Jackets
Black Slope: Descente Misuzawa Down Storm
The Japanese outerwear expert has earned a spot as official supplier to the Swiss, Canadian and Spanish Alpine teams thanks to its innovative and multi-award-winning down jackets, which boast a bespoke pocketing and heat-sealing treatment that prevents the innards shifting around. The jacket’s matte shell and hip-length cut means you’ll be able to wear it off the slopes too. Available at Mr Porter, priced £845.
Red Slope: UNDEFEATED x Alpha Industries x Burton M-65 Trench Coat
An extended tail is handy whether you’re perched on chilly chairlifts or sitting for your turn in the park. This styling takes its cues from the military classic, crafted from Gore-tex to do battle with the worst mountain weather, rather than enemy troops. Admittedly, camo isn’t inconspicuous against all-white backdrops, especially if you take advantage of the supplied patches and velcro spots to customise your jacket. So best make sure you’ve got chops equally as eye-catching. Available at Burton, priced £230.
Green Slope: Volcom Monrovia Insulated Jacket
Volcom’s Monrovia jacket packs in 40g of low loft insulation, to ensure you stay toasty on those long rides back up the mountain, with waxed canvas to keep the snow where it belongs. This is especially true if you pick up a pair of the brand’s pants, which zip into the jacket to keep you dry in even the deepest powder. All the protection, without the price tag. Available at The Snowboard Asylum, priced £129.99.
Pants
Black Slope: Oakley Solitude Gore-Tex 3L Pants
Your snow pants need to do two jobs: keep you comfortable whether you’re carving fresh groomers or hiking backcountry kickers, and look good enough to wear straight to the bar once the lifts shut. Trust Oakley to tick off both with aplomb. Its Solitude pants are built from breathable nylon to keep you cool, but still waterproof courtesy of a Gore-tex shell and taped seams. Plus the just-slim-enough cut slips over boots and bindings without clichéd bagginess. Available at Oakley, priced £390.
Red Slope: 686 Destructed Denim Pants
Distressed jeans are trending this season. Now, you can take your street style up high as well. Since slope-ready denim is still a dream, 686 has crafted its spin on the style from infiDRY polyester, printed with fades, tears and paint splashes that would slot straight onto the rails at YMC. Only, you know, snowproof. Available at Ellis Brigham, priced £209.
Green Slope: Billabong Classic Snow Pants
Frill-free but perfectly functional, Billabong’s murdered-