Gear Review: Columbia Sportswear Heather Honey Dress

A cloudy, but beautiful day on the St. Lawrence
with the Heather Honey Dress.

One of the best things about autumn is the chance to wear all of those cozy hooded sweatshirts that have stayed packed away through the warmer months. Sadly, it also means packing away summer dresses. Why can't we have the best of both worlds? With Columbia's Heather Honey Dress, we can.

I bought the Heather Honey Dress from REI as soon as I saw it. I couldn't imagine much better than one of my favorite pieces of casual clothing transformed into a stylish, slightly sassy, yet still comfortable dress.

The cotton polyester jersey fabric is wonderfully soft and the contrast stitching gives the dress just enough panache. The drop waist and giant drawstring hood give the dress a beautiful silhouette, something no plain hoodie could provide. The size of the hood also means it stays on your head, something I've found isn't always the case.

The first time I slipped it on, I didn't want to take it off. I could've slept in it. It's warm, but not too warm thanks to Columbia's Omni-Wick® advanced evaporation technology. It was around 60ºF outside the first time I wore it and I was perfectly comfortable. It's also easy to wear with tights and boots as the temperatures continue to drop. The Heather Honey Dress is designed with a set of deep, soft pockets and I'm beginning to believe that dresses without pockets simply shouldn't exist.

After spending six hours stuffed in my suitcase, the dress was ready to wear and mostly wrinkle-free. I chose the dress in Coal, but it's also available in Elderberry and Surplus Green, depending on your preference. It's a great piece for everything from running around town to standing around a campfire. At 36" in length, it hits me just above the knee. I wore it out to breakfast in the Thousand Islands, to the grocery store in Philadelphia, and expect to take it car camping with me at the beginning of November.

My only complaint is the size and length of the sleeves, which is something I generally have trouble with in clothing. I'm 5'8" with long arms, and the sleeves are just a touch short and a bit snug. Columbia's size chart lists the usual measurements, but no sleeve length. The medium fits me in every other possible way, but I'd love for the sleeves to be a bit longer and a bit more stretchy. My normal solution to the too-short-sleeves problem is to push the sleeves up midway along my forearms, but the cuffs don't give quite enough to make that easy. Other than that, the dress fits true to size for me.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend Columbia's Heather Honey Dress for any outdoorsy ladies looking for the perfect combination of style and comfort. It's a great value for the price and incredibly versatile.

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