Outerwear 2020
Québécois cold or Coastal wet, what you wear on the outside is key to staying comfortable.
For cold weather
In the Alpha LIFALOFT Jacket and women’s Whitewall LIFALOFT Jacket Helly Hansen borrowed the breathable technology it developed for mid-layers and stuffed it into a resort-inspired shell. Thinner and lighter than synthetic insulation and more breathable than down, LIFALOFT won’t leave you sweating on a bootpack and is plenty warm for vortex days. From $630; hellyhansen.com
For stormy weather
Arc’teryx improved its women’s Sentinel AR and men’s Sabre AR jacket and pant to better weather temperature swings and fierce storms. Gore-Tex blocks wind and rain, and a soft lining adds just a touch of insulation for blustery chair rides. Add pit zips and room for a puffy with the generous cut and it’s easy to adjust as the temperature changes. Jacket: $750; pant: $600; arcteryx.com
For years of use
The problem with trendy styles is that they’ll soon look dated. With the DRT jacket and pant, The North Face decided to eschew the latest and go with timeless. The cuts are traditional, loose but not baggy, and the colour options are classics. And TNF picked the fabric to last as well: it’s super-tough, recycled and waterproof 75-denier polyester. Jacket: $500; pant: $260; thenorthface.com
For in and out of bounds
Mountain guides helped design the Eddie Bauer BC Freshline jacket and bib (Fineline for the women) to perform in and out of the resort. The jacket has a high collar and roomy hood to seek shelter in, big pockets for storing stuff, and draw cords and thumb loops to kill drafts. The bibs use breathable fabric on the upper, long zips for venting, and knee brace access and knee pads for comfy kneeling. Jacket: $699; pant: $579; eddiebauer.com
For a little bit of everything
Get on trend with the Mountain Hardwear Boundary Line kit. The anorak jacket and bib pant are what all the cool kids are wearing—and they are just nice to look at. The anorak’s extra length, stretchy fabric and articulation leave no skin exposed, even deep in a tuck. Variable insulation—more where it’s needed, less where it’s not—makes it easier to stay just the right temperature all day. Jacket: $700; bib: $600; mountainhardwear.com
