Over the past year, the rate at which I purchase new menswear has slowed significantly – in part because I’m trying to save money, but also because I have most of what I need. Because of this, I find myself getting lots of wear out of my favorite pieces. For that reason, I figured it would be a good time to resurrect my “One Year Later” series and highlight some of my favorite items that have aged well and are still available for others to purchase.
My Private White VC Twin Track jacket review was one of my most popular posts last year, and seeing as I’ve been wearing it quite a bit I figured it was time for another look. It was an expensive piece (from my perspective) so it seems appropriate to reevaluate the purchase, given the “buy better, buy less” mantra that many bloggers (including myself) subscribe to.
The part of this jacket that excited me most in my initial review was the materials that PWVC uses – this jacket has amazing waxed cotton, big chunks of copper, zippers from RiRi, and suede trims to match. Fortunately for me (and for this article), many of these materials are known for aging gracefully. The waxed cotton shell has softened considerably, which has changed the look of the jacket slightly – it’s not as rigid, so it looks (and feels) a touch more slouchy and lived-in. The copper hardware is quite different as well – what was initially bright, shiny, almost rose-gold hardware has darkened and patinated significantly. I quite enjoy both these changes, and I hope that anyone that is interested in this piece does as well. Seeing as both these materials are known for changing and breaking in over time, this is not a jacket for those that want something to remain pristine forever. This is a jacket that is meant to be broken in, and I think that fits the style and heritage of it well.
Above: new. Below: now. Ignore color changes, as those are just caused by light.
The cotton lining, suede collar, and corduroy trims have all performed well and don’t really look any different than when the jacket was new. The hardware has also held up well, which I would expect from pieces as rugged and over-engineered as the ones on this jacket. The collar shape and size remains one of my favorite parts of the jacket, and the softened waxed cotton makes it that much more expressive, malleable, and charmingly dog-eared. I should also mention that I have almost never used the removable section of the jacket – it’s a cool feature, but I can comfortably wear a chunky sweater under the jacket as-is, so I don’t really have a need for it (yet) – the same goes for the removable throat latch. Still, I’m glad these parts are included and there may come a time when I find them more useful.
One thing worth mentioning is that over time this piece does take on another characteristic that waxed jackets are known for – a light musky smell. This is a well–documented phenomenon, so it has nothing to do with the construction of the garment. Waxed jackets tend to have their own smell and hold other smells quite easily, and since they can’t really be washed (lest all the wax come off) there’s not a ton that can be done (although the internet is full of stories from those that have tried). To be clear, it is definitely not a strong or overpowering smell (and it was likely exacerbated by the fact that I basically lived in this thing while in Amsterdam and spent a lot of time in smoky Turkish restaurants), but it’s reasonable to expect a waxed jacket like this to have a bit more of an olfactory presence than something made of pure cotton. Again, like with the wear of the materials, I think this is a characteristic of this type of clothing that should be embraced. This is an OG piece of performance clothing, in a sense, so it’s reasonable to wear it hard and have it pick up the characteristics of how you use it.
All told, this jacket remains one of my favorite pieces and was probably the best thing I bought last year. PWVC is a great company and they put out many other wonderful pieces besides this one, so be sure to keep an eye on their catalog.
