In reply to Sarah Stirling - UKC/UKH:
> ...like to hear if there are any more opinions on how windproof and waterproof NeoShell is
I find 'windproof' very hard to measure. It depends not just on how cold and strong the wind is, but what you're wearing underneath, and whether or not you're warm and moving, or cold and stationary, or somewhere in between. I think reviewers should include what else they were wearing when they tested the garment, and more precise indicators of the weather conditions.
And when does 'wind resistant' become 'windproof'? People bang on about the old Patagonia Mixmaster pants for winter conditions. I've worn them a lot, but on some occasions - say, -20C, wind 50km/h, moving slow at 4000m - I've felt the wind cut through them like a knife. But in easier conditions and when warmed up moving, they feel fine in the wind. I recently (January) wore Rab Vaporise trousers in Antarctica. The first time I got out of the plane in cold and windy conditions (-25C, 60km/h wind, 3000m ) I thought I might lose my nads. But once moving, as I warmed up, they were fine. In both cases I just had Polartec Powerstretch tights underneath. So are they windproof? Technically, by stats, no, and in some real-life use cases, no. But in general for most of their use, pretty much. Anything more 'windproof' and I would sweat too much. If a garment is not windproof, but you're wearing two baselayers and a fleece underneath, you may not feel any wind coming through the shell garment, so it feels windproof. If you're just wearing a thin synthetic baselayer under a Gore shell the wind pressing cold fabric against you make you feel vulnerable to the wind, so it won't feel windproof, even if the fabric is.
The other thing is fit. I read reviews saying 'the fit is good.' So what? Good for whom? Without either body measurements or general description of the tester's body size and shape, and what size garment they used, it's meaningless. Better yet, what sizes they take in other comparable garments. People rave about the fit of Patagonia garments, but I find them far too baggy around the waist and tight across the back and shoulders. Ditto with Rab, but at least Rab have longer arms.
Also, Polartec made a 'successful foray' into softshell long before 2010's PsPro - with Powershield, back in the 90s.