Parka in weatherproof ripstop in cosmos

Prices exclude VAT, shipping is free, and orders leave the workshop within three working days.

Shop

£350.00 — ex VAT

Parka, made in London, with weatherproof ripstop — a light (7oz) but very strong paradox of a fabric — from West Yorkshire.

Waiting

Almost if not entirely sold out, these, by the looks of it. Still, don't despair. You can get in touch via to not only find out if or when they'll come back into stock, but to be notified should such an occurrence transpire.

Sizing

The parka in this particular cloth fits larger than the marked size — about half a size large, say. The mannequin here, for instance, is so standard a 38 chest he has it stamped on his chest, but in this instance is wearing size XS.

XS S M L XL
To fit chest 36 38 40 42 44
Pit-to-pit 21½ 22½ 23½ 24½ 25½
Back length 33½ 33¾ 34 34¼ 34½
Sleeve from centre-back 35       35½       36       36½       37      
Called "weatherproof" for a reason, this cloth. Rain, no matter how much, beads up and rolls off. Aramid fibres are inherently hydrophobic, see. It is also as light as a feather, is highly breathable, and has industry-leading heat-transfer properties: when the day is warm, the wearer is cool, and vice-versa.
A coat with a hood is what the parka is — with a particularly high front running over the chin, and a wide wrap which keeps out unwelcome elements. The hood is of the three-panel kind: cut so, when down, it surfs the sides of the neck, and when up, hugs the head and curves across the forehead.
Simplicity reigns when it comes to fastening. The parka has a front of five press studs — or snap fasteners, or poppers, or even tiches, if you prefer. Small and unassuming things, an aged brass finish, and a mechanism which closes with an authoritatively dull click rather than a juvenile tinny one.
Sitting at the waist are two large pockets. They have an envelope opening — an "up and under" way in that is much more secure than the norm — and a particularly large flap, shutting with a press stud at each corner. Deep, these pockets, and not half-bad shelter for hands and possessions both.
Less prominent are the sideways-entry — so-called "warmer" — pockets, located above those large flaps. They are intended principally for the resting of tired arms. They are strengthened, top and bottom, with bar-tacks (above-right) — likewise the under-sides of the flaps below (above-left).
The cuffs of the parka are governed by a wide strap, which runs from the under-sleeve seam around and across the front, and with a gusset which comes together when the strap is fastened. There are two press studs here — for both standard and wrist-tickling degrees of tightness.
The parka has what you might expect when looked at head-on: a good-old inset sleeve. It gives you that classic, clean line up and over the shoulder, like you see on most parkas. But look — a seam runs down the outside of the sleeve, splitting this orthodox front with a raglan back.
The raglan construction of the back provides more sense of space, freedom, and comfort than the parka might have otherwise. Easier to slide on and off, too. It also gives the sleeve a rounder, softer shape, and a clean drape over the shoulder — in many ways like a classic semi-formal overcoat.
At the back, too, lurks an inverted box-pleat, extending a short distance up the length of the parka. It is constructed in the old-fashioned and faintly over-complicated manner of mid-century British walking coats, and permits extended movement when sitting down or stretching forward.
One more pocket — this time on the inside, chest height, on the left-side as worn. It is set a little lower than normal to make things easier on the elbows. Best for mobile phones, train tickets, or slim wallets, this one.
The parka has a lining — a sweeping, curved lining — of even more weatherproof ripstop. In this way, when also taking into account the facing on the inside-front, you have a double-layer of cloth on almost all areas. Elsewhere, meanwhile, every exposed seam is finished meticulously with grey binding.
The cloth is incredibly strong: it is by far the most obdurate fabric at the workshop. It doesn't fade, even after years outdoors; it doesn't crease and is thus wonderful travel cloth; and it doesn't abrade, so can take great wear and tear. It's a double-faced, cloth, marrying two tough ripstop layers (this is the reverse).

As worn

Him, here, is as standard a 38 in the chest as you could ever hope to meet. The parka he's wearing is thus a size S. He's jutting out his chin, here, by the way: the neck of the parka usually covers the area below the mouth when fully fastened.

Makers of

The coat is made in north-east London. It is a very specialised skill, assembling coats from heavy cloth, and every reasonable step — and the odd unreasonable step — is taken to ensure things are built to last, from the cutting of the pattern to the work on the machine, but without the results being stiff or bulky.
The ripstop cloth comes from a mill in the Heavy Woollen District of West Yorkshire, founded in the 1800s. Things have, of course, moved very much with the times, and so the traditions of weaving are allied now to cutting-edge, industry-leading standards in weaving, dyeing, and testing.

So they say

I've been meaning to leave you some positive words about the parka, as it's absolute beauty and I'm really impressed with it. It's just full of that S.E.H Kelly magic. The cut of it is so nice and really sharp even without the belt tied, and only looks even nicer with the belt tied. Before getting it my worry was the hood being too small, as my head is pretty big compared to the rest of me, haha — but the hood is perfect! And the cloth is incredible. I love ripstop, but have never had any of this quality or thickness before, and it looks luscious, too. I can see this becoming my favourite garment I've got from you so far, and that's pretty hard!

A pleased man from Canada, who purchased the parka in weatherproof ripstop in cosmos in March 2020.

The parka arrived and is great: an excellent fit for a parka, I think. The fabric is wonderfully luxurious as well as durable, which I wasn't really expecting from a ripstop.

Kind words from a gentleman who picked up the parka minor in weatherproof ripstop in blue in April 2020.

The parka minor in ripstop landed on my desk at work today. Now I can't help but wear it in the office. Everybody looks at me as if I'm hoping for indoor rain. Only the rain-dance is missing. The fit, feel, and look are just perfect.

Enthusiasm abounds from Germany, where a man picked up the parka minor in weatherproof ripstop in early November 2019.

My first day wearing it was a cracking way to test the waters: all-day heavy downpours. Me and my better-half decided to take a stroll around our area. One of the first things she said was, "You look like the adverts where ketchup rolls straight off a pair of trainers." Another was, "You could probably pass this down as an heirloom." I agree, it's a stunning piece, visually and physically. We must have been out for two hours, and the only sign of water appearing was through the stitching. Expected — but really minimal amounts for how much it was hammering down. This only happened after around the hour mark, too. Day to day, it's been getting plenty of comments around the office. You can expect a couple extra orders from as I’ve sent them on to your site. I honestly could not ask for a better coat. You've have done an outstanding job, and I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to develop it.

Feedback from a man enjoying his parka in weatherproof ripstop (the most water-resistant of all cloth used here) in the city where rain was invented, Manchester.

Smart simplicity, I would call it, the design of your parka. Beautiful and functional efficiency. It rained one late afternoon. After five minutes, my parka was completely covered in a spray of shiny tiny drops on a dark blue like the sky. People stared at this new attribution to nature. Inside, warm and dry. Outdoors I wear a hat, with not too wide a brim. The hood of the parka is spacious, fitting over my hat, brim and all, without deforming. The hood doesn't make noise: it is quiet itself; in it, sounds are not muffled.

So explained a gentleman in Amsterdam, who purchased the parka in weatherproof ripstop in September 2018.

I've just received the parcel with the very wonderful parka. It is stunning in its design and cloth. It fits so well, and feels incredibly comfortable. I had not imagined such a technical material could feel so pleasantly soft to the touch. The colour is superb, too. And the parka looks great whether carried open or closed — the way the hood and neck fold back. I feel I can now withstand whatever weather our strange climate provides, and look good, at the same time.

Words from a lady in Denmark, who bought a parka in weatherproof ripstop in March 2018.