Gilet or Jacket? Choosing Between the Torr and the Arkle
Two wool pieces, one fabric, one question: which first. The Torr Wool Gilet at £185 and the Arkle Wool Jacket at £240 are both cut from our own Tech Wool and both built to sit over a flannel. They do different jobs, and the honest answer depends on how you spend your days.
The short version. The gilet is core warmth with free arms, the piece that works more months of the year. The jacket is full cover, the piece for the coldest months and the one that finishes an outfit on its own. Start with how cold you actually run and how much you move.
The Torr and the Arkle, Plainly
| Torr Wool Gilet, £185 | Arkle Wool Jacket, £240 | |
|---|---|---|
| The job | Core warmth, arms free | Full warmth, wind off the back and arms |
| Months of wear | September to May, and cool summer mornings | October to April as the outer layer |
| Movement | Unrestricted: rowing, casting, carrying, working | Raglan sleeves, cut to move, more cover |
| Over a flannel | Yes, that is the whole idea | Yes, with room for the gilet between |
| Colours | Peat, Heather Green | Peat |
Choose the Torr If You Run Warm and Keep Moving
The gilet is for the man who overheats in a jacket ten minutes into a walk. It holds the warmth where it matters and lets the arms breathe. Rowing, casting, carrying feed, loading the car, walking the dog at a pace: arms free wins.
It is also the longer season. Over a flannel from September, over a tee on cool summer mornings, under a coat in January. More days of wear per pound than anything else in the range.
In Peat and Heather Green. Both work with every flannel we make.
Choose the Arkle If You Feel the Cold and Want One Answer
The jacket is for the man who wants to put one thing on and be done. Full cover, collar up against the wind, pockets for everything. It is the outer layer from October to April and the piece that reads as finished anywhere: the street, the station, the table.
On the coldest days the two work together. Flannel, gilet, Arkle over the top. Every piece earns its place and nothing is wasted.
Common Questions
Should I buy a gilet or a jacket first?
Buy for the months you are actually outside. If most of your outdoor time is September to November and March to May, the gilet covers more of it. If your coldest months are your most outdoor months, the jacket first.
Can the Torr Gilet be worn under the Arkle?
Yes. They were cut to work together: flannel, gilet, jacket. That combination covers the coldest days of the year without a single technical layer.
Do the Torr and Arkle use the same fabric?
Yes. Both are made from Tech Wool, our own blend, developed over two years. Mostly wool, with synthetic fibres added for durability and shape retention.
Bought once. Worn often.
Shop the Torr Wool Gilet, £185
Shop the Arkle Wool Jacket, £240