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Vespertine Sash-ay ScarfVespertine Sash-ay Scarf

Vespertine Sash-ay Scarf

9
by Lara Dunn
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Feb 26, 2013

14
£58.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Warm, sophisticated and shiny. What's not to love?
Weight: 
82g
Contact: 
www.vespertinenyc.com
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At first glance, this Vespertine Sash-ay Scarf is a fairly low-key, grey tweed woolen scarf along the lines of centuries worth of old fashioned posh school scarves.

Sure, it has a nicely woven pattern and it even has a cunning buttonhole and button partnership, allowing for easy securing of this wayward item of winter clothing.

BUT, and it's a substantial 'but', wave the glare of car headlights in its general direction and its true colours become apparent. The Sash-ay is part of the new breed of urban cycling kit cleverly using reflective thread woven in with wool during the normal weaving process, resulting in an effective but distinctly un-techy looking reflective garment. It looks like a tweed scarf and it behaves like a tweed scarf, whilst also being a reflective addition to your after-dark cycling safety arsenal.

It's a sturdy wool scarf, and delivers good levels of warmth, especially given the button securing it (if you want), and suitable for wearing with pretty much anything from normal street clothes, through to super technical riding kit if you so desired. After all, it's just a scarf! The reflectivity is impressive and it definitely enhances visibility of the wearer, even if only adding to overall conspicuousness. Even the impressively cunning button is covered in reflective stuff. Such are its androgenous good looks, that it would happily grace the neck of man or woman.

Sadly this rather lovely scarf's only currently available from Vespertine direct in the US, but Sarah the owner and designer is a helpful lady and it's no real problem to buy from her direct. It's not cheap, but it's woven in Scotland from merino wool and it's a top quality scarf with the added bonus of making you that bit more visible on a dark night.

Verdict

Warm, sophisticated and shiny. What's not to love?

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Vespertine Sash-ay Scarf

Size tested: Grey

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Aimed at urban cyclists wanting to enhance their visibility.

Good for anyone out on dark streets.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

100% merino wool tweed with reflective weave.

Button and buttonhole to secure if desired.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
10/10

Superbly well made and lovely fabric.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Definitely warm and visible.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Good quality fabric but keep it away from velcro.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10

Slightly itchy, but very comfortable otherwise.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Superbly well made and high quality.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Performed very well. Was warm and visible.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Style, button/buttonhole, reflectivity

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, very much.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, and as a gift.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Maybe, if they were a very good friend.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

An attractive unisex merino wool scarf with the added bonus of enhanced visibility.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

 

Vespertine Sash-ay Scarf
verspertine
scarf
reflective
hi viz
Lara Dunn

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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