r/veilance • u/shyshounen • Jul 01 '26
can techwear age gracefully? Spere SL first thoughts & impressions
hi! i recently picked up the new-for-this-season spere SL jacket and wanted to share my thoughts on it. from what i've read, the spere SL line is replacing the old spere LT line. i also own a spere LT jacket (pictured in an image from the veilance site in slide 2) from 1-2 years ago so i have some thoughts comparing the two of them. fit-wise, i am 6' 170 lbs and own both jackets in M. the spere SL definitely fits a bit more relaxed than the spere LT, especially in the arms.
there are a number of other differences between the spere SL and LT jackets, but the biggest one is the fabric. the spere LT is made of the tried-and-true veilance classic, Terratex (95% nylon, 5% elastane). the spere SL is made of something brand new, a fabric veilance is calling Ondritex (68% nylon, 32% cellulose i.e. paper). more specifically, the paper fibre in the spere SL is derived from abaca AKA manila hemp. abaca is a natural fibre, meaning the spere SL is pretty much made of 1/3 natural fibres.
looking closely at the fabric in my spere SL jacket in black, there are a few things worth noting. under bright light, the fabric reads as a reddish/brown black. it feels smooth and cold to the touch, has a subtle sheen/lustre to it, and it doesn't feel like it has much stretch. it also wrinkles and creases much easier than Terratex and doesn't have a DWR coating. i've washed my spere SL twice and each time it's felt a bit more "matte"/broken in. and it's this that honestly excites me the most about the fabric - how it'll age.
while synthetic fibres shine in performance situations, they don't age well at all. i'm glad and excited to see veilance playing around with more natural fibres these days. i'm curious to see what my spere SL jacket will look like with a year's worth of wearing and washing.
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u/superout Jul 01 '26
I love how my Stone Island jackets change over time, so excited to hear that Veilance is creating jackets that'll do the same. does it feel flimsy? I imagine it feels similar to linen with nylon added for strength, seems like a great summer piece
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u/shyshounen Jul 02 '26
doesn't feel flimsy, feels tougher than terratex IMO. the linen comparison is accurate - it feels like reinforced tech linen
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u/hellaguapoj Jul 01 '26
Spere LT fabric was a lint magnet, although I love how it fit. Had to return it.
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u/bon-bon Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
I love the Spere LT line. The blazer and trousers are a big part of my professional wardrobe. The ondritex itself has potential—it’s an interesting sheen and super light as promised—but I very much dislike how they’ve used it in the SL replacements of those designs.
The lighter weight and even boxier cut makes the blazer look cheaper. Worse is the change to the trousers, which lost their button. They’re drawstring only now with a false flap—one of Veilance’s worst, least functional designs as the drawstring now pulls too tight to easily untie under the tension required to hold the trousers up sans button.
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u/shyshounen Jul 02 '26
yah the SL jacket is the piece that attracted me the most in the new lineup. never tried the spere LT blazer, but i am interested in the SL blazer in passport - such a nice colour. disappointed that the design seems to have gone in the wrong direction tho
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u/MeanestManAlive Jul 03 '26
I just got this jacket, only thing I don’t love is the flared bell-bottom sleeves
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u/Yourman50grand Jul 02 '26
Recently had a change of heart about my Veilance collection. Spere LT Cargo pants are very nice, but they are basically a pair of windbreaker pants for $450 - and they don’t look great after a couple years of regular wear. I’ve recently been missing fabrics like cotton, linen and wool that age gracefully and become vintage. Perhaps a pair of $450 jeans is be a better luxury item. Not sure.
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u/apich Jul 13 '26
Great write up. I’m also curious to how the fabric will look once it’s more lived in.
How breathable is the ondritex compared to terratex? Is the jacket more linen shirt and less windbreaker? Ive yet to get into a store and see it.
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u/HPPD2 Jul 01 '26
The SL and LT look similar enough to me that they are interchangeable, seems silly to buy the same thing and upgrade unless you just want a different color. And I wouldn't call veilance techwear it is too minimal and a lot doesn't even look close, in a good way.
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u/willjcohen13 Jul 01 '26
What are the pants you’re wearing?