My daughter, Little Miss Outdoors, used to be so cute and dinky. Children’s outdoor clothing suited her beautifully and she loved all the bright colours. Then she grew! Now, aged 14, she is almost as tall as me (5ft9in) and still very slight. She is too tall for the children’s outdoors range and in any case she frowns at the kids-style designs. She wants grown-up clothing but in small sizes. Thanks goodness then for Regatta’s size UK8 women’s outdoors clothes.
On test: Regatta Erika softshell jacket
Practical and good looking. Little Miss no longer desires bright colours. As a teenager black is cool. Yet plain black is "too grungy”. She wants black with a subtle twist. She said “this jacket is good because it is black but with nice silvery spider webby design. The yellow and pink zips are ok, too. Quite cool actually.”
The fit is good, too. While Little Miss is slim she is tall and long-limbed. The jacket has a lovely female shape to it and gives a flattering look.
On the practical side, as her mum, I’m happy to see lots of useful features in the Regatta Erika softshell jacket: Regatta says: “Wind resistant membrane technology and showerproof properties, making it ideal for the unpredictable British weather.”
In addition:
o Inner zip guard
o Adjustable cuffs (I say: great for skinny teenage wrists)
o Reflective trim (I say: great for safety)
o Wind resistant (I say: Teenagers get cold.)
o Atl durable water repellent finish (I say: teenagers don’t like to get wet. They moan a lot and this is annoying for parents.)
o 2 zipped lower and 1 zipped chest pocket
o Lightweight jersey backed.
o Softshell fabric
o Adjustable shockcord hem
o Comes in white, too.
Little Miss’s pal Little L also tried the jacket. She had arrived in usual teenage mode with only the clothes she’d worn to school yet I then sent the pair off to the shops to buy our evening meal. The weather was changeable (from sun to rain t sun). Little L, who is shorter but still as teenage slim, wore the Regatta Erika jacket.
Little L says: “Cool jacket. You always have so many spare outdoors clothes in this house! I like the design and it fits nicely. It doesn’t feel too heavy and it was great when it started to rain a bit.”
Both girls thought it would be the sort of jacket they would “wear when doing outdoors stuff with our parents”. They frowned only a little.
On test: Regatta Hanna waterproof jacket
The sporty look was appreciated by Little Miss. She commented: “Waterproof jackets can be so boring. I prefer black but I don’t want plain black and I don’t want the jacket to look like a big balloon. This one actually looks good because it has a wee bit of a flowery colour design on the shoulder and it fits well.”
The Regatta Hanna waterproof jacket is also made from waterproof and breathable Isotex 5000 fabric so while it was appreciated by a fussy and fashionable teenager it also has a practical side!
Other features include:
o Mesh lined
o Adjustable shockcord hem
o Taped seams
o Adjustable cuffs
o Map pocket
o Waterproof and breathable Isotex 5000 coated polyester fabric
o 2 zipped lower pockets
o Concealed hood with adjuster
o Also comes in white (perhaps not so good for mucky teenagers) and Virtual Pink.
Again, Little Miss wouldn’t be seen wearing this jacket out with her pals (perhaps to school at a push) but for walking and cycling with me, her outdoorsy mum, she has been very happy to oblige. For a long, skinny teenager the fit is good and there is room for her to grow outwards and a little upwards. On a wet day of cycling, the jacket kept her warm and dry and the hood was very useful when we walked the dog in the rain (pretty much every weeekend!)
If your teenage girls turn their nose up at children’s outdoors clothing but are still happy to join you for walking and cycling outings, the Regatta women’s size UK8 clothes could be the answer.
