Westcomb piece (Year) - Men's Mirage (2007 or 2008 ...I think)
User Review by Paul Yu
Preface - I know this is not the most recent, newly redesigned 2010 Mirage, but I thought I would post a review to hit on some of the major points of the piece that I think are relevant to the Mirage in general.
Why I bought it - I have owned numerous "waterproof/breathable" jackets from TNF goretex to other well respected, less expensive, brands with either waterproof finishes or PU membranes. All of them kept me dry, kind of, until they either got clammy from the inside, or wetted-out from the outside. I came across Westcomb as a brand in 2008, was told of eVent as the answer to my plight, and started saving up my money to get my Mirage. It was worth the wait, and here's why:
Function - I bought the Mirage with three applications in mind (1) Snowboard (mostly in MI), (2) Landscaping, and (3) Look cool around town.
First, as a snowboarder in MI there are a few conditions that one must prepare for, wet sleet-like conditions up top, lots of short chairlift rides, and abrasive man made snow down below. Why the Mirage matters? As for the sleet, snow and occasional rain, the waterproof eVent sheds water like a beaver's hide. I have never had a drop of water come close to seeping through. Even when the DWR wore off, and the jacket wetted out, the eVent membrane held the water at bay. I have since reapplied the DWR, regularly maintain the DWR, and all is well and working as it should from the outside.
From the inside, this jacket really breaths. Its not Egyptian cotton, but in my opinion, has always felt better, and less clammy than my goretex shell. Here in MI, as a snowboarder I do a lot of jumping around, and skating on the flats, and while I used to overwhelm my other shells from the inside, I have yet to really feel any significant moisture build up. As a landscaper, I often work in the spring and summer laying sod, and digging ditches in rain (60 to 80 degrees F.) and have been impressed with the jacket's ability to breath. As evidence of the Mirage's breathability I have had to look no farther than the forearm stash pocket on my left sleeve. For this model year, the forearm sleeve has a see-through vinyl window so you could see a ski pass through it. The 'design flaw' (as reflected by someone at Westcomb and has now been changed in that the stash pocket is also eVent) is that the vinyl window is NOT breathable, so after a while, you'll see the perspiration build up as it breaths through the eVent sleeve, then condenses on the vinyl window. Also, the 2" by 3" spot on my forearm actually feels clammy. While some may see this as a design flaw, I kind of like it (and mention it here) as reminder that eVent works!
The shell fabric is a very abrasion resistant 560 NST (Nylon Standard) fabric on the arms, shoulders and hood for durability, and a lighter weight 460 NR (Nylon ripstop) fabric on the underarms and back. The durability has been tested by my falls on the slopes where I slide down the abrasive man made snow and ice. As I am a novice boarder, this abrasion test been through iterations too numerous to count, and have been conducted sliding down the hill on my back, my front, my side, and arms. As a landscaper, I have also hauled boulders, dug in sand, and moved dirt in this jacket, very rough condtions that simulate spring/fall back country activity. To this day, the fabric looks great. (Note: The new 2010 Mirage is made entirely with the 560 NST making the new Mirage a more burly incarnation. However, the design of the 2010 Cruiser has the mixed 560 NST/360 NR construction similar to my older Mirage).
Fit - I have a men's small and it fits great. (As context, I'm 5'5", 145 lbs, wear a 36/38 short jacket, and 30" waist/30" inseam pants. Also as a point of comparison, I wear a men's small from Express and Gap which fits me well.) My mirage has a trim, athletic cut across the waist, chest, and shoulders. For me, I have enough room to wear a base layer or light merino sweater or dress shirt, and a fleece midlayer (Westcomb's Nova Fleece) with just enough room to move very comfortably and freely. If I wear a thicker wool sweater, I tend not to wear the fleece midlayer as I think that tends to be on the tight side. However, if I'm wearing a thicker sweater to work or shopping, I find that that is more than enough to keep me warm as I knock around town. The arms are long, by design, to accomodate over the head reaching like in climbing and winter activities without the sleeves riding up. On me, with my arms resting down along my side, the sleeves are at mid palm, which I think is perfect. As for torso length, the jacket falls right at my hips. Since the jacket is a mountaineering cut (rather than a longer parka cut) I think that the jacket fits just right. The neck, when zipped all the way up, is a little on the tight side in that I can zip the jacket up all the way if I'm wearing a midlayer with a crew neck, but the neck feels constricting when I wear a thicker midlayer with a mock-turtle type neck. In general, I would guess that if you are between 5'4" and 5'7" with a trim build, the men's small would be a pretty good fit.
Finish - As for details, the jacket has two hand pockets (unlined), a small Napolean chest pocket, and a pocket on my sleeve. For some reason, my jacket model did not come with an internal media pocket for my iphone, but I believe the pocket is there in the 2010 jacket. I do have pit zips, which I rarely have to use due to eVent's breathability, but have been known to open them up in warm spring and fall conditions.
Preface - I know this is not the most recent, newly redesigned 2010 Mirage, but I thought I would post a review to hit on some of the major points of the piece that I think are relevant to the Mirage in general.
