Experiment 399 - Stronghard Hooded Warmshirt

A strong yet breathable insulation system. Midweight with a rugged yet clean Strongtwill exterior, super breathable Alpha 60 insulation in the middle and a soft and dry nylon-core merino on the inside.

Alpha is a US mil-spec insulation optimized for extreme breathability to create a nice amount of warmth without overheating. Because Alpha is optimized to be a non-migrating insulation it can be paired with much more breathable face and lining fabrics than most insulations (which require very tight faces to keep the insulation materials from leaking out.)

The nylon-core merino interior keeps things soft and dry with all of the natural performance of merino. On the outside is the quietly bombproof Strongtwill with an C0 Zelan R3 DWR treatment for quick drying and light water resistance. This combination traps a nice amount of warmth but begins to dump heat before things get too hot. Works for indoor use if you run cold, but mostly we recommend it as a standalone piece of SF/London/Fall type weather (and colder more if you run hot) and as part of a cold weather layering set up.

A heavyweight(ish), 460gsm, emotional armor of a sweatshirt fabric with all the performance of merino inside. The high-density cotton knit on the outside gives this fabric real structure, toughness and weight. The structure means hoods hold their shape while the garment almost floats off the body, supported by itself as much as the person inside. The density gives it a nice wind resistance (but not proofness), making for hoodies that feel halfway to proper jackets. And the weight, well, to be honest this was super-heavyweight back in the day when we first made it, but these days it’s just modestly heavy compared to some of the beastly all cotton hoodies the streetwear dudes have been cooking up. Meanwhile on the inside the loose terry loops of merino mean it’s secretly soft against the skin and has all the capabilities you’d expect from nature’s finest performance fiber. The merino sucks moisture from around the wearer creating a dry body climate. It naturally thermoregulates as well, staying comfortable in a wider temperature range than most other materials, while staying naturally odor resistant for longer wear times.

Knit in Australia using Australian merino and starting from October 1, 2024, regenerative and traceable Good Earth Cotton [https://www.goodearthcotton.com]. The first Good Earth Cottons came from Australia, but the standard is not based around provenance, it is based around using regenerative agricultural practices and advanced traceability technology. (Versions of the fabric released before October 2024 used organic cotton from India).