A great looking, comfortable shirt suitable for your urban and outdoor adventures.

Updated button down in a lightweight, wrinkle-resistant performance fabric.

PROS

• Lightweight
• Wrinkle free
• Quick drying
• Odour resistant

CONS

• Very soft feeling fabric
• Looks a little too formal with the buttons/press studs hidden.

It’s been a dirty little secret if mine for some time really, although several close friends know about it. I’m not really a dirtbag style of climber, don’t get me wrong I’ve lived that life when I was younger but these days I’m not that type – a couple of days of bivvying and that’s about my limit.  I’m ready for the valley and some creature comforts.

Another not so dirty secret is that I love wearing shirts, I’m lucky enough to have a freelance style career that mixes professional work and climbing work, the best of both worlds really; so lifestyle wear is important as I can often be attending meetings, teaching and training as well as taking clients up multi pitch routes in the mountains. So I was immediately attracted to the Arc’teryx Skyline shirt, is it a shirt that would fit both in the conference room as well as on the mountain?

The Arc’teryx Skyline shirt is definitely smart casual in appearance, much different to say my Patagonia El Ray shirts which have a more casual appearance to them. The fit is North American slim, so a little more tailored than my usual choice of Patagonia. Not too tight though so you would fit in nicely in the office environment without looking too ‘Italian’. I’ve got a size Medium and it is just slightly tight across the shoulders, but that is not unusual in Medium sized shirts as my shoulders are a little broader than average due to the years of sport climbing at Kilnsey Crag. It wasn’t that restrictive though in all the situations I tested the shirt in.

The detailing is excellent, as you would imagine from a premium brand such as Arc’teryx with hidden pop stud fastenings, a modern collar design and a high stitch count; all the points that direct you to a high quality product as well as being very functional.  The Skyline shirt falls into the Lifestyle range but don’t think for one minute that’s it’s only suitable for formal office wear. I’ve used this shirt for hiking expeditions, cycling in the city centre; for days of writing and hanging out. I’ve even been climbing in it and it has performed perfectly in all these activities. There is also the Arc’teryx fossil printed on the top of the back by the collar – a nice statement that will enhance your outdoor credentials for those in the know as there are no other external decals, aprat from the tiny 24 stud on the pocket flap. A nice touch that worked recently when someone asked me where I’d got my Arc’teryx shirt from and we made an instant connection that started a great conversation.

The Diem material is a very soft feeling polyester fabric that took a little getting used to for me as I’m more used to wearing a more robust feeling fabric against the skin. But it did feel very comfortable, especially in the recent spell of hot weather we’ve been enjoying here in the UK. It is a very soft feeling fabric but it does wick away moisture really well and the fabric never felt sticky against the skin.

The Arc’teryx Skyline comes in a long and short sleeve version. There is a £15 difference between the two and I prefer the flexibility of the long sleeve version. You can always roll the sleeves up and it makes very little difference in compacting the shirt for travel. The wrinkle free nature of the material makes it great for travel. It can stay in the pack for a day or two and then hang it up for an hour or so and it’s good to go. If there are stubborn wrinkles than apply a little gentle heat and they will disappear easy enough. The quick drying nature of the material means that it is a breeze to wash and dry on the go. It’s one of the reasons I’m moving towards these types of shirt for work situations – no ironing! And that has to be a good thing, right? The material also seems to hold odour well too, the maximum number of days I could wear it without it smelling too badly was 4, after that it needed a quick wash and it was good to go again for another few days.

As I’ve already described earlier the styling is definitely on the formal side and I’ve been wearing the Skyline with my Karda jacket and the two work very well indeed for urban use. Other styling details include a functioning breast pocket with a press stud flap; big enough to pop a pen or a lightweight phone into if needed and makes the shirt look really nice. The fastening pop studs are hidden for the most with some bar tacked detail to show along the shirt front. I wasn’t too keen on that as I felt it made the shirt a little too formal (almost like a dress shirt) and I think the styling would be improved if the pop fasteners could be seen.

In conclusion, the Arc’teryx Skyline shirt is a great shirt for all active pursuits and smart casual wear. It works well both urban and outdoor adventures and particularly well for those that like to show their outdoor credentials in a subtle and stylish way – a perfect travel shirt. The colour range is a little muted with Black, Midnight Hawk (a sort of Steel Blue) and Roman Green (the brightest of the colours and the one I tested and liked the most) and they come in sizes S – XXL.

SRP £70:00

Available on the Arc’teryx website and from various stockists.

Dave Sarkar has tested and reviewed climbing, mountaineering and outdoor equipment for over 10 years. He works as a qualified MIA both in the UK and Internationally: working as a mountaineering instructor and expedition leader for his company Wild Spaces. When he isn’t working in the mountains he’s playing in the mountains and enjoys all aspects climbing and mountain sports whether bouldering at his local crag or ice climbing; as long as he’s going upwards he’s happy!