Kostüme #EDIT006 Men’s Windproof Cargo Gilet

The Kostüme #EDIT006 Men’s Windproof Cargo Gilet isn’t just a flimsy, flappy thing you slip on for the first few brisk miles – it’s an exquisitely-made sleeveless garment that fits well and is laden with well thought out details. Kostüme’s no-waste production means this wears its environmental conscience on its sleeve… despite not having any.

Gilets come in many forms – from wispy emergency layers to fluffy body warmers for the depths of winter – and this one lives in the middle of that spectrum. Whilst it folds inside its own pocket and squishes easily into a jersey pocket, it’s bulky compared to many and is more of a wearer than a stower.

Developed with help from the London-Edinburgh-London and Silk Road Mountain Race, the quality and detail of this gilet lifts it well above the usual.

The first thing you’ll notice is the fabric. It’s quite weighty – heavier than a basic windbreaker and stouter even than a summer jersey – but it’s soft to the point of being silky. It has a satiny sheen and, as with the Kostüme Men’s Bib Shorts I reviewed some time back, it’s an absolute pleasure to wear.

It’s next-gen Polartec Power Shield RPM, a high-stretch 2-layer recycled fabric that’s waterproof and windproof, with (allegedly) category-leading breathability and no harmful PFAS. The single-material design also makes this gilet fully recyclable at the end of its life. Which is nice.

While the chest and the shoulders are solid to block the elements, the top half of the rear and the side panels are perforated to help with breathability.

The Polartec fabric has a 10,000mm waterproof rating, but the heavily perforated rear and sides mean this isn’t really waterproof. In truth the front and shoulders will succumb to persistent rain too, but it will see off a good amount of drizzle.

It does however manage the holy grail of being both windproof and breathable – that’l be the breathability spec of 30,000g/m2/24hrs, then. Those figures don’t mean much to me, but in variable temperatures, with warm climbs, fresh descents and some very blowy days the breathability was excellent, with no sweaty folds or general clamminess to the insides.

Sizing is on the athletic size. The Kostüme size guide has me at a small but while I could squeeze into it, it was corset tight and going up to a medium fitted me absolutely perfectly. I seem to hover between a S and M these days, falling on the smaller side more often than not, so it’s not wildly out.

The shaping in the right size was bang on, the stretch in the material ensuring there were no baggy folds or bits that flapped in the wind. It’s much more of a second skin than many gilets. I wore it for all-day rides on consecutive days and never felt it – there were no niggly bits, no flappy noises and no rustling.

The bottom half of the back is occupied by the capacious zipped pocket, and a smaller wallet/phone pocket on the right. It’s just the right size for a purse of monies (that’s a TV reference from 1986, should you younglings be wondering) or phone, and a triangulated flap stops things falling out. It’s a neat idea but, even with the angled pocket opening, it makes grabbing whatever’s inside a fumble, especially in full finger gloves.

Both the small pocket flap and the base of the cargo pocket are decorated with a half moon of highly reflective material.

The large zipped cargo pocket – which the gilet stuffs into – is big enough at about 210mm square to carry quite the array of snacks, snoods, warmers and whatnot, but as it’s not divided it can get quite tombola in there.

Folded into its own pocket this forms a pillow that’s 220 x 190mm, so while it’s not the most compact it will easily squish into a rear pocket. Kostüme says it’s a waterproof package, but I found it merely resistant to moisture.

On the front you get two vertically zipped pockets for stashing flat, light things like snacks, a phone or – Kostüme has strong ties to long distance and audax – a brevet card.

The full length zip is double ended so you can undo from the bottom if you want some extra air for a climby bit or easier access to jersey pockets. The top has a zip dock to stop chin chaffage (it’ll be tweaked to a simpler and more effective version than on our pre-production garment) and the zip pull has a significant reflective tag on it. Hiding behind the zip is a fabric wind baffle.

That zip is fast flowing too, so it’s easy to use on the move. The collar is a healthy 60mm tall at the front, tapering to 40mm in the rear to keep things cosy.

The armholes have elastic hems to snug them down against billowing in the wind. The four bands of thread running along the hem are also reflective.

The hem is tailored shorter in the front and longer out back to provide coverage when stretched over the bars (and over bloated jersey pockets), and the rear section has a thick band of silicone gripper dots. The production version will have a chunkier pattern still.

The various logos are very subtle and yet decorative, while the rear pockets get a sublimation-printed graphic of the umlauted U. Once you see the smiley face, you can’t unseen it. If you’re not into this dusky pink colour there’s what Kostüme calls purple, but I’d say it was more white with a dash of greyish lilac.

If the quality isn’t quite enough to sway you, perhaps the way Kostüme produces and sells apparel will. The firm uses a preorder batch model, which means there’s no overstock to make, ship, warehouse and dispose of – it’s all sold. This dramatically cuts waste, both in environmental and financial terms, and Kostüme says that leaves more money for product development too.

One downside is that, unless you happen to hit a preorder batch (known as an #EDIT) right at the end, you’ll have to wait. There’s also a limited colour range each time, so if you don’t like the look, you’re out of luck for some time.

Value

The Castelli Espresso Vest gets a Road.cc Recommends badge, so it’s the standard to reach. It has a soft-shell front and ‘Air_O Stretch’ sides and back, so it’s a good snug fit. It was praised by Matt for its windproofing and breathability, the three rear pockets and its ability to pack down small. It’s cheaper at £130.

Santini’s Magic Packable Waterproof Vest Unisex uses the same Polartec Power Shield RPM material as the Kostüme. It folds into its own pocket too, but it’s much lighter but only has the one large pocket out back. It’s £120.

With a similar long distance vibe and price, the Rapha Men’s Brevet Insulated Gilet has an insulated front and a mesh rear, and while it doesn’t have the bulk of the Kostüme it’s easier to pocket. It’s less refined though, with fewer details and no pockets, and the price is predictably high at £170.

Overall

Sometimes the best thing you can say about a bit of clothing is that you forgot you had it on, and the Kostüme gilet is one of those. The fit and the stretch contours the body perfectly, and the soft, silky material ensures there’s never a crinkle or rustle. The windproofing is impressive, yet it doesn’t get you sweaty inside.

The price might feel a little spicy for a gilet, but it’s not the most expensive out there. Plus it’s incredibly well thought out. Think of it as a midweight jersey without arms for days where a full extra layer is too much. Look at the details, the quality of the fabric and the construction and it feels well worth the money.