Texas weather is difficult. It gets really hot, but whether it gets cold is up in the air. Last year, we had the mildest winter I can remember. This year, I got to experience running in 18º and strong winds. While I’m not particularly experienced with cold weather, the refrain I’ve always heard is that there’s no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing. I took this to heart and prepared well for the cold weather I had no idea was coming. This brings me to the Tracksmith Twilight review.
What makes Twilight different?
Where the Van Cortlandt singlet is a mesh fabric, the Twilight fabric is much more closely knit and weighs much less. It’s pretty soft, too.
Tracksmith calls this fabric their Bravio Blend. It’s Italian, and they say it’s designed for when the temperatures get warm. I’ll get to that in a second, but I will say that the Italians seem to know their stuff when it comes to this.
Singlet and a Long Sleeve?
Tracksmith has used this blend in clothing for more than just hot weather. They’ve done this before with the Van Cortlandt, Brighton, and Harrier lines too. I think the Twilight line actually works the best for this, though. Van Cortlandt works better for the singlet than the long sleeve. I think the Harrier works better as a long sleeve, although I love the tanks for casual wear in the summer. I only have the long sleeve version of the Brighton, so I can’t compare the two, but I do love the long sleeve.
In the summer, the Twilight tank is perfect for workouts. It works the way moisture-wicking clothing ought to – it gets it off your skin, but doesn’t get heavy or wet. That last part feels really unique to this fabric. This tank is my go-to for workouts during the summer. I’m so amazed that it holds up to a hard tempo run at 78º and 92º humidity and I don’t feel it sticking to me or anything awful like that. It never feels heavy or soggy, which is a blessing on long runs.
In the winter, I’ve found special use for the Twilight long sleeves. During our normal winter weather, it’s perfect for me. Still the same light weight, but since I prefer to wear long sleeves even when they’re not particularly called for, it’s the best option to keep me just a little bit warm and block whatever wind there might be. The women’s version also comes with thumbholes, which I find very valuable. I recently heard a running friend say that a long sleeve shirt wasn’t meant for running unless it’s got thumbholes. I don’t know that I can disagree.
During the worst of our winter weather, I layered the Brighton base layer underneath the Twilight long sleeve and felt that it was suitable for temperatures just under freezing. The Brighton kept me warm and the Twilight kept me from feeling the winds off the lake much at all. When it got into the teens with wind, I went ahead and put the Nor’easter jacket on over that, but I prefer to run warm, so others might not feel the extra layer necessary.
Overall
The Twilight tanks and long sleeves might be my absolute favorite running tops that Tracksmith makes. They work the best in the seasons we mostly experience here, and they work phenomenally as layers when we’re up against weather we’re not accustomed to down in Texas. I can’t think of a single complaint. Twilight tank or long sleeve, either one’s a worthy purchase.
