It’s not often that I get to try on a $1,295 jacket, primarily because I’m a rube from South Carolina that makes normal wages. But even less often do I get to ask someone the price of an item and not find myself in that awkward moment when I think, “Oh my goodness, that’s way too much. What do I say to this saleswoman and how do I get this thing back on the rack where it belongs?”
Beretta’s Walnut 3L Tech Wool Jacket.
At SHOT Show, there are no products for sale, sales hooks and impotent, awkward transactions. It’s all about looking, testing, trying on for fit and feel and gathering information.
The $1,295 jacket (proper name: Beretta’s Walnut 3L Tech Wool Jacket) is part of a collection exclusive to Beretta’s eight galleries located in London, Paris, New York, Dallas, Buenos Aires, Memphis, Moscow and Madrid.
The appeal of the Walnut Tech Wool Jacket — and the reason I wanted to go ahead and review it despite the price point — is because it does an effortless job of blending timeless hunting style with modern apparel technology. It’s a balancing act a few brands do quite well (Filson's hunting clothing is a great example). I’m hopeful others may choose to emulate these throwback styles as well – if only by lesser degrees and at a price point that’s within reach of a broader, less-affluent market share.
The Beretta's wool jacket and many of Filson's products look like something my grandfather would have worn while rabbit hunting on Thanksgiving Day and maybe even his father before him. But when you look closer, there are inventive features that make these modern versions of past styles far more versatile and resilient than anything my grandfather would have enjoyed.
First, Beretta's three-layer wool jacket is also waterproof. So the wool is bonded with the brand's waterproof breathable membrane. All seams are taped to ensure the jacket is waterproof throughout and stretch fabric is featured in key areas where freedom of movement is critical for hunters and other outdoorsmen. The jacket also comes with Beretta’s signature hands-free, shoulder straps, essentially suspenders sewn into the coat’s inside lining so the jacket can be removed without having to deal with toting it around or stuffing in a pack.
Here's a photo of the author using the suspenders to "shuck" the jacket:
And here's the "shucked" jacket from the back:
While the cost of Beretta’s gallery jacket isn’t within reach for most, I did admire Beretta’s allegiance to a style and fabric that has spanned generations of hunters. Similarly styled wool apparel, with similar built-in technology does exist.
Take Filson’s three-layer, field jacket for women, for example. It’s waterproof as well, has a classic look and feel and it’s offered at a much lower cost. Pheasants Forever offers a review of that hunting garment here:
