Aesthetics are subjective; performance is not. At the end of the day, this dynamic is what defines outdoor apparel: Do the clothes merely look nice, or will they hold up against inclement climates? If you care how your apparel looks as much as you prize its functionality, you’d hope for both in equal measure, but the unfortunate reality has often been that you must pick between the two.
Thanks to one very important new ingredient for the brand, Snow Peak’s latest collection gives us hope for a more equitable future, where form and function can coexist in harmony (and comfort).
Say Hello to the Snow Peak Gore-Tex Rain Series
I live in Southern California, which for the past five-ish years has during our winters and springs. This shift in the weather has forced me to invest in clothing that can hold up against all-day rain. As a precipitation newbie, I’ve come up again and again against rainwear and apparel that doesn’t have a modicum of the design features I expect out of my everyday wardrobe. Much of it, especially on the women’s side, features designs, patterns and fits that I consider slightly archaic — and have a great aversion wearing.
So it was with genuine excitement that I opened the latest email from Snow Peak — the rare outdoor brand with aesthetics I love — informing me about its brand-new Gore-Tex . Finally, some apparel that would look good and function even better against the unfamiliar downpours I’ve been experiencing.
Consisting of pants, rain jackets, hats and caps, the entire collection marries Snow Peak’s minimal Japanese aesthetic with Gore-Tex’s performance-driven fabrics. Made from 100 percent recycled polyester, each garment in the collection has complete seam sealing — even the hats and caps — and that includes waterproof zippers on all of the apparel.
