Farmer input drives improvements to Line 7’s wet weather range
It’s soon evident after talking with Daniel Clark, Line 7’s Brand Manager, that Line 7’s range of new wet weather gear has been carefully considered by designers along with being thoroughly tested in the field by farmers.
Emphasising the importance of practicality and comfort with the new range, Daniel says, for example, the bib trousers were re-designed. With clips formerly used to attach the straps, after speaking with farmers, the Line 7 team recognised that the straps often popped open as the farmer leaned over cattle yards, leaving him or her scrabbling to pull them back up again! The new range now uses Velcro straps. “With that area of the bib not getting too dirty, a long easily adjustable Velcro strap removes the bulk of the clips as well as improving adjustability,” says Daniel.
A clever change to the design of the trousers in the wet weather range is removing the zip or domes used to adjust the leg length and replacing with a clasp as Daniel explains. “Formerly the trousers and bib overtrousers used a dome or zip at the bottom of the leg to adjust the length and to help create a tight seal around the boot. These mechanisms though, weren’t practical as mud would soon render them unable do their job. The clasp, however, will work regardless of the conditions and is placed higher up the leg so if you’re shorter, you can adjust the leg length to suit.”
Daniel says the discussions with farmers on wet weather gear and its functionality has allowed the Line 7 team to come up with solutions they otherwise wouldn’t have. Fabric choice was another innovation thanks to listening to farmers. While a lot of fabrics are durable, they can also be heavy for the wearer when they take on water. So, while the wearer may not get wet, Daniel says, the moisture adds to the weight of the fabric and makes moving around hard work. The new Line 7 range uses technical fabrics that are durable but will not add extra weight. “One of the main considerations for the range was intelligent fabric choice. This led us to develop a three-layered fabric manufactured to allow breathability, while not adding weight as the traditional two-layered fabric does.”
For durability, the weak points of the garments have been reinforced as Daniel explains. “A gusset has been added to the crouch and triple stitched into place as this area is often put under pressure with hopping on and off bikes for example. Plus, articulation has been added to the knees to provide additional support in an area which sees constant movement.”
Having been testing the protypes in the field since last May, Daniel and the team are confident the new garments and fabrics have been built to industry standard and will meet the tough conditions found on-farm.
To view and purchase from Line 7’s new range of wet weather gear, head online here and choose from the convenience of delivery or click n collect.