Is this the ultimate festival jacket?

Online retailer Joe Browns seems to have reached the pinnacle of technical garments with its new Ultimate Festival Jacket. Complete with phone charger, blow-up pillow hood, wet wipe dispenser and hidden drinks compartment, could printwear brands learn a thing or two about added technical features?

Although it is still in the initial testing stages, the Ultimate Festival Jacket is full to the brim with hidden gadgets and gismos, while remaining stylish in a floral summery print.

Design features

George Kowalik, the designer of the jacket has really considered all that a typical festival-goer could require from a jacket to make their time at a festival more enjoyable and less of a hassle.

Hidden in the front two pockets of the jacket are refillable 0.5 litre drinks bags, attached to plastic straws, discretely concealed along the inner liner. A zip also doubles up as a bottle opener.

Inside a hidden zipped compartment in the hood is a valve the wearer can blow into and in seconds the hood is transformed into a comfy pillow.

The jacket also features a wind up phone charger. All the wearer has to do is pop in their USB lead and wind away for a few minutes to recharge their phone.

Also packed into the jacket is a compact wet wipe pocket complete with coated lining and zip lock to keep the wipes moist and fresh.

And finally, an inside pocket comes with a locking zip to keep valuables safe and security clip to attach the key somewhere else on the wearer and a detachable LED on the cuff. The jacket is also showerproof which is a rather handy feature in the British summer time, when the heavens are likely to open during an outdoor festival.

Fun, stylish and practical

Mr Kowalik said: “We wanted to make something that was fun, stylish and really practical. We had a brainstorming session in the office of all the problems we faced at festivals, then tried to come up with solutions on how to fix them.

“There’s still some tweaks that need to be made on the jacket, but we’re really pleased with how it’s come out and are intrigued to see what people make of it, or if anyone has any other suggestions that could make it even better.”

Of course in reality this jacket is not practical for everyday use. It really only comes into its own in a festival-style environment.

In terms of what features you should look out for when deciding to go down the route of supplying decorated technical garments to your customers, try bearing in mind just what the product will be used for. For example if a customer is looking for sportswear perhaps consider offering polo shirts with moisture-wicking and anti-microbial properties as these aid performance. Or if a customer wants a jacket which will be worn outside in all weathers be sure to check the waterproof rating of the item. A waterproof jacket must be waterproof to 1,500mm in order to meet the British Standard, so consider offering jackets of this rating and upwards. For those looking for extra versatility from their outerwear try offering a 3-in-1 waterproof jacket. These jackets consist of a waterproof outer shell with a detachable inner fleece, softshell or padded jacket.

Providing and decorating technical garments shouldn’t be a headache.