Smock Jacket from Yarmouth Oilskin

Note: At our request, Yarmouth Oilskins agreed to send us the 2 pieces that you will discover in this article.

In a precedent article, Marcos told the heritage of Yarmouth Oilskin and the local manufacturing of the British brand. Of course, at Les Indispensables, this is our stuff…

For this article, I chose to review the Explorer smock, in a fern green colorway, that is such a drastic change from the many olive green parkas and Barbour jackets already in my wardrobe… If you prefer, the smock is also available in cobalt blue. 

This smock jacket is a winter version of the one currently on sale on the Yarmouth Oilskin e-shop, it will be available for the Fall Winter 23-24 season.

The smock is made of a water repellent « dry wax » cotton. The fabric feels very soft and natural, and allowed me to come home dry despite the parisien bruin. It is wool wadded and cotton lined, which makes the jacket warm and comfortable, even without a mid layer, and , not to mention, highly breathable. 

Unfortunately, unlike Marcos, I do not have a motorcycle, so my only accessory was a hat, which was a good thing given the rain. 

I am a fan of the cut and details of this smock which remind of mid-century outdoors apparel (before the term ‘gorpcore » was invented), like the leather pieces to pull the drawstrings, or the cat’s eyes buttons. The front pockets are wide enough to store a map of the area you plan to explore, or a large smart phone. Two discret lateral pockets are lined with cotton fleece, to keep your hands warm, in case you forgot your gloves. 

The construction isn’t fancy, but is well designed and feels very robust. This smock is an excellent alternative to the original vintage ones that may be too rare (or precious) for a daily use.  

The seance item of this review are the deck trousers. I wanted first to try the stone colorway (that would have been a nice addition to my pile of chinos…) but it was not in stock at the time. So I went with the black one, that ended up much easier to wear than i originally thought. These trousers were in the brand’s catalog back in 1969 (nice).

The fit is relaxed at the hip and thigh and tapers slightly below the knee (because nobody wants their trousers caught in a rope). The elasticated waistband can be tightened with a drawstring, which makes the trousers extremely comfortable and easy to wear in any situation. To be frank, I have worn mine almost daily as I changed from my suit, coming home from the e-mail factory.  

Obviously, the sturdy cotton and solid construction makes them an excellent pair of trousers for more adventurous settings than a Netflix evening.

As a conclusion, this review confirms our first impression. Yarmouth Oilskin offers quality and comfortable garments, perfect for treading in the mud, fighting against the elements, or just enjoying a nice moment without worrying about a possible change in the weather.