this is a heavy (and heavy-duty) vest. i know Dickies has a rep of being on the wimpy side of work clothes, but this is tougher than any cotton vest i have seen. it stands up to Texas wind in january and is warm enough by itself for the Texas winter. i am a slightly chunky medium, so i ordered large and it is large--almost too large. the upside of that is no restriction of movement. the stretch cotton collar is very comfortable, keeping the duck from scratching my neck. the vest has more pockets than i need, several are secure (zippers). the main slash pockets do NOT have zippers (and thus do NOT scratch my hands), are big enough to accommodate gloved hands, and are deep enough not to lose things you drop in temporarily (such as car keys). the main zipper is heavy-duty brass. if it is as strong as it looks, it will outlast the vest (i have not owned it long enough to know). this is machine wash and dry, but it will pretty much be the only thing in the load. this vest is one of those rare garments that is just a pleasure to wear.