Mechanism Deep Winter Bibs

A three-layer fabric is a sandwich and the performance depends on all three parts. The face takes abrasion and holds the DWR. The Windtex Pro membrane blocks wind and resists water while passing vapour. The brushed grid fleece backer protects the membrane from the inside and traps a layer of still air against the skin.

The grid is structural rather than decorative: it concentrates the pile into channels so moisture can move along the surface when sweat production exceeds the membrane's transmission rate. The DWR does one job — it keeps the face fabric from soaking, because a soaked face blocks the vapour path out of the membrane.

Composition is published as 71 per cent polyamide and 29 per cent elastane at the face, with a 92 per cent polyester and 8 per cent elastane backer. Pas Normal Studios rates the garment 6 of 6 for insulation and 5 of 6 for wind protection; the missing point is what allows it to breathe at all. The chamois is a four-layer ultralight foam.