Topo Ranch Father Breen Jacket for men : Warm Up Western Style

Most folks may know the basic plot of the Donner party story -- a wagon-train of 87 pioneers with a case of "western fever" ended up bogged down in the desolate Sierra Nevada mountains in the winter of 1846. Things turned grizzly when their food supply ran out, and, well, they wound up eating their oxen and then each other before 48 survivors were rescued.

Few people, however, could tell you that one survivor, Edward Breen, came to own 20,000 acres in California that he called "Topo Ranch."   Five generations later, this is the name Alex Breen gave his sportswear company.

My Topo Ranch jacket, the Father Breen, is cool in a western-retro-meets-sporty-fleece sort of way. Let me explain. The upper body of the jacket is made of rugged corduroy with slanted zippered pockets on the chest-- that's the retro part. The rest of the jacket is made out of soft, form-fitting fleece with wide ribbed cuffs and waistband. The jacket's lining, smooth and soothing, sports a large illustration of a prairie dog with wings on the back panel -- another nod to the company's western roots.

When I first put on the jacket I wasn't quite sure if it was a thick, warm shirt or a light jacket. In fact, it's a winning combination of both. Unlike a lot of bulky fleece jackets I own, the Pops Breen is streamlined: more shirt than jacket in form and feel but not function. Though the temperature hovered in the 30's and 40's most of this month in New York City, I wore it outside virtually every day with just a long sleeve shirt underneath. I also leave it on when I'm indoors working at my desk in my nippy 64 degree F apartment. Not quite Donner party deprivation but rough enough for a semi-tough outdoor writer.

Bottom Line: Warm and stylish, featuring four pockets and available in three colors. Perfect for hiking on a cool day, visiting a rodeo, or as a mid-layer under a heavy coat if you're stranded for weeks in a snowstorm.--J.G. (Jan. 08)

Price: $158

Buy Online: www.toporanch.com

Manufacturer's Site: www.toporanch.com

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