Whether you’re ice climbing on alpine glaciers or just braving the drizzle on your morning commute, there’s peace of mind to be found in knowing your jacket was built for the former. A piece of technical outerwear is something that should be hanging up in every man’s wardrobe, and there are more of them around than ever.

Classic outerwear may look the part, but when you’re caught in a downpour on your morning run, what would you rather be wearing: a suede jacket or a Gore-Tex hardshell? These performance garments are painstakingly engineered to keep water, wind and cold temperatures at bay. As such, they don’t tend to come cheap. That’s why it’s imperative to choose a brand that knows what it’s doing before parting with any cash.

From Arctic-worthy parkas to tricked-out rainwear, here’s everything you need to know.

What Is Technical Outerwear?

When we say “technical outerwear” we’re not talking about that light-up jacket David Hasslehoff wore when he inexplicably performed at the fall of the Berlin Wall. Instead, we’re referring to outerwear that uses innovative fabrics and utilitarian construction techniques in order to serve a specific function.

These are garments that put performance above and beyond all else, using textile science to get the job done. An insulating fleece, a waterproof windbreaker, a down-filled parka – the type of gear that’s created in a laboratory, not a design studio.

Noah

However, while this stuff is great at banishing sweat, battling extreme temperatures and keeping you dry, it wasn’t – until recently – designed with stylishness at the fore. This begs the question: why should a style-conscious man be investing in one?

It’s an easy query to answer, because in recent years, technical outerwear has been abseiling it’s way off the mountains and into the fashion spotlight. There’s a fixation with utility gear and a newfound appreciation for design that’s about more than aesthetics.

Somewhere along the line, outdoor clothing got cool. In other words, yes, a technical jacket will keep you warm and dry, but it’ll also keep your fashion credentials in check, too.

Key Technical Outerwear Styles

Hardshell Jacket

A hardshell jacket is a waterproof outer layer. Its goal is to keep rain out, while at the same time not locking moisture in. Some jackets achieve this through the use of ventilation zips, but a truly technical hardshell relies on the fabric itself.

Most outdoor brands have their own in-house material that gets the job done, but it’s widely agreed that Gore-Tex is the best. It’s lightweight, breathable, 100 percent waterproof and pretty much every label’s top-tier models are made from it.

Woolrich

Softshell Jacket

Stretchy, comfortable and warm, softshell outerwear won’t keep the rain out completely but it will keep the wind at bay.

Favored by mountaineers, cyclists and other outdoorsy types, softshell material wicks moisture away from the skin and allows it to breathe. As a result, it’s not waterproof, however, many softshell jackets have a durable water repellent (DWR) coating, which will help water to bead off in light rain.

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Technical Down Parka

There’s a reason Arctic explorers have been cladding themselves in down parkas since they first set foot on the polar ice caps. However, things have come a long way since those early days.

The definitive ‘big coat’, the best parka will keep you warm in temperatures below -30°C with nothing but a T-shirt underneath. It’s your own portable duvet and technical tweaks on modern versions have made it more weatherproof than ever before. We’re talking waterproof membranes, avalanche recovery trackers, the lot.

Granted, you probably don’t need all that to pick up some groceries, but it’s nice to know it’s there if you need it.

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