Nikole
Certified Ski Diva
I can vouch for the Orage Clara pants, DD's team uniform included these pants for the last two years and she just bought another pair in blue. They are very waterproof and she used the lightly insulated version year round (thigh zip). The fabric is SOFT and has a bit of stretch. The insulated version and a pair of soft shell pants is what she will be using this year.
I am moving away from Gortex. I truly believe there are much better technical fabrics available that have more stretch, breathability and less crinkle/noise. Polartech, Event, and some of the other brand's own DRW are much nicer than Gortex. I don't need some stiff noisy crinkly fabric for resort skiing, even when it has been dumping.
I do really like those orage clara pants, I just wish they were a little cheaper lol! I do get that quality things do cost money though
I didn't think about the relationship between GoreTex and stretch/noise lol, definitely something to think about. I would for sure prefer to find a good outlet store of some type so I can try things on in person instead of just buying things off the internet and possibly needing to ship it back
Also I'm not too sure how breathability ratings work but the GoreTex ones are rated at 20k compared to the 28k waterproofing. Does that sound pretty breathable? They're on sale for $147 originally $274 so I just wonder if they're the most "worth it" deal out there that I can find right now lol