The North Face has launched a new Freeride Collection of technical snow gear, just in time for your winter adventures. Or possibly just in time for your winter adventures to be cancelled due to changing travel rules. Who are we to say?
The North Face says it's "for those epic days where the boundaries only exist in your mind". The brand has certainly not been constrained by conventional boundaries when it comes to colour scheme: a lot of this collection is bright. We are very much of the opinion that a snowy mountainside is the very best place to dress like a Teletubby, so you'll hear no complaints here. There's also the benefit that you'll be incredibly visible, which is smart from a safety point of view.
If you're not into that though, there are some more subdued options with the same street style vibes. Can't promise the rescue helicopter won't miss you and leave you to freeze to death though. Designed for use on and off-piste, all pieces are, as you'd hope from any snow gear, waterproof, windproof and durable. Will these new additions be enough to complete with the rest of today's best ski jackets and best ski pants?
The hero pieces are the Dragline Jacket and Bib, both of which are made from recycled and bio-based materials, in order to be more eco-friendly. The jacket, available in a sliding scale of garishness from fuchsia/orange (yay!) to fuchsia/white/black, to a disappointingly tasteful dark green with orange zip, is made with TNF's three-layer DryVent technology. It has a helmet-compatible hood, underarm zip vents and a powder skirt to stop snow getting into your pants.
The Freeride Collection is available to buy now direct from The North Face online, as well as select stores.