Storm System

I first came across the Loro Piana Storm System fabrics a few years ago, picking up some chester coats from United Arrows. Although I wasn’t very well versed in the world of fabrics, they were 100% wool and I understood the concept of course; a wind -and rainproof fabric, protecting you from the elements while keeping it stylish.

When an opportunity presented itself last year, I saw myself returning to the storm system fabric, but with slightly more ambivalence than before. As so many sartorialists, passionate about natural fibres and fabric quality, whenever I see the words “treated” and “synthetic” my instincts kicks in. Well, honestly they shouldn’t.

As Okuno Takeshi of Ring Jacket mentioned in a conversation we had:

“Whenever people see nylon and synthetic fibres, many tend to associate it with cheaply made suit fabrics and less luxurious tailoring. That couldn’t be farther from the truth”.

Jumping topics a little here, but I lived the first half of my life in Scandinavia, close to the coast and our first priority when buying outerwear was “will this hold up when it’s windy, 1°C and raining sideways?”. Needless to say, having it ingrained since childhood the practical aspect of clothing is all but lost on me. While the need is not as significant now, owning some coats that can handle the brutal elements of nature isn’t such a bad idea. And it doesn’t hurt if these garments also are elegant with luxurious fibres either.

Enter, Loro Piana’s Storm System.

Cloth Properties

Loro Piana

• Cashmere 100%

• 510g

• Storm System®

I’ll get back to how this fabric wears and handles later on as it relates to the construction of the Storm System. But in the meantime, the cashmere touch is absolutely exquisite. Although there’s a lot of structure in the fabric, it has the soft touch one would expect of a cashmere cloth.

Visually, it should be pretty obvious why the main protagonist of this article had to make its way to my wardrobe. As I put it, back when first seeing it during the pre-season showcase: “this is the most perfect, beautiful brown I’ve ever seen”.

It simply hit the spot between lighter and darker brown so perfectly and I don’t think I’ve seen this particular brown tone in a coat before (except perhaps with herringbone). With this being a new coat model from Ring Jacket, the RJCO-22, I was also intrigued by the design details.

The Coat

The model is a belted, 4x2 double breasted Raglan coat with some incredible large lapels. Adding the double stitching along the lapels, this really gives a lasting impression.

I’ve seen similar models for women before, but on the mens’ side usually Raglan coats comes as a single breasted coat. You’ve probably seen all of the elements in this coat in other Raglan coats, but never, or at least seldom all at once.

I’ll admit, I did taper it slightly from its original shape, but it still has the relaxed fit intended for this model, which also is quite common for Raglan coats. Hitting that middle ground of a classic elevated coat when closed and a more laidback coat when worn open makes it even more of a treat to wear. And especially in the case of the latter, the large lapels and stitch details sort of holds it together visually, as in, the formality isn’t all lost.

Loro Piana Storm System®

In simple terms, the storm system is a technology developed to provide fabrics with natural fibres that are windproof and water resistant. Furthermore, done so without losing the comfort one would want from a winter coat. In other words, it’s like a sartorial version of performance tech wear.

How do they do it?

Loro Piana has spent a fair amount of time researching and testing, coming up with a multi-layer technology which combines treatments to the fibres of the outer layer, being cashmere or wool, in addition to treating the inside layer. Thus providing a windproof outer layer that is also water resistant and at the same time preserving breathability and moisture-wicking properties on the inside.

Does it work?

The short answer is yes!

I’ll address this part first by splitting my experience into two sections: my old coats and my new coat. In both cases it’s a phenomenal fabric. I still wear the old coats, although all but one will be sold because they don’t fit. What I would say is that the weight of the fabric on the old coats are far lighter, which makes them rather flimsy, thus not as sturdy in the wind. Secondly, those coats are lined with a mix lining, which is of course not preferable. Now, this isn’t an article addressing coat tailoring but fabric, so I’ll leave that as is and say that on Loro Piana’s part, they did a great job with the old version of the storm system.

As for the new coat, not only did they have my attention, they had a new aficionado.

First of all, the cashmere. Both in look and touch it’s soft, luxurious and no properties expected from cashmere is lost. You have to hold it or wear it to realise the difference.

Where it gets interesting is how it wears and feels. I’m not gonna lie, the expectation of a cashmere cloth would be a soft, light and flexible fabric, which with regards to the last two parts isn’t the case here. But, you’re not commissioning the storm system for it to be a traditional cashmere cloth. While choosing this cloth might be based on some compromises, the cloth in and of itself isn’t a compromise. You could look at it this way: you wouldn’t buy a tweed coat and complain that it’s not as soft as flannel.

On the other hand, what they have achieved here is quite remarkable, as although the cloth is sturdy, it’s incredibly comfortable to wear. It has a little more shape to it, but feels nice and drapes well.

The inner membrane really does as advertised. The biggest worry when seeing the inside is that you’ll feel insulated, like wrapped in plastic, when wearing it. That is not the case, not even the slightest and believe me, I’m a warm-blooded individual who would know.

It’s breathable, comfortable and to be honest, there really hasn’t been any particular thoughts as it pertains to this cloth compared to others when I’m wearing it.

It doesn’t hurt that the inner membrane of this particular cloth is in a brick orange colourway that looks really nice with the outer brown cashmere, not that you’ll see it.

Conclusion

Personally, I’m more than convinced of the remarkable properties of the storm system. It’s a great addition to any winter wardrobe line-up and a fabric that in a jacket or coat can function as your all weather go-to item. From the pictures you can tell that there’s nothing setting it apart visually, well, aside from being stunning that is, so it’s more than proper to be considered for your next coat, if you want or need a fabric that can fight the elements.

I have nothing but praise and I might be looking into adding another addition in this fabric.

Photos: My own.

Graphic: by Knot Standard via https://blog.knotstandard.com/loro-piana-storm-system/

I have not been paid, compensated or otherwise compelled to write this article.