Published January 25, 2010 01:01PM
Best of OR: Apparel
Our spies return with a look at some of the hottest gear at Outdoor Retailer
Maybe you didn’t get to experience the legendary onslaught of gear, booze, and, uh, gear that happens every year in Salt Lake City’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. That’s OK, player—you didn’t miss a thing, ’cause we’ve got the highlights.
Here’s some of the most promising apparel we saw at the show:
Arc’Teryx Alpha SV Gloves. Achieve better dexterity and hand comfort with a glove that promises less bulk and uniquely designed finger articulation. The Arc’Teryx Alpha SV with Gore-Tex Pro Shell ($275) falls into the high-performance category of hand warmth and protection—the Lamborghini of gloves perhaps? You will want to take these for a test drive. “The price is staggeringly insane, but so is the glove,” says Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter. “I want a pair, bad.”
Merrell Guise/Charade. “Sleep with me.” That’s the marketing tagline for the new Merrell Guise (for men) and Charade (for women), an insulated jacket that stuffs into a front pocket to form a neck pillow. It’s not only a clever, useful travel piece, but also eco-friendly, filled with PrimaLoft Eco insulation and constructed with 50 percent recycled materials.
Nau Shroud of Purrin. Designer Mark Galbraith told us Nau’s Shroud of Purrin is like a “little sex kitten in the inside of a soft shell laminate.” After putting it on and seeing several retailers strut around in it (including one in front of the mirror in the men’s room), who are we to dispute that notion? The jacket is made of recycled polyester and looks to be the perfect casual travel blazer that can be dressed up or down — wear it with a tie, or better yet, with the collar up and a turtleneck…and a gin and tonic in hand ($350). All good.
Canada Goose Hybridge. While New York may seem worlds away from the Arctic Circle, Canada Goose has found a way to infuse its extreme cold-weather experience into urban styling in the Hybridge jacket for men and women. Using Thermal Mapping, the jacket blends Polartec Power Shield O2 soft shell and 750 fill down technology into one form-fitting silhouette. Its heritage still remains in the small details with iconic features like the grab strap on the back and reflective tape on the sleeve. ($475)
—BACKPACKER Editors