Written by: XEONIQ [ Instagram | Tumblr ]
Contents
1. Introduction
The Alk Phenix Umbrella Coat is an above-the-knee rain shell with an unconventional silhouette and novel functionality. Made in a 3-Layer membrane from Breathatec® the coat is waterproof and features a hidden hood, numerous pockets and most of the additional features you’d want for an urban technical jacket. I’ve been wearing this coat the past few weeks on commutes in over a half dozen heavy tropical storms to test it’s performance, functionality and comfort.
Despite numerous brands now competing in the techwear sphere, I feel there are very few that manage a truly urban take on every day lifewear: that is clothes made for commuting, work, and leisure. The majority of techwear manufacturers who have thrived, have instead embraced a more streetwear-focused mindset; one where technical materials, hardware and design features become visual gimmicks are neither developed nor applied for a specific use case. Alk Phenix was one of the few exceptions, in my mind. It was a brand that lacked pretentiousness, that had access to high quality technical materials and the resources to assemble them correctly via their main brand Phenix, and was made for a “lifestyle” user who valued industry-leading technology and features in the urban clothing. The brand’s first video lookbook, below, showcased this perfectly in my mind and I had always had an interest to try the brand out specifically because of this refreshing use of marketing.
While staying in Tokyo for a few months in 2018 I was able to visit several Alk Phenix stockists to handle some of their pieces. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with the various jackets, shirts and pants I handled and tried on. The items were a lot more branded than they appeared on photos, with large reflective logos placed in multiple points on each garment. The clothes themselves were marketed to be very lightweight, with a DWR coating for some weather resistance. However, the cost of that weight reduction, beyond the significant RRP, was that each garment felt extremely flimsy to me, even the outers. I felt this was comparable to Uniqlo Airism levels of thinness, and for pants and jackets, that meant that the clothes draped in an unflattering manner on the body. Despite wanting to try out a full outfit from Alk Phenix to wear in Tokyo during my stay, I could not justify it for the quality on handling.
Fast forward a couple years, and Alk Phenix’s current (and what I’ve now learned was the last) collection featured a 3-Layer membrane outer; not just an outer but a longer coat. I prefer longer jackets and coats these days as they provide much better weather coverage and I like the aesthetic more than your typical A-line shell. I purchased the Umbrella Coat, a pair of garment-dyed Shu Pants and some accessories. This review will only cover the Umbrella Coat.
The Umbrella Coat retails at ￥73,700 ($USD675) and can be found on a number of Japanese and foreign online retailers (TOKYOLIFE | SUPPLIES&CO).
1.1 Daisuke Kamide and the sale of the Phenix/Alk Phenix Brands
At the end of December, 2020 Phenix ceased operations and it’s brands, including Alk Phenix, were sold to Shiffon Co. Ltd (license holders for C-Diem, NUMBER (N)INE and numerous other brands in Japan). All Alk Phenix products remaining were liquidated on their online store. I personally am doubtful that there will be any new Alk Phenix releases in the future, but it is possible and Phenix itself has a number of dark, minimalist performance jackets and coats in materials such as GORE-TEX® INFINIUM that many techwear fans would most likely find interesting.
Alk Phenix was directed by Daisuke Kamide, who has his own brand TEÄTORA which itself has a very functional approach to work wear. If Alk Phenix was a brand dedicated to light activity and commuting outside in urban environments, TEÄTORA is more focused on officewear for creatives and travel-appropriate garments for sitting long hours in a plane or subway. Fans of Veilance who want a more casual and comfortable take on functional officewear may want to check TEÄTORA out.
2. Performance Specifications
Alk Phenix offers the following performance claims and features for the Umbrella Coat:
- Breathatec® 3-Layer membrane: water-proof and vapour permeable
- Twin 2-Way YKK Zippers to allow wearing the coat in a number of styles
- Built-in “umbrella” system with multiple pockets on the back of front body – allows you to access your carry without getting it wet by opening the zipper from below
- Hidden flap pocket in centre front collar
- Zipper mesh hand pockets with ventilation function
- Hidden hood with hook and loop fastening
- PU watch window on the left sleeve with touch panel comparability for smart watches
- Reflective graphics on sleeve, back and front collar for visibility
- Cord adjustment at back hem
3. Design Features
The Alk Phenix Umbrella Coat is a full featured technical shell with over half a dozen stand out aspects that I feel are worth discussing. By examining what a piece does right (and wrong) for our particular use case, we may also gain insight into what functions and features we might actually need as individuals in our daily lifestyles and various other contexts.
