Behind Bluffworks: The Horizon Quilted Vest

Editor's note: this piece was discontinued. Return to homepage!

I’m often cold. Yet as I zip around during a busy day, I hate carrying a heavy coat.

What I need is a little core warmth, some place to organize all of my stuff (keys, wallet, phone), and a layering item that looks great over a blazer.

Enter our Horizon Vest. My goal was to make a piece that could stand up to the elements, but not look like it is made for the outdoors, like many travel vests with hidden pockets do.

We combined polyfill insulation with a water-resistant shell, lots of pockets, and a few other details, to make a product that can go with you anywhere. It’s warm without being too heavy or bulky.

It is specifically constructed to look great with our Gramercy Blazer and is a great layering piece to add to your capsule wardrobe of casual looks.

We were excited by the enthusiasm you showed in response to our travel jeans, so here is an advance look at our new vest; read on to learn all about it.

Designing the Horizon Vest

Step one: Creating the vision. I wanted a travel vest that combined technology with a classic look and feel; in other words, the existing Bluffworks aesthetic. My plan is to wear it for both active pursuits — on a bike, in the mountains, playing hockey — in addition to my life in the city, out to better restaurants and cafés. So the vest had to be technically advanced and timeless without looking too sporty.  

Step Two: Making it versatile. As this vest is meant to be my primary external layer, it needed a lot of pockets. In addition to exterior pockets for your hands, we built in a number of interior and security pockets as well. The inside includes one dedicated inside phone pocket, and two lower storage pockets big enough for an iPad Mini. On the exterior, we added an invisible zippered pocket, at the left chest, which I use for holding my phone while on a bicycle.

Step Three: Technical details. We built the vest with technical fabrics that make it ready for the elements. We applied a water-repellant finish to the 3.9oz shell and used a recycled polyfill insulation that makes it warm without bulk. The Horizon Vest is ideal for situations where adding a lightweight layer is best — when the temperature drops by a few degrees, but doesn’t warrant a heavy coat.

Step Four: Fitting into your existing travel clothing or men's capsule wardrobe. For colors, we chose Dark Sapphire and Olive Green that coordinate well with the Gramercy Blazer and other Bluffworks products. We sized the vest with layering in mind, specifically as a refined addition to our Gramercy Blazer or lightweight travel suit.

The details:

How much does the vest weigh?

The fabric weighs 3.9 oz per yard. We weighed one of our sample medium vests, and it came in at 15.6 oz. This lightweight travel vest with pockets is great for travel and when you are packing light.

What is the shell?

The shell is a quick-dry polyester that’s treated with a water-repellant finish with minimal effect on the look and feel of the fabric. This is a highly technical vest that still allows for breathability.

What is the insulation?

The insulation is a high-performance PrimaLoft polyfill made with 60% post-consumer recycled material, so it’s warm without weighing you down, extremely soft, and made with recycled content.

How many pockets does it have?

This men’s travel vest with pockets has 7 total, including hidden pockets and zippered security ones for carrying your phone, iPad, wallet, keys, etc.  

When can I get it?

We’re shooting to make the Horizon Vest available for pre-order on November 8th.

My whole goal is to build pieces that keep up with me. Cold weather typically adds bulk, but city life and adventurous travel don’t go well with a normal down vest.

Once I figured it out, I realized that vests are the BOMB. Besides keeping me warm and holding all my stuff, my favorite feature is how quickly they go on and off, and how small they pack in my bag. This quilted vest is all I need for most days.

I hope you love it as much as I do. 

Bluff on,