Seven Outerwear Brands on Our Rails This Winter

Our snow jackets and pants this winter come from seven brands, each with its own idea of what outerwear should be. Here is what sets them apart. The waterproof and breathability numbers below are the ones each brand publishes for its own shells.

How to read the numbers

Waterproof ratings are given in millimetres (mm): the higher the number, the more water pressure the fabric holds back. Breathability is given in grams (g): how much water vapour can pass out through a square metre of fabric in a day. "3L" means a three-layer shell, with the membrane bonded between the face fabric and a lining. A shell keeps wind and snow out; warmth comes from insulation or from the layers you wear under it. Our layering guide explains what to wear by temperature.

BCG

BCG is short for Ballistocardiogram, the name on its labels, and its look comes first: bows, rivets, gradients, moto and racing graphics and faux denim. Every style is a 3-layer shell with fully taped seams, rated by the brand at 20,000 mm. The 26/27 shells are not insulated, so plan a mid-layer for cold days.

Picture Organic Clothing

Founded in France in 2008 by three friends and a Certified B Corp since 2019. Most 26/27 styles use The CIRCULAR, a polyester made from factory offcuts and used polyester garments. The Merassen jacket and Object pants use a GORE-TEX membrane, rated by Picture at 28,000 mm and 28,000 g.

GAINAX

A fashion-first brand launched in 2022, with the line "unbound the outbound". Every GAINAX style we ordered is a 3-layer shell; the N2 Pro jacket and NT4 pants are rated at 30,000 mm and 25,000 g, and the REBEL pieces put a faux denim face over a waterproof membrane.

Vector

Technical snow wear for women and families, from a team led by women, cut for Asian women's proportions. The AltaX, Strider and Aeris 3-layer shells are rated at 20,000 mm and 10,000 g. Vector's kids' range is sized by height, from 110 to 160 cm, and Smartgrow pieces let sleeves and legs be lengthened as a child grows.

Yeyepop

Snow suits dressed as animals: the Emperor Penguin, Blue Pigeon, Denim Doberman and Ghost Octopus, plus the Little Yellow Chick hardshell, whose eye pieces come as a blind box. Every 26/27 style is a 3-layer shell rated by the brand at 20,000 mm, cut unisex from XS to XL.

POMT

Street style and park-ready cuts from a brand that calls itself an advocate for Chinese snow culture. The M7 Pro Plus jacket uses a Toray Dermizax membrane in a 3-layer shell, and five styles carry a RECCO reflector.

Capelin Crew

Snowboard outerwear that started in 2014 in the snowboard scene of northern China's mountains. Every snow jacket and pant is fully seam-taped, the 26/27 styles are rated at 20,000 mm, and the water-repellent finish is sold as PFAS-free.

Fit

Several of these brands use Asian or unisex sizing, so the same letter size can fit differently from brand to brand. Each product page has the brand's garment measurements; compare them with a jacket you already own, and see our size charts. Shop men's jackets, women's jackets or kids' outerwear.