It's an distinctive piece that adds modern styling and function to a vintage design. I think this will be the first in a resurgent wave of combat smocks marketed in the States.
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Features:
Vertx gave the smock a full cut so it can be worn over a chest rig or a plate carrier. It's going to be a bit of a stretch to wear over full-on body armor, though. It's designed for layering and wear in a broad spectrum of environments. That's why it's only insulation is in the fleece lined hood and handwarmer pockets. Lined pit zips keep debris out and prevent you from sticking your arm through an open pitzip when donning the smock. There's adjusters at the waist and hem to keep out drafts, reenforced elbows, a removable hood, and big Canadian style buttons on the hand warmer pocket flaps and the hood attachment are functional but impart an old school look.
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Vertx says this is a go-bag you wear and I have to agree after counting 10 pockets. There's large shoulder pockets that can swallow a small notebook, big chest pockets, hand warmer pockets, dump pouch-style pockets in the rear, covered mag sleeves and even more mag sleeves inside 4 of the pockets to keep rifle mags upright and ready to go.
There's a little genius in the outer mag pockets. They are made with a pleat that catches the feed lips of a 5.56 mag and holds keeps it from sliding all the way down into the pocket. About a half-inch from the floor plate of the mag is left exposed and easily grabbed. A larger, taller mag, like a G36 slides past the 5.56 pleat so its floor plate is at roughly the same height as the 5.56 mag in the pocket.
Construction and material:
Back in the day, smocks were made of cotton or nylon-cotton blends, but the Vertx smock is a completely updated technical hard-faced soft-shell. Outside, the tough 5.5oz nylon faced fabric uses a tight, windproof ripstop weave. The smock isn't a waterproof hardshell, so the seams aren't taped, but it is coated with Scholler Nanosphere for water repellency. Inside, there's a wicking knit backer so sweat can migrate through to the face fabric where it can evaporate.
Styling:
The Smock is going to appeal to the military and hunting markets thanks to its cut, function and environmental versatility. The only ding I can make against it is the billowing cut in the forearms. Vertx says they are cut wide to allow ventilation when worn uncuffed. Indeed, the large forearm pattern make the sleeves easier to roll up. But, unless you're Travis Bickle, the sleeves have a lot of excess material for day-to-day wear.
Our Take:
The jacket has an iconic appearance for the American market; and an equally iconic retail price tag. As a uniform item, the Smock is available for pre-order on GSA through Provengo for $313 in MultiCam, only.
It's going to hit retail for $500 around Christmas. Now, I'm no neck-stepper, so with that steep of a pricetag, I'd like to see a solid shade so I have the option of wearing the smock around town without looking like a tactical douchebag. But, for its intended use on the battlefield, it makes absolute sense to put it out in MultiCam.
I hope that $500 price will drop, though I doubt it will since Vertx tells me they're going make a modest run for the US market. They are anticipating a larger demand in Europe where smocks are more popular. If your unit is buying them, or you can swallow the retail price tag, the Vertx smock will likely become your go-to garment for gear laden pursuits.
