Or so I thought. I ordered this Ventile Jacket feeling doubtful that when it landed I could justify the price. But once I tried it on, felt the quality of that Ventile fabric, the zips, the studs, the magnetic closures used and I just could not return the jacket.
It's that very rare and fine thing when you find something where the quality stands out but it does not shout about it.
From a performance perspective, it's not going to be as waterproof as a 20,000mm rated jacket, but this is a natural fabric that is naturally waterproof and that has to be admired. I have found that on a brisk walk when I wear a synthetic jacket I find myself unzipping them to cool down where as with this Ventile jacked it stays zipped up as you do not overheat, it breaths.
If you are even considering buying this jacket and you are sat on the fence.... jump off and buy one.

I love Ventile. None of the synthetic rubbish bag-like texture here. Not shiny. Always gets compliments.

I had been eyeballing this jacket for a couple of years waiting for the right moment to buy. Finally made my purchase and (as usual) I wasn't disappointed (I own 4 Frahm jackets). This is the perfect winter coat for me and the climes I typically experience and the fit and finish are great!

I've the 2022 version and after 2 years of wear, I can give an honest review.
This jacket is immense, its so well built that it really is a modern day coat of armour against the harsh British (Scottish rain and snow included) weather.
The jacket is exceptionally warm, especially when moving around in it and it repels water like noones business. The poppers, zips and material are solid.
I usually go for an XXL in jackets, but to allow more room in this tailored fit for layering in the colder weather, I had to up to XXXL
The orange colour is stunning, but I have to give a warning with the orange, you will see alot of dark marks, and washing this jacket isnt as simple as the instructions claim.

After only a handful of wears, I was unfortunate in that I had what appears to be a dirt mark on the shoulder picked up from somewhere. It would not remove with water alone so a detergent was required. I was careful and nervously managed to remove the marks but this also removed the water repellent coating and in the next rain a dark patch of orange was visible on the shoulder. I researched and tried to apply my own DWR (spray on type as opposed to the wash in as the patch was not big, but it was obvious to me) as per Ventiles instructions but it would not take to the material easy, even after a number of tries. I eventually went for a more aggressive DWR spray and this did the trick, but will require further treatments down the line. The orange is stunning, but as mentioned shows many marks and isnt easy to clean depending on the type of dirt, I would also be very hesitant to wash this jacket. I wouldn't change the orange colour, but if you're a person who has dogs or lives an active life where dirt is inevitable and you want your jacket to remain like new, I would consider a darker colour.

This is a great jacket. It's warm, it keeps me dry and it is ridiculously comfortable. It is the most expensive jacket I own but it was definitely worth it.