Optiwear

I wear my wartime coat in the wind and sleet

The traditional US Army issue "fishtail" parka came to serve the purpose of shielding a white sport jacket from grease and bugs, but wind and sleet? On a speeding scooter? Okay, maybe sleet comes in chunks of water big enough to not get into the fabric where raindrop shaped water has no trouble penetrating. Riding home totally soaked in one of those things always made me feel extra sorry for the soldiers. These days we have Gore-Tex. It's more than space-age textiles that turn outerwear into opti-wear, though. It's pockets designed to distribute every tricky accoutrement at the ready. For example, the Sanyo Multi-Function Pocket System has a special pocket for Palm devices lined with static shielded material as well as a cell phone pocket lined with anti-magnetic material. Last year Land's End put out a Gore-Tex trenchcoat with similar features but I can't find it anymore. Their city wear tends to get buried. Their lightweight raincoat that stores away in its own pocket is still a standby, suitable for keeping under your seat.