Firstly, Breathatec® is a 3-Layer PU membrane with a DWR-coated 100% Nylon face fabric. Both the textile name and its manufacturer claims suggest a higher breathability than your typical 3-L membrane, but in real world testing I find it no more or less breathable than any modern membrane textile. In relative terms, it is certainly thinner and less insulating than the ancient GORE-TEX® XCR membrane that is used in my Nike ACG shell, but I don’t feel that the Breathatec® performs any better than the modern membranes used in my 3-L GORE-TEX® Prada shell or LE-3MC cotton membrane in my ROSEN-X Aeon Jacket. As a 3-L membrane with DWR-coating, Breathatec® is 100% waterproof and, in my opinion, overkill for the average person commuting in the rain in urban environments. I experienced no leak-through whatsoever in multiple torrential rain storms that I tested the Umbrella Coat in. If you’re spending less than 20 minutes out in the rain at a time, a more comfortable, less rigid material will serve you just as well. If you are however out in severe storms for extended amounts of time as I am, the Umbrella Coat will repel anything you can throw at it.
The large hood on the coat folds into the collar using a hook and loop-secured envelope system. I’ve had issues with similar hood-collar storage designs before, but it is well-implemented here. The hood folds relatively easily into the collar when needed and can be pulled out of the collar much faster than zipper-secured hidden hood collar designs.
I have a strong dislike for visible logos on garments and the previous implementations on older Alk Phenix garments were too loud for my tastes. However, I’m a fan of the newer implementation of the reflective details used in the Alk Phenix Umbrella Coat. They provide a futuristic visual design feature to break up the all black design, incorporate the company’s branding (twin unequal horizontal parallel lines and the Alk Phenix monogram) and serve as a visibility and safety feature for urban commuters. If so desired these could be blacked out with a permanent marker, where they would still brightly reflect light but present as a much darker charcoal colour otherwise.
The PVC clear wristwatch window on the Umbrella Coat works well. While most sports or smart watchers are waterproof and have no issue in a rain storm, with rigid membrane textiles, it can be inconvenient to pull a sleeve up to check the time. I know I had that issue with the sleeves on the Nameless DNG0 and on my Nike ACG GORE-TEX® XCR shell. Alk Phenix claims that this PVC material also will work with smart touch screen watches. As I prefer simpler but more robust Casio G-Shocks, I don’t have a smart watch to test this on, however I was able to use my phone screen through the clear window without an issue. As far as gimmicks goes, this one works reasonably well.
The primary gadget-like performance feature and selling point of this Alk Phenix coat is the “umbrella” storage and access system. The entire front panel, which is removable, is loaded with pockets of different sizes: two zipper closure pockets, one snap/tab pull pocket and a front pouch which is unique in that it’s accessible from the front using a hidden flap system. My relatively large 6.66″ phone fits easily with room to spare in the main pocket with vertical entry. I tend to use this one the most, as I can unzip the coat from the right side bottom up and retrieve the phone there without needing to open the coat right up completely. This was the intended functionality of the Umbrella Coat, where the user could access their carry during a storm under the boxy wide silhouette without letting water in. With so much storage in this panel, I can keep a spare set of cheap earphones and a backup USB cable in it at all times. When shooting in the rain, I stored my camera flash in one of the pockets, and I found storing a phone in this system convenient as well. The functions in this area should satisfy most gadget fans and they do work well as intended.
4. Issues and Concerns
There are a small number of minor concerns and also frustrating issues that I have with the Alk Phenix Umbrella Coat.
4.1 Lack of Cord Adjustment on the Hood
While there is a next-to-useless cord adjustment on the hem of the coat, there is no adjustment at all for the hood on the Umbrella Coat. This is the biggest performance related issue I have with the coat. It is not an issue on days with just light rainfall and mild winds, as the rigidity of the Breathatec® 3-Layer membrane will hold the rather large hood upright. The hood size is very large as can be seen, which could accommodate small helmets or headwear, but because of that size and the lack of cord adjustment to tighten the hood to your head, when winds pick up, the hood will be pulled back off your head unless you keep a hand on the folded brim. I find this quite annoying as one of the best parts of having a waterproof shell, is not needing to hold an umbrella for rain protection and being able to enjoy both hands free.
As Phenix was a outdoor-oriented performance brand, I find this oversight less forgivable than when more fashion-oriented brands such as Uniqlo or Prada do this. The hem adjustment really does nothing but curl the back of the coat up. Why it was not implemented on the hood I don’t know. Even if it could have been located around the waist to control the boxy silhouette somewhat, that would have been a somewhat useful feature for some users. As it stands, I can’t imagine anyone using the hem-adjustment while many Umbrella Coat owners will be annoyed at their hoods not staying in place during a windy storm.
4.2 Felt-like Polyester Lining on Collar and Cuffs is Insulating and Collects Dust/Pills
For whatever reason the Umbrella Coat has polyester felt-like lining on the inside of the collar and inner cuff sleeves. While it is softer than the inner polyester tricot material used in the Breathatec® membrane, I don’t find the 3-L textile to be uncomfortable against bare skin at all. The issues with the use of this felt-like lining is that it insulates the back of your neck and wrists/forearms, and, unfortunately collects dust and hairs very easily. I found this addition to be pointless and in my warmer climate, it made the coat slightly less comfortable to wear. Further, in other garments that have this feature, I know that over time this felt-like polyester will pill and become quite unattractive over time. In the few weeks I’ve been testing this coat, it has already started to pill on the collar. On my other jackets and coats that have this kind of feature, it is always removable for spring summer wear, so it is unfortunate that in this case the Umbrella Coat’s collar and cuff lining is permanently affixed.
