It truly is the most wonderful time of the year as the voice of Andy Williams is constantly reminding us.
Not because of Christmas though, but because it’s supposedly the coldest month of the year, and with that, the month of the year that warrants the biggest of jackets.
If you’ve somehow resisted the urge to treat yourself to a new (or used) feather-filled endorphin booster, hats off to you, you’re stronger than us, but the latest news might just be the straw that breaks the holier-than-thou camel’s back.
This news comes from Japanese outdoor & skiwear brand, DESCENTE, as they’ve announced two new additions to their already very burly jacket roster.
The two new additions are a part of their Mizusawa Down series – now you’re probably wondering what Mizusawa is, and don’t worry we won’t gatekeep.
Mizusawa used to be its own city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan but is now a part of the city of Ōshū. What relevance does this all have to big coats? Well, Mizusawa is cold. Very cold. So cold that you can bet your bottom dollar when you see the word in the title of a product, it’s going to be geared for extreme temperatures.
Who said Proper wasn’t informative?
Actually, all of that was from Wikipedia, now back to something we can talk about easily. Coats.
The two new jackets on offer from DESCENTE are a new edition of the MIZUSAWA DOWN JACKET “CARRY” & the brand new MIZUSAWA DOWN JACKET “ASPIRE.”
The new edition of the Carry utilizes a minimalist design that keeps things slick, functional & importantly, waterproof.
The outer shell is a featherlight 30d 4-way stretch micro ripstop – tough enough for whatever you can throw at it, yet light enough you’d barely notice the impact. The warmth from the jacket is obviously predominantly derived from the down inside it, but DESCENTE has also incorporated a clever fabric print on the inside that locks in the heat.
It’s everything you need (okay maybe not strictly true) & nothing you don’t.
As for the Aspire jacket, this is the newest addition to the Mizusawa down team, bringing a cocoon-inspired silhouette that’s built to take on winter’s worst. Draft tubes surround the zip and collar, inner cuffs in the sleeves, and a powder skirt at the hem keep the cold well and truly locked out.
The jacket utilizes laser-cut holes in the down panels to allow for temperature regulation and ventilation zips can be opened to let air in.
The outer shell is crafted from waterproof, breathable DERMIZAX® FLEXILE MATTE 4-way stretch fabric, while the lining uses HEAT NAVI® tech to turn light into warmth.
Right, that was a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo, and if you’re not into that sort of stuff (don’t blame you) here’s the long and short – DESCENTE has made two new down jackets that look fantastic and also have the technical pedigree to carry you through all manner of foul weather.
The only issue, the jackets are only available exclusively in DESCENTE retailers in Japan. Sorry.
If it’s any consolation, you can read about DESCENTE & Mizusawa Down here.
