Ex Officio World Chameleon Jacket
By Tessa Matthews

I chose to test the Ex Officio World Chameleon Jacket by itself, rather than alongside other similar items, because it is so unique in concept. There are a number of companies who make multi-purpose travel jackets, but none that take the concept of city to field to the extreme that Ex Officio has.

On a recent Mexican cruise, I wore the World Chameleon Jacket on the airplane, on the cruise ship (for casual wear and exercise wear), took it to the beaches of Mazatlan for sailing and swimming, and to the mountains of Puerto Vallarta for hiking, horseback riding and fishing.

If there is one essential item for travel-wear, it is this jacket. Easily the "Swiss Army Knife" of travel apparel, it makes no sacrifices in styling or fit, while providing unexpected features every step along the way. At one point during the trip, I thought I had lost the jacket, and would easily have traded any other item I had to have this one back.

Upon first inspection, the jacket got points for being reversible, functional and lightweight. After using the jacket, my kudos went to the choice of fabrics on both sides of the jacket.

The city side is made of Micro-Twill. In layman's terms, it's like wearing a cloud. They don't mention in the product literature that it's so soft you could wear it to bed, but I'd choose it over most of the nightwear I own. Don't let the comfort fool you, though. Micro-Twill is also known for being wrinkle resistant, lightweight, and durable. It has a slightly elasticized, tapered waist, and the pockets on the city side are all lined, and mostly concealed (one passport pocket, one hidden security zip pocket and two hand pockets) in order to keep the streamlined, more formal look.

The field side is made of a sturdy Nycott Oxford. This side is high in durability, breathable, and wrinkle and stain resistant. Pockets are plentiful. Three zipped pockets and a unique pocket-in-a pocket styling allow what looks like a single pocket to be three pockets: one hand pocket, one Velcro-ed large pocket and one hidden pocket. The only disadvantage I found was that I knew I had something I needed in one of the pockets-it just took a few extra minutes to figure out which one.

I wore the city side out on the cruise ship, during casual dinners and out on the deck at nights. It resembled more of a blazer than a coat, and was lightweight enough to wear both in and outside. I loved the black color. It gave the jacket a more formal feel, and quickly became a basic that matched most everything.

Out of doors, I wore the field side. For horseback riding, the jacket was sturdy and adequate for keeping a layer on for warmth without being bulky. It gave enough pocket room to pack a wallet, some trail mix, a passport and a pair of gloves comfortably. But perhaps the greatest feature of the jacket was how well it withstood getting stuffed in a backpack, tied around my waist, and put on again, without a wrinkle (It should be mandatory that all children's clothing are made of these fabrics). The jacket never looked worse for wear after being stuffed in a backpack all day long.

Summary: The jacket is not as well suited for water sports, as it is not waterproof, but it does dry quickly after getting wet. For enthusiasts in specific outdoor sports, it may not serve all of the needs, but for an overall multi-purpose jacket, there isn't another jacket that combines functionality and style as well. I would consider it one of the most critical and basic pieces to an adventure travel wardrobe. And for the pleasant $158.00 retail price, you get an informal outdoor and more formal indoor jacket all in one.

The suggested retail price is $158.

Tessa Matthews is a Contributing Editor for GearReview.com. Tessa specializes in fabrics and apparel. She currently works as Director of Human Resources for a fast-growing high-technology company, and has previous experience as a senior buyer for a chain of retail apparel stores.

For more information, contact:
Ex Officio
1419 Elliott Avenue West
Seattle, Washington 98119
206-283-1471
info@exofficio.com