mollmeister
Angel Diva
My name is Mollmeister and I have a ski jacket/outdoor wear *problem.*
But I feel much better about my *problem* now that I have discovered Nau products. As I understand it, Nau is a company founded by some ex-Patagonia folk, who wanted to push the envelope with corporate and social responsibility practices (a truly sustainable business) and create stylish, more urban-looking, technical gear. Most of their products are made with recycled/sustainable materials, and a portion of ALL purchases goes to a charity of your choosing. (They support a whole bunch, and you get to pick yours at check-out.)
The look is much more urban than other technical clothing-- think chocolate browns, slate greys, blacks, and olives in cuts that reflect military and very pared down high-fashion styling. Very clean, very simple, very Jil Sander meets Patagonia. But not flashy high-fashion. Think minimalist. Arc'teryx without the visible logos and with a slightly less outdoorsy feel.
So anywhoo, I got an Urbane Jacket a while back. It's probably the most *style-y* of the women's jackets, with a funky button placket that curves up the front, over a zipper. It's attractive and visually interesting enough to wear with a pair of jeans, but was billed as technical enough to wear on the slopes.
https://www.nau.com/homepage/index.jsp#/shopnau/products/107W202
The Good
This is a gorgeous jacket. Interesting looking and classy, without being all Bognerish. Definitely different than anything else I have seen on the hill. Very flattering to the female form, with a curved button placket that emphasizes female curves, and a scooped tail in the back that covers what you want to cover and emphasizes what you want to show off, all the while keeping out snow and errant, up-the-back breezes.
Well constructed, from fabric that has a really nice feel to it, even though the face fabric is made of 100% recycled material. Smooth and drapey, not *crunchy.* Decorative buttons are affixed with narrow webbing, not sewn on, so they feel pretty bombproof and unlikely to fall off. It's a two-later laminate, waterproof/breathable membrane laminated to a face fabric. Waterproofing held up well during a sunny day with some falls and a snowy day following.
Comfortable to wear, enough pockets for me, and the zip-off hood is lightweight and packed away nicely when I didn't need it. Fit is trim, but roomy enough for several layers without binding at critical points.
I feel really good about the way this company is trying to conduct business, and buying from them feels guilt-free, when you are choosing your charity and learning about the eco-sensitive fabrics and distribution channels they try to use. Are they perfect? I don't know. Unlikely. But they're trying pretty hard and turning out good looking product in the process.
The Bad
Not much.
This jacket is definitely a light shell. It's not advertised to be windproof, and it's not, but it would make an awesome spring skiing jacket on a warm day, and did just find on a colder day with a Mountain Hardware wind shirt and a heavy long underwear shirt.
Not enough venting if you're truly wearing it on a spring day, but it's light enough that I don't know that it would be a problem.
I am going to keep watching this company. I tried on a soft shell ski pant back in November and wish I'd bought it. The fit was fantastic, and obviously other people agreed, because they sold out of small sizes very early!
But I feel much better about my *problem* now that I have discovered Nau products. As I understand it, Nau is a company founded by some ex-Patagonia folk, who wanted to push the envelope with corporate and social responsibility practices (a truly sustainable business) and create stylish, more urban-looking, technical gear. Most of their products are made with recycled/sustainable materials, and a portion of ALL purchases goes to a charity of your choosing. (They support a whole bunch, and you get to pick yours at check-out.)
The look is much more urban than other technical clothing-- think chocolate browns, slate greys, blacks, and olives in cuts that reflect military and very pared down high-fashion styling. Very clean, very simple, very Jil Sander meets Patagonia. But not flashy high-fashion. Think minimalist. Arc'teryx without the visible logos and with a slightly less outdoorsy feel.
So anywhoo, I got an Urbane Jacket a while back. It's probably the most *style-y* of the women's jackets, with a funky button placket that curves up the front, over a zipper. It's attractive and visually interesting enough to wear with a pair of jeans, but was billed as technical enough to wear on the slopes.
https://www.nau.com/homepage/index.jsp#/shopnau/products/107W202
The Good
This is a gorgeous jacket. Interesting looking and classy, without being all Bognerish. Definitely different than anything else I have seen on the hill. Very flattering to the female form, with a curved button placket that emphasizes female curves, and a scooped tail in the back that covers what you want to cover and emphasizes what you want to show off, all the while keeping out snow and errant, up-the-back breezes.
Well constructed, from fabric that has a really nice feel to it, even though the face fabric is made of 100% recycled material. Smooth and drapey, not *crunchy.* Decorative buttons are affixed with narrow webbing, not sewn on, so they feel pretty bombproof and unlikely to fall off. It's a two-later laminate, waterproof/breathable membrane laminated to a face fabric. Waterproofing held up well during a sunny day with some falls and a snowy day following.
Comfortable to wear, enough pockets for me, and the zip-off hood is lightweight and packed away nicely when I didn't need it. Fit is trim, but roomy enough for several layers without binding at critical points.
I feel really good about the way this company is trying to conduct business, and buying from them feels guilt-free, when you are choosing your charity and learning about the eco-sensitive fabrics and distribution channels they try to use. Are they perfect? I don't know. Unlikely. But they're trying pretty hard and turning out good looking product in the process.
The Bad
Not much.
This jacket is definitely a light shell. It's not advertised to be windproof, and it's not, but it would make an awesome spring skiing jacket on a warm day, and did just find on a colder day with a Mountain Hardware wind shirt and a heavy long underwear shirt.
Not enough venting if you're truly wearing it on a spring day, but it's light enough that I don't know that it would be a problem.
I am going to keep watching this company. I tried on a soft shell ski pant back in November and wish I'd bought it. The fit was fantastic, and obviously other people agreed, because they sold out of small sizes very early!
