Columbia Men's Big & Tall Cathedral Peak II Fleece Vest

Ok vest. It looks nice but a bit snug in the chest area.

I'm a long time fan of Columbia sporting goods items and this vest was no disappointment. I was surprised that I was delivered a vest marked as LARGE/TALL and was worried it would hang down to my legs, but it fits pretty well. I'm not a small guy. I'd rather the Columbia logo wasn't in bright white, but that's not that big a deal. It's not lined, but I wasn't looking for anything too warm, or with sleeves. Somehow we didn't get a winter here in the San Diego badlands, but once in a while I'll go out before dawn to pick up bagels and it's nice to have an extra layer. This is ideal. The zipper seems a little flimsy, but I'm hoping it'll last as long as the other Columbia items I've bought over the years. It has two zippered pockets on the side seams. They're unfinished on the interior, which is a little sloppy looking. I guess I expected this to be slightly more finished and the front zipper to be of better quality for the price, which was about twice what I wanted to pay. Oh well.

I have a Columbia vest and knew my husband would like it. It is true to size. He wears it instead of a coat all the time.

I was skeptical about how this vest would fit but I determined my size (XLT) from the size chart and it fits perfectly. I'm 6'2 270 lbs.I expect to get good use out of the vest. I expect it to be warm and comfortable. It's very light weight. (The nice thing about polyester fabrics is they provide warmth and protection without lots of weight.) It has only 2 zip up pockets at either hip. I was surprised by how thick and soft the feel of it is. It's 100% polyester. I do hope it will develop a more broken in character and be less stiff and polyester-y to the touch.I have attached photos of the tag it came with, for those who may wonder.

My husband loves this. Because of an illness, this former elite athlete now has a big pot belly (acites.) I got him a larger size than usual and it is super attractive. It's long and loose. It also has pockets deep enough to securely hold a cell phone. It's very comfortable and warm. He loves that it is fit for an old geezer.

I'm 6'-0" and weigh 250+/-, ordered 2XT. It's a little loose and covers some of my derriere. That's good and I love the "feel". Just ordered another in "green". These replace an old LLB 1XT which has seen better days, is a couple of inches shorter, is thinner material and doesn't have near the same "feel" (out of fairness to LLB, I may have gained a stone or so since I bought it).Updated 07/10/21: It has held up well, even though we've washed it and machine dried it many times - and there may be an additional half stone on this bod. Decided to retire it and buy a new one for our fall trip. Five years of heavy use ain't bad!

Let me preface this review with the unpopular detail that I am a permit to carry person. I wear vests as a cover garment. I am 5'7" and 270lbs, I'm a short fat guy. This 3XL Big fits just great as a daily vest for non-carrying days (yes there are some) but when I am carrying it's too tight.So, this is a great vest for big people who don't have a batman style utility belt of gear. If you do, buy another brand or a 4XL Big.

Given as a gift and she loves it. Columbia is a good company.