Getting out whatever the weather with Blacks

I’ve lived in Swansea for 18 years now, and really can’t imagine living anywhere else.

We really have the best of all worlds here, with beautiful parks, stunning beaches and coastline and peaceful woods, there are so many places to explore and have a good, long walk.

This is Wales though, so we often have wet and windy weather to contend with when we head out for a breath of fresh air.

I try not to let that stop us, and keep in mind the quote that there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.

With the seasons changing I needed a good waterproof coat to keep me warm and dry on family walks and on the school run.  The lovely people at Blacks let me take a look at the women’s winter jackets that they have available, and I think I found my perfect coat to review.

I chose the women’s Evolve ii Triclimate 3-in-1 HyVent jacket from The North Face.

After putting it to the test on a very chilly morning at the beach I may have fallen in love with this jacket just a little bit.  My husband has had a very similar coat from The North Face for a while now, which he raves about, so I did have quite high expectations for mine.  I’m pleased to say that I’m definitely not disappointed.

This particular women’s North face jacket comes with an outer shell and a fleece liner.  You can wear each of those bits separately or you can zip the fleece in to the outer shell and wear them together as a lovely warm, waterproof jacket.

I really love the flexibility that this gives me.

The fleece itself is perfect in its simplicity.  The fit is just right and it’s really comfy to wear.  I love the high neck on it to keep me snug, and the zipped pockets are really handy for keeping my cash and keys safely tucked away.

The outer shell of the jacket comes with a hood that you can tuck away if you don’t need it, although I quite like having it out all the time.

The main jacket shell is made from DryVent fabric which blocks out rain while still being breathable so you don’t get too hot and clammy.  The way the jacket is designed with the high neck, adjustable cuffs and cinch cord hem means that it’s really effective at blocking out the wind too.

Along with the jacket, I was also asked to try out some lovely women’s walking trousers.

I chose some grey stretch trousers from Brasher which will go really nicely with the jacket for family outings.

I chose my trousers in size 12R and they fit pretty much perfectly.

I was a bit worried that they might not fit me because they didn’t feel like they had much give in them when I first picked them up. Once I had them on though I was really pleased to find that they do actually stretch quite a bit and are nice and flexible.

They have a water resistant finish which is great for when we go for family walks, but will also be super handy on the school run on rainy days.

The trousers also have a little zipped pocket on the back which would be handy if you need to carry some change or a door key and don’t want to take a bag out with you.  There’s also a nice webbing belt to help get the perfect fit.

To top off my all-weather-winter-ready outfit I’ve been wearing the gorgeously bright and colourful BBC Children in Need Countryfile ramble hat.

This hat is so snug and warm, and if you buy one you’ll be left with an extra warm feeling knowing that at least 50% of the proceeds will be going to support Children in Need.  Both the children had a turn trying it on and, I might be a bit biased here, it looks fab on both of them!

I think I’ll be claiming the Children in Need hat for myself though.

Yellow isn’t a colour that I wear all that often, but as it turns out I love it!  It adds such a lovely splash of colour when I’m wearing my black coat, perfect for brightening up dark winter days.

I’m a big believer in getting out in the colder months and not letting the rain or chill in the air stop us as a family from getting out to the beach or the woods.

All you really need is the right clothing and kit to keep you warm and dry.

You can find pretty much everything you need at Blacks, from women’s walking trousers to a whole range of jackets and coats.  Then just add a lovely warm bobble hat and get out there!

Disclaimer: The brands included in this post asked for my opinion on the products featured from their range. All thoughts and opinions are my own.