When you think of Belstaff, it’s easy for your mind to conjure up images of heritage motorcycle clothing. That’s what they’re ostensibly known for. Founded in 1924 by Eli Belovitch and his son-in-law Harry Grosberg in Staffordshire, the name Belstaff is a combination of the Bel in Belovitch and the Staff in Staffordshire.
As the brand spies its 100th anniversary in the not-too-distant future, a fresh look at how to cope with contemporary weather conditions has been undertaken. The result is this high-performance piece called the Astral Jacket.
The classic look most would associate with Belstaff remains of course, but in this Gore-Tex collection exists a nice range of rain-resistant and stylish outerwear. We’ll not go near the word Gorpcore as it’s been done to death now, but it does have a whiff of that, and not just because of the Gore-Tex connotations.
The Astral Jacket is a late contender for jacket of the year, so comprehensively designed and understated it is. Available in three colours, it’s this special-forces style black version that has our outerwear juices flowing.
With its seemingly impenetrable outer shell supported by a channel-quilted 750 fill lining, it’s a serious piece of kit. The internet is great but in cases like this, mere words and pictures probably don’t do this jacket justice.
It’s available online of course, and from their various stores.
