Review: Huggate Fleece Waistcoat from Rydale

I love living in the countryside. One of the bonuses is having lots of great places to walk my dogs in local parks, across byways in fields and just around the villages. Unlike some people I am not a fairweather dog walker – I go out in all weather from sun to rain and snow!

On those colder days I like to use layers of clothing to keep me warm and dry so when I was offered the chance to review an item from Rydale, the British country clothing brand, I was very happy to check out their range.

Inspired by a true passion for country lifestyle, John Nichols began a lifelong project to create the pinnacle of country and outdoor clothing with the support of his family and founded Rydale in 1954. Rydale keeps durability and quality foremost in their products and have developed their own collection aiming to make it as complete as possible.

Their extensive range includes ladies waxed jackets, men’s Tweed coats, body warmers, outdoor country clothing and flat caps; all are made right here in the North of England. Rydale is passionate about local industry and has been supporting British manufacturers since the beginning.

Rydale is also passionate about the environment, believing that their country clothing goes hand in hand with the British countryside. They feel a strong duty to protect and reclaim this for future generations to enjoy and over the last 5 years have invested heavily in waste management and recycling. This is definitely a brand that I can get behind!

So, when browsing through the Rydale range I spotted the Huggate Fleece Waistcoat – a stylish yet functional ladies gilet style jacket which offers comfort at the same time as keeping the temperature nice and snug, all without being too thick which means it can be worn in colder and mild weather. I picked out the Amethyst colour but it also comes in shades of green, blue and grey.

I love layering up in the colder months and the Huggate Fleece Waistcoat makes for a great mid-layer for winter warmth under a jacket or waterproof but also works well as a simple outer garment for the warmer months over a simple t-shirt. Despite loving layers I hate bulky, heavy outfits or walking the dogs, so I like the lightweight nature of the waistcoat.

I really love the feel of this fleece waistcoat. It is made from soft fleece and polyester which makes it comfortable, durable as well as easy to care for. The fleece is trimmed for a nice soft, comfortable edge.

Something that is important to me is having nice deep pockets and the Huggate Fleece Waistcoat has great pockets which can be secured by zips so that nothing goes missing. I also love the elasticated drawstring which makes it easy to adapt the waistcoat to your body shape and reduce flapping material.

I really love the soft material, stylish look and practical features which makes the Huggate Fleece Waistcoat a great addition to my dog walking wardrobe. I award it 5 out of 5 stars.