The Trilobite Rally jacket is made of abrasion-resistant Trilobitex that looks like waxed cotton.

Before disappearing in the mass extinction at the end of the Paleozoic era about 252 million years ago, trilobites were one of the most enduring early animals, thriving in the seas for more than 300 million years. Much credit for their survival goes to the arthropod?s tough exoskeleton, which resembles an articulated motorcycle back protector.

This flexible protective shell (and more than likely a few beers) was the inspiration for the name Trilobitex, a strong denim-like material at the heart of the Trilobite premium aramid apparel line. It includes jackets, shirts, gloves and men?s and women?s riding jeans, all designed in the Czech Republic and imported to the U.S. by Motonation.
Trilobite?s Rally jacket jumped off the catalog page at me thanks to its traditional but stylish waxed cotton and denim look. A technical touring jacket, the Rally?s outer materials include Trilobitex in the impact and abrasion areas, which is a laminate of Dyneema denim (said to have extremely high tensile strength), a Kevlar layer for abrasion and tearing resistance and a Tri-Tex waterproof membrane.

All told Trilobitex is far stronger and more abrasion resistant than Cordura nylon but looks like denim. The rest of the jacket features waxed cotton laminated with Kevlar and a Tri-Tex membrane for good looks, durability and waterproofness, and YKK zippers are used throughout.

The Tr...