4.3 Comfort and Fit Issues with the Collar
The front collar of the Alk Phenix Umbrella Coat is very well designed for when the coat is completely zipped up. It has zipper guards that run down each side of the umbrella panel and the collar stays upright despite its relatively high height during all manner of activities. However, if either of the two main zippers is opened an inch or more down, the rigid material and the twin zipper opening design force the collar to curl in on itself and towards the wearer. If you have a bag on, you can open the coat more and pin the flapping panel exposed using the bag’s sternum strap. However, I worry that this method might cause damage over time to the membrane material if there is too much abrasion or wear from folding the rigid textile in this way.
When the coat is full opened, this issue is resolved as the front panels will overlap, the longer of the panels hanging 6+ inches lower. I find the Umbrella Coat wearable fully zipped up or fully opened while walking, but not acceptably comfortable at all when partially open. A slightly wider collar would have alleviated this issue, in my opinion.
It should be noted that as the front umbrella panel is completely removable, you can zip the coat closed without it, resolving this issue. However, as I am quite broad in my chest, the coat is simply too slim to zip up for me without the centre panel.
4.4 Ventilation Issues
Like any membrane without adequate airflow, while doing physical activities, humid air will accumulate especially under the arms and around the chest. The two hand pockets in the Umbrella Coat were designed to provide ventilation when left open, as the pocket bags are made from an extremely lightweight mesh material. In practice these are positioned too low to adequately ventilate the coat. However, the boxy, flared design of the Umbrella Coat means that wind will go up and under the coat. What this means is that while you may find it humid and stuffy in the upper parts of the coat, your hands will get quite cold. The pocket bags are large enough to be able to put your hands in your pants pockets within the mesh bags for warmth.
The ventilation issues in this coat are frustrating as adding zippered openings under the arm pit and perhaps at the back and around the chest would have easily addressed this issue, and again, as Alk Phenix’s parent brand was an outdoor performance garment manufacturer, they should have known better. I don’t find the Umbrella Coat all that comfortable in 20C+ weather in the rain; which is a shame because I think the Breathatec® membrane is light and breathable enough for warmer weather if it was paired with a more thoughtful ventilation design.
This together with the lack of hood adjustment compromise the performance of an otherwise very well thought out rain shell.
5. Use Case and Styling
Ideally, I’d use this coat in cooler months in the rain. I have more comfortable non-membrane fashion coats for milder days, so the Alk Phenix Umbrella Coat would be reserved for heavy storms. In the relatively warm weather I tested the Umbrella Coat in (20C/68F) I found the coat’s material and lack of ventilation openings uncomfortably stuffy. I don’t personally care for the look of the extra long black nylon zipper pulls on the bottom zipper heads and will most likely be trimming these.
I purchased a pair of Alk Phenix Shu Pants to style with the Umbrella Coat, but found that the sheen on the outer’s Breathatec® material did not pair well with the matte finish on the over-dyed Nylon used in pants. I opted for a pair of rigid polyester, tapered Nike track pants that paired better visually. The coat is quite boxy and pants shouldn’t be too slim when styled with it.
Outfit Summary
- Alk Phenix Umbrella Coat
- Nike Yoga Tank
- Nike Track Pants (Modified)
- Nike ACG Air Mowabb
- Nike NSW Eugene Cheyenne 2000 Backpack
- Sony SMART B-Trainer
6. Summary
6.1 Pros
- Unique futuristic, fashion-forward design and silhouette that looks even better in motion
- 100% waterproof in urban contexts in 1-hour+ commutes in torrential storms
- Longer length provides greatly increased coverage and protection relative to a typical A-Line hip-length shell
- Inner front panel pocket system, watch window and other gadget-like features work surprisingly well
6.2 Cons
- Lack of cord adjustment in the hood means you will have to hold the hood down with a free hand in a windy storm
- Poor ventilation design results in a stuffy/humid upper body
- Uncomfortable/awkward collar when the coat is left partially open
- Miscellaneous small but frustrating design choices such as insulating collar and cuff lining that rapidly pills and pointless cord adjustment on the hem
6.3 Verdict
While not perfect, the futuristic and fashion-forward design of this 100% waterproof technical shell is a good alternative if you want a more dramatic look than your typical GORE-TEX® jacket from Arc’teryx or The North Face. The Alk Phenix Umbrella Coat’s gadget-like features and performance rival any of the more well-known techwear-marketed brands and at a competitive price. Keep in mind limitations such as a non-adjustable hood and ventilation design issues; this should not be considered a lightweight summer rain shell.
Ethical Statement: This product was purchased by myself with my own funds and is in no way endorsed or otherwise sponsored by the manufacturer (Alk Phenix).