Why I bought it - I have owned numerous "waterproof/breathable" jackets from TNF goretex to other well respected, less expensive, brands with either waterproof finishes or PU membranes. All of them kept me dry, kind of, until they either got clammy from the inside, or wetted-out from the outside. I came across Westcomb as a brand in 2008, was told of eVent as the answer to my plight, and started saving up my money to get my Mirage. It was worth the wait, and here's why:
Function - I bought the Mirage with three applications in mind (1) Snowboard (mostly in MI), (2) Landscaping, and (3) Look cool around town.
First, as a snowboarder in MI there are a few conditions that one must prepare for, wet sleet-like conditions up top, lots of short chairlift rides, and abrasive man made snow down below. Why the Mirage matters? As for the sleet, snow and occasional rain, the waterproof eVent sheds water like a beaver's hide. I have never had a drop of water come close to seeping through. Even when the DWR wore off, and the jacket wetted out, the eVent membrane held the water at bay. I have since reapplied the DWR, regularly maintain the DWR, and all is well and working as it should from the outside.
From the inside, this jacket really breaths. Its not Egyptian cotton, but in my opinion, has always felt better, and less clammy than my goretex shell. Here in MI, as a snowboarder I do a lot of jumping around, and skating on the flats, and while I used to overwhelm my other shells from the inside, I have yet to really feel any significant moisture build up. As a landscaper, I often work in the spring and summer laying sod, and digging ditches in rain (60 to 80 degrees F.) and have been impressed with the jacket's ability to breath. As evidence of the Mirage's breathability I have had to look no farther than the forearm stash pocket on my left sleeve. For this model year, the forearm sleeve has a see-through vinyl window so you could see a ski pass through it. The 'design flaw' (as reflected by someone at Westcomb and has now been changed in that the stash pocket is also eVent) is that the vinyl window is NOT breathable, so after a while, you'll see the perspiration build up as it breaths through the eVent sleeve, then condenses on the vinyl window. Also, the 2" by 3" spot on my forearm actually feels clammy. While some may see this as a design flaw, I kind of like it (and mention it here) as reminder that eVent works!
The shell fabric is a very abrasion resistant 560 NST (Nylon Standard) fabric on the arms, shoulders and hood for durability, and a lighter weight 460 NR (Nylon ripstop) fabric on the underarms and back. The durability has been tested by my falls on the slopes where I slide down the abrasive man made snow and ice. As I am a novice boarder, this abrasion test been through iterations too numerous to count, and have been conducted sliding down the hill on my back, my front, my side, and arms. As a landscaper, I have also hauled boulders, dug in sand, and moved dirt in this jacket, very rough condtions that simulate spring/fall back country activity. To this day, the fabric looks great. (Note: The new 2010 Mirage is made entirely with the 560 NST making the new Mirage a more burly incarnation. However, the design of the 2010 Cruiser has the mixed 560 NST/360 NR construction similar to my older Mirage).
Fit - I have a men's small and it fits great. (As context, I'm 5'5", 145 lbs, wear a 36/38 short jacket, and 30" waist/30" inseam pants. Also as a point of comparison, I wear a men's small from Express and Gap which fits me well.) My mirage has a trim, athletic cut across the waist, chest, and shoulders. For me, I have enough room to wear a base layer or light merino sweater or dress shirt, and a fleece midlayer (Westcomb's Nova Fleece) with just enough room to move very comfortably and freely. If I wear a thicker wool sweater, I tend not to wear the fleece midlayer as I think that tends to be on the tight side. However, if I'm wearing a thicker sweater to work or shopping, I find that that is more than enough to keep me warm as I knock around town. The arms are long, by design, to accomodate over the head reaching like in climbing and winter activities without the sleeves riding up. On me, with my arms resting down along my side, the sleeves are at mid palm, which I think is perfect. As for torso length, the jacket falls right at my hips. Since the jacket is a mountaineering cut (rather than a longer parka cut) I think that the jacket fits just right. The neck, when zipped all the way up, is a little on the tight side in that I can zip the jacket up all the way if I'm wearing a midlayer with a crew neck, but the neck feels constricting when I wear a thicker midlayer with a mock-turtle type neck. In general, I would guess that if you are between 5'4" and 5'7" with a trim build, the men's small would be a pretty good fit.
Finish - As for details, the jacket has two hand pockets (unlined), a small Napolean chest pocket, and a pocket on my sleeve. For some reason, my jacket model did not come with an internal media pocket for my iphone, but I believe the pocket is there in the 2010 jacket. I do have pit zips, which I rarely have to use due to eVent's breathability, but have been known to open them up in warm spring and fall conditions.
The Mirage also has a powder skirt. If I wear my boarding pants (not Westcomb) that have a lower waist, the powder skirt sits a little high, and can ride above the waist, leaving a slight gap. However, with my new Westcomb Chief bib pants, which has a higher waist, this power skirt works perfectly and the gap is a non-issue. The adjustable hood has great versatility as it can cinch down around my head with and without helmet, which makes for a good fit without restricting my side to side vision.
One thing I love most about my Mirage is that is a highly techical jacket with a stylish, around the town look. I wear this thing all the time... snowboarding, to school, out-and-about, to church, landscaping, etc... This jacket is so versitile that I can wear it in very cold, blustery Michigan winters with the right layering, but also landscape in it in a spring and even summer rain without feeling weighed down. While I would consider this a three season jacket, I do use it on occasion in the summer during a hard rain fall. The inner tricoat lining is smooth, and confortable on bare skin, but also allows for sweaters and knit type shirts to slide in and out without clinging to the sleeves.
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