Nau Down Shirt : For Men and Women

Nau's Down Shirt quickly won me over in a huge, huge way. Still, I should admit that when I first took it out of the package I was perplexed: What was this curious garment? A jacket? A long-sleeve shirt? Well, it's both, and it's neither.

First of all, it's a Nau product, so it's awesome by default. Nau makes some of the best designed apparel I've ever reviewed, and the Down Shirt is no exception. Call it a super warm shirt or a super light jacket - both are accurate.

Nau's Down Shirt contains some of the loftiest, lightest, and warmest down available (850 fill), all floating inside a completely eco-friendly nylon shell made out of 100% recycled polyester. I like the the button-down style; there's no added weight from a zipper. If you're a fast-and-light freak like me, this is a big bonus. Maybe a little wind gets in, but the weight savings is worth it, and the wind is irrelevant if you've got a shell on top.

I wore this sleek, sophisticated shirt out on a photo safari last week in the wilds of Rocky Mountain National Park. I got a little distracted by the gorgeous evening light, and quickly found myself at 12,000 feet at dusk. The temperature fell and I was about to get really cold but Nau's Down Shirt saved the day. Out it came and on it went. Problem solved. Then I basically ran four miles to my car, and was pleasantly surprised to find the jacket moving perfectly and in sync with my body.

This has got to be the best fitting insulating top I've ever worn. I'm not much of a style nut - I'd rather have an ugly garment that works instead of a spiffy looking one that doesn't - but the Down Shirt wins on all accounts. It fits absolutely perfectly, and I daresay I look good in it. Which isn't a bad thing at all.

I've been noticing lately that a lot of jackets are too big around the chest for me. As a result, the arms attach to the torso of the tops too far from my own armpits. So when I raise my arms during active sports, the whole jacket rides super high. Not so with the Nau Down Shirt. I was able to jump off rocks and sprint along the trail with complete freedom of motion. When a slight evening mist hit, I watched the water bead off thanks to a nice DWR water-repellant coating.

One thing I noticed is that the jacket isn't that puffy, but it's as warm as some of my loftiest down tops. I couldn't quite figure out why until I read about the Down Shirt on the Nau web site: they have varied the thickness of the baffles, so there's more down where I need it and less where I don't. Smart!

Then there are the small details that I need to rave about: I like that the Down Shirt has long sleeves and a long back to keep my wrists and rear warm. I also like the big internal stash pockets; they're perfect for maps or airplane tickets. I like the tall, button-up collar, which protects my neck from cold gusts. I also love the fact that this the Down Shirt looks so cool. I can wear it in any hipster hangout or high-end wine bar in the city and blend right in. ( Men's shirt on sale for $155.95 at Rock Creek. )

Finally, I like feeling good about wearing apparel from one of the most environmentally and socially progressive clothing manufacturers in the outdoor industry.

Nau's Down Shirt is available for men in four colors (black, blue, green, orange) and in sizes XS-XL. The women's Down Shirt is also available in four colors (black, purple, orange, green) in sizes XXS to L. Men's shirt currently on sale for $136.46 at Backcountry.

Bottom Line: Light, warm, and stylish - a true crossover between the high peaks and the wintery urban jungle.--N.W. (Oct '10)

BUY ONLINE : $195, shop at Backcountry. Free shipping at Moosejaw.

Manufacturer's Site : www.nau.com

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