need a suit for work but also shouldn't wear one... lest they be ostracized by their coworkers or, worse, break a relaxed dress code that forbids anything so much as a tie or sports coat. As sad as that makes me, someone who appreciates traditional menswear, it is a present reality we must deal with. Tailored clothing is not something in as high of demand as it used to be for business, even as Gen Y and Z are keeping it afloat by wearing it because they want to.
A trend that has been going on for at least five years is one towards fleece zip vests with business casual clothing, particularly in the tech industry. It began being reported on last year and the trend even made news earlier this year when one of the most popular sources for them, Patagonia, controversially started only selling embroidered apparel to companies who have an environmentally-friendly approach. The look even features in in the Mike Judge series Silicon Valley. Obviously, CircleRock saw an opportunity to get in on this and offer a more refined take. This was the inspiration for one of the names, since they're taking the "High Road" here. While they don't offer embroidery on the breast (yet?), their "midtown uniform" centrepiece will look a little smarter than all the synthetic fleece offerings. Wool flannel, authentic Harris Tweed, quilted nylon, and knitted Merino wool make up their collection of smart zip vests for fall and winter.
They do come at a price though. Starting at $295 and up to $395, these are certainly not the same $60-80 fleece numbers from the likes of L.L.Bean nor are they meant to be. These are pieces that will last a long time and look more appropriate with business casual than something meant for golf or hiking. But are they worth it? Thankfully Rick Dow, their Chief Marketing Officer, was kind enough to send me two examples so I could decide for myself. One was their "High Road" model in Harris Tweed olive barleycorn (which reads more as a cool brown to me) and the other was their "Cortina Nylon" in navy. Both fit into my casual wardrobe beautifully, colour and style wise. Yes, believe it or not, I do own casual clothing.
The High Road was on backorder for a month due to Harris Tweed fabric being in short supply. In its place, the Cortina Nylon was sent. I was very impressed. For a "vest with some outdoor DNA that will work really well indoors" it has a rather flattering fit. There's a bit of a nip at the waist to differentiate it from the straight-fitting examples made by most outdoor clothing retailers. Additionally, the zippers are high quality and work well, though they don't join together at the bottom quite as smoothly as I'd like. That might be due to them being two-way, which I haven't made use of yet but could look nice with the bottom zipper moved up a couple inches. There are two sets of interior pockets in addition to the slanted hand warmers outside. More than enough for your wallet, phone, keys, and so forth. One set has hidden zippers for extra security and the other set are open at the top. Both are situated on the same piece that makes up the hand warmers. Efficient use of space. I'd prefer pockets on the inside breast to hold my smartphone and wallet and retrieve them easily, since that's where I put them in my tailored jackets, but it's not a big deal. The buttoned throat latch adds a touch of class and function. There are contoured edges in front, similar to a tailored jacket, and the backside has a "tail" that comes down about halfway down one's rear. I suppose that does help keep your rear end a little warmer when the wind starts blowing outside. The inside has a contrasting tan colour, interestingly. One can fold down the standing collar if they want to expose a bit of it, but I don't think it was intended to be worn like a Harrington jacket and doesn't look especially great to me that way. Overall, a very well-made quilted vest that changed my preconceptions about them. It's made in Italy, hence the Cortina moniker, unlike the majority of CircleRock's products. The only other colour offered is black. Navy would probably be the best choice for everyone, both for what you can wear it with and what skin tones it looks good against. I hope they come out with other colours in the future, perhaps a forest green or dark brown or something.
I also got the High Road after a bit more waiting. I had no idea they were still sending it! The fabric is, of course, beautiful like everything Harris Tweed creates at their mills. The barleycorn weave has a great depth of colour making up the olive. (Even though I still think it looks like cool brown. Are my eyes just wrong or something?) The front and back yokes with swelled edges certainly look stylish with the fabric. Something was missing, though, and it came down to a few things. First of all, compared to the Cortina there is a lack of useful features, such as a throat latch. There are no inner pockets and only two outer hand warmer pockets. The plastic zippers also look incongruous with tweed. Finally, the straight fit and pretty much no shape otherwise looks a little basic for the price asked. The fit is actually closer to the chest than on the Cortina Nylon, but this also means not as much room for a sweater underneath. (I'm a 42" chest and wearing a size L.) Had they implemented a few more of the features from the Cortina Nylon range, I think it would hold up much better and be more worth the money. A brass zipper would look far smarter with tweed and not like it was taken from the lesser microfleece vests these are attempting to one-up. Additionally, there is a bit of a quality control issue on mine where the front yoke and bottom hem don't quite line up when zipped. It's only about 1/8 of an inch off, but it is noticeable. Perhaps others won't notice and I can have the zipper reattached by a local tailor. Part of that may have been the rush to get more Harris Tweed fabric due to the shortage and complete their inventory. However, I see the same issue in two product photos on the website. By comparison, it's not quite as high quality or rich in features as the Cortina Nylon, but it may be better for those who find the latter too outdoors-y in style. There are four other Harris Tweed fabrics including charcoal herringbone, navy herringbone (which looks more like petrol blue), brown/olive herringbone (which looks tan to me, dag nabbit), and olive mix windowpane. The last one actually looks olive to me. There are also two solid light flannel colours to choose from, charcoal and navy, for those who want a more basic look.
So, are these worth the price? I'm not sure. The Cortina Nylon is obviously my favourite, but it is still a quilted synthetic vest at the end of the day, even when made in Italy with a rakish design. However, it is very well-made, looks sophisticated, and has a fit that compliments the wearer. The High Road needs a bit of work to stand up next to it as well as a focus on quality control. The sizing is also somewhat limited on all vest styles right now, only going from M to XXL, or 40" to 47" chest. I think people outside this range would appreciate a few more sizes than that! All that said, I would still rather wear either of them any day over a fleece anything to the office. I also acknowledge that having things made in the USA or Italy will command a higher price than something made in an Asian country, so my sense of value versus price might be skewed here. (Please, audience, do tell me if so.) Additionally, I imagine there are other, ostensibly "luxury" brands who would ask far more for something like this and are rarely worth it. Gucci, for example, is asking a whopping $1,500 for a pair of sweatpants made in Italy...
Definitely support domestic or Italian craftsmanship and get them if you're okay with the price and these styles are your thing. CircleRock also has sales from time to time that might make the cost a little easier to justify. I'm finding both of them very useful in my casual wardrobe despite the issues mentioned earlier, especially now that I've moved and am experiencing Utah's fall season. Though Rick told me that they're year-round vests, I couldn't imagine wearing tweed or quilted nylon back in New Mexico's 100 degree heat, even sans sleeves. Then again, some buildings are overly air-conditioned in the summer. A High Road vest might make sense there.
At the end of the day, you're either going to really like this style or think it's representative of the decline of civilization. But I don't think I've seen a better version of this business casual look on the market anywhere else.
Both vests are pictured with Ratio Clothing Blue Campus Oxford shirt, J. Crew 1040 Athletic jeans, Ledbury Free Union Belt, and L.L.Bean 8" Bean Boots.
These products were sent to me, free of charge, for the purposes of evaluation and an honest review. Every attempt has been made to remain objective. Thanks again to CircleRock's Paul Grangaard and Rick Dow for their generosity.
Recently, however, they have moved into ready-to-wear business casual attire to meet the needs of people who don't need a suit for work but also shouldn't wear one... lest they be ostracized by their coworkers or, worse, break a relaxed dress code that forbids anything so much as a tie or sports coat. As sad as that makes me, someone who appreciates traditional menswear, it is a present reality we must deal with. Tailored clothing is not something in as high of demand as it used to be for business, even as Gen Y and Z are keeping it afloat by wearing it because they want to.
 |
| The Cortina Nylon's inner pockets are pretty useful, though it could use one higher up at chest level. |
A trend that has been going on for at least five years is one towards fleece zip vests with business casual clothing, particularly in the tech industry. It began being reported on last year and the trend even made news earlier this year when one of the most popular sources for them, Patagonia, controversially started only selling embroidered apparel to companies who have an environmentally-friendly approach. The look even features in in the Mike Judge series Silicon Valley. Obviously, CircleRock saw an opportunity to get in on this and offer a more refined take. This was the inspiration for one of the names, since they're taking the "High Road" here. While they don't offer embroidery on the breast (yet?), their "midtown uniform" centrepiece will look a little smarter than all the synthetic fleece offerings. Wool flannel, authentic Harris Tweed, quilted nylon, and knitted Merino wool make up their collection of smart zip vests for fall and winter.
 |
| The fit is quite flattering on the Cortina Nylon. |
They do come at a price though. Starting at $295 and up to $395, these are certainly not the same $60-80 fleece numbers from the likes of L.L.Bean nor are they meant to be. These are pieces that will last a long time and look more appropriate with business casual than something meant for golf or hiking. But are they worth it? Thankfully Rick Dow, their Chief Marketing Officer, was kind enough to send me two examples so I could decide for myself. One was their "High Road" model in Harris Tweed olive barleycorn (which reads more as a cool brown to me) and the other was their "Cortina Nylon" in navy. Both fit into my casual wardrobe beautifully, colour and style wise. Yes, believe it or not, I do own casual clothing.
 |
| The Cortina Nylon comes with a throat latch to be closed against the wind. |
The High Road was on backorder for a month due to Harris Tweed fabric being in short supply. In its place, the Cortina Nylon was sent. I was very impressed. For a "vest with some outdoor DNA that will work really well indoors" it has a rather flattering fit. There's a bit of a nip at the waist to differentiate it from the straight-fitting examples made by most outdoor clothing retailers. Additionally, the zippers are high quality and work well, though they don't join together at the bottom quite as smoothly as I'd like. That might be due to them being two-way, which I haven't made use of yet but could look nice with the bottom zipper moved up a couple inches. There are two sets of interior pockets in addition to the slanted hand warmers outside. More than enough for your wallet, phone, keys, and so forth. One set has hidden zippers for extra security and the other set are open at the top. Both are situated on the same piece that makes up the hand warmers. Efficient use of space. I'd prefer pockets on the inside breast to hold my smartphone and wallet and retrieve them easily, since that's where I put them in my tailored jackets, but it's not a big deal. The buttoned throat latch adds a touch of class and function. There are contoured edges in front, similar to a tailored jacket, and the backside has a "tail" that comes down about halfway down one's rear. I suppose that does help keep your rear end a little warmer when the wind starts blowing outside. The inside has a contrasting tan colour, interestingly. One can fold down the standing collar if they want to expose a bit of it, but I don't think it was intended to be worn like a Harrington jacket and doesn't look especially great to me that way. Overall, a very well-made quilted vest that changed my preconceptions about them. It's made in Italy, hence the Cortina moniker, unlike the majority of CircleRock's products. The only other colour offered is black. Navy would probably be the best choice for everyone, both for what you can wear it with and what skin tones it looks good against. I hope they come out with other colours in the future, perhaps a forest green or dark brown or something.
 |
| There are, disappointingly, not as many features that make the High Road vests stand out. |
I also got the High Road after a bit more waiting. I had no idea they were still sending it! The fabric is, of course, beautiful like everything Harris Tweed creates at their mills. The barleycorn weave has a great depth of colour making up the olive. (Even though I still think it looks like cool brown. Are my eyes just wrong or something?) The front and back yokes with swelled edges certainly look stylish with the fabric. Something was missing, though, and it came down to a few things. First of all, compared to the Cortina there is a lack of useful features, such as a throat latch. There are no inner pockets and only two outer hand warmer pockets. The plastic zippers also look incongruous with tweed. Finally, the straight fit and pretty much no shape otherwise looks a little basic for the price asked. The fit is actually closer to the chest than on the Cortina Nylon, but this also means not as much room for a sweater underneath. (I'm a 42" chest and wearing a size L.) Had they implemented a few more of the features from the Cortina Nylon range, I think it would hold up much better and be more worth the money. A brass zipper would look far smarter with tweed and not like it was taken from the lesser microfleece vests these are attempting to one-up. Additionally, there is a bit of a quality control issue on mine where the front yoke and bottom hem don't quite line up when zipped. It's only about 1/8 of an inch off, but it is noticeable. Perhaps others won't notice and I can have the zipper reattached by a local tailor. Part of that may have been the rush to get more Harris Tweed fabric due to the shortage and complete their inventory. However, I see the same issue in two product photos on the website. By comparison, it's not quite as high quality or rich in features as the Cortina Nylon, but it may be better for those who find the latter too outdoors-y in style. There are four other Harris Tweed fabrics including charcoal herringbone, navy herringbone (which looks more like petrol blue), brown/olive herringbone (which looks tan to me, dag nabbit), and olive mix windowpane. The last one actually looks olive to me. There are also two solid light flannel colours to choose from, charcoal and navy, for those who want a more basic look.
 |
| Somewhat misaligned zipper. |
So, are these worth the price? I'm not sure. The Cortina Nylon is obviously my favourite, but it is still a quilted synthetic vest at the end of the day, even when made in Italy with a rakish design. However, it is very well-made, looks sophisticated, and has a fit that compliments the wearer. The High Road needs a bit of work to stand up next to it as well as a focus on quality control. The sizing is also somewhat limited on all vest styles right now, only going from M to XXL, or 40" to 47" chest. I think people outside this range would appreciate a few more sizes than that! All that said, I would still rather wear either of them any day over a fleece anything to the office. I also acknowledge that having things made in the USA or Italy will command a higher price than something made in an Asian country, so my sense of value versus price might be skewed here. (Please, audience, do tell me if so.) Additionally, I imagine there are other, ostensibly "luxury" brands who would ask far more for something like this and are rarely worth it. Gucci, for example, is asking a whopping $1,500 for a pair of sweatpants made in Italy...
Definitely support domestic or Italian craftsmanship and get them if you're okay with the price and these styles are your thing. CircleRock also has sales from time to time that might make the cost a little easier to justify. I'm finding both of them very useful in my casual wardrobe despite the issues mentioned earlier, especially now that I've moved and am experiencing Utah's fall season. Though Rick told me that they're year-round vests, I couldn't imagine wearing tweed or quilted nylon back in New Mexico's 100 degree heat, even sans sleeves. Then again, some buildings are overly air-conditioned in the summer. A High Road vest might make sense there.
At the end of the day, you're either going to really like this style or think it's representative of the decline of civilization. But I don't think I've seen a better version of this business casual look on the market anywhere else.
Both vests are pictured with Ratio Clothing Blue Campus Oxford shirt, J. Crew 1040 Athletic jeans, Ledbury Free Union Belt, and L.L.Bean 8" Bean Boots.
These products were sent to me, free of charge, for the purposes of evaluation and an honest review. Every attempt has been made to remain objective. Thanks again to CircleRock's Paul Grangaard and Rick Dow for their generosity.
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