This year at SIA, we decided to just unleash our Outerwear Guru, Sam Shaheen, on the Colorado Convention Center, and told him to report back. You might not agree with all of his conclusions, but you are also unlikely to find a more interesting overview of what’s next in outerwear.
All yours, Sam…
On the whole, next season’s outerwear seems to be all about bringing street style to the hill. Sure there are tons of technical jackets and pants out there, but they all look pretty much the same as they did last year. Streetwear inspired outerwear, or what I like to call “casual outerwear,” seems to be taking a serious step forward for next winter, and the days of not being able to find a suitable “cool” 2-layer jacket are long gone.
Look for textures to win out over colorblocking, and natural fibers to find their way into areas that used to be the exclusive domain of synthetics.
I am a huge fan of this shift.
Dont’ get me wrong, I love technical outerwear (ed’s note: if you need evidence of this, cf. Sam’s Outerwear 101 and 201), but the new trends are so much more sustainable and fun. Outerwear has always been about style, but the past few years have seen so many technological advancements in fabrics and construction, that style got pushed to the background a bit. And since many skiers and riders will never fully utilize their Gore Tex Pro, you shouldn’t be afraid to look into casual 2L outerwear.
Best Women’s Line: DC
DC’s got a very strong men’s line, too. They’re a leader in the trend of distressed, technical 2L fabrics. It’s a very wearable line with classic lines and approachable patterns.
Best Men’s Line: Analog
Analog has a bold, “do not give a single @#$!” attitude. They are characteristically ahead of the common trends, with bold prints, subtle detailing, and a diverse line. Great use of Gore 2L pieces. They even have a line of casual 3L, classic silhouettes like hoodies and button up’s that are unmodified except for technical fabrics. Unfortunately they didn’t have any sample pieces at the show.
Most Unlikely Product Line Pairings: Ifound
Ifound is a Quebec-based outerwear/streetwear company that is putting out snowboarding outerwear and … hunting/fishing apparel??? It’s also high quality and unique. There are a lot of companies trying to break into the outerwear/streetwear segment, and I think Ifound is doing a great job, despite the seriously questionable company name.
blister, when are you guys going to review the volkl v-works katana? there is a paucity of good reviews out there of this ski and unfortunately, given the price, no one is demoing the skis. would love to hear your expert opinions, especially in comparison of the other light weight carbon ski, dps wailer 112. thanks for your consideration and keep up the great work that establishes your site as the most informative, thorough, usable ski review site on the web. rod
Thanks, Rod. Really appreciate it. I believe we will be getting on them later this month.
I’ve been skiing the new 185cm Wailer 105 for the past two weeks. It’s a badass ski and definitely looking forward to the 191 version. PM Gear super stiffs and my Head m103s are a couple skis that flex about as stiff, but there isn’t much more out there that has flexed this stiff, for sure. A good alternative to the Cochise and Katana for those that want some camber – like myself (can’t stand the greasiness on edge transitions). Have fun guys!
Thanks, Brian. And thanks for the input. We’re going to start putting time on them tomorrow, still extremely curious about these guys…
Dying to hear what you think of he dps 105 vs new Cochise vs supernatural 108.
I realize there’s money to be made selling “technical” street-wear to a bunch of wanna bees, but what the f… has that got to do with skiing? Metal zipper sliders a hazard? Lamest outerwear summary ever.
Have you guys seen anything different with next year’s cochise? I’ve seen different comments around the web. Blizzard claim to have added a tiny bit of camber and a little softer (in their words “friendly cochise”). Some people say there is a small camber, others say that’s just like the previous versions… what’s your take on the new(?) cochise?
Hey, Marcel – the Cochise is going to have a bit of camber added, and the shovels are going to get “a little” softer. But those changes had not yet been made to the models on display at SIA. As soon as the 14/15 production Cochise is available, however, we will be on it.
Thank you Jonathan! That is what I last heard from TGR too. I’m really curious to check out the new cochise, really stoked on the “more friendly” cochise. Bummer there isn’t demos available matching the production ski.
When will we get to hear about your take on Praxis’ GPO or the slightly tweaked Moment Belafonte? My curiousity has gotten the best of me and I’m giving you guys a bump. Can we get a Preview edition?
I also have been waiting for a review on the Praxis GPO! I’m hoping it’s coming soon.