In February, I wrote an article entitled, "Suitable Attire for the Genealogist." It describes the outerwear available from Scott eVest. I wrote:
Getting dressed for a trip to the local courthouse, library, or archives? How about getting dressed for an airline trip? You will want to have several high-tech devices with you, right?
Let's see. There is the laptop, the PDA, the digital camera (for taking high-resolution pictures of documents) and perhaps even a pocket scanner. If you are a photography buff, you may want to take lenses, a tripod, a remote flash, and other doodads. Don't forget the cell phone; you never know when you might need to make or receive a call. You may also want to add a "low tech" item or two, such as a water bottle. For an airline trip, you might want to carry a magazine or a good book for reading. An iPod music player with earphones helps make the trip shorter as you listen to music.
Of course, you can stuff all this into a briefcase or book bag, but what about when you are "in the stacks?" Carrying a briefcase with you every moment is awkward, to say the least. Of course, if you leave the briefcase with all the high-tech goodies back in the reading room, you will have some security concerns. More than one laptop has "walked out" of a library without the owner's permission!
Cheer up! There is a solution for you.
In the remainder of the article (at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/02/suitable_attire.html), I described a line of clothing designed to carry these devices without looking like an electrician's toolbelt. I must admit that I am a fan of the Scott eVest clothing; I bought a winter jacket before writing that article and have since purchased a lightweight jacket and a shirt from the same company. I love these products and use them a lot when traveling.
One problem: the company only made men's clothing, even though the apparel did look a bit gender-neutral. I know of two ladies who subscribe to this newsletter who did buy the jackets. Both are very enthusiastic about their eVests and report that they wear them often, both on genealogy library visits and on airline trips.
Now Scott eVest has released a lady's line of clothing, and Judie Lipsett from Gear Diary provides an exclusive first look at the new line-up. In fact, you can see pictures of Judie modeling the new vest on her blog at http://www.geardiary.com/2007/09/01/a-first-look-at-the-new-sev-womens-line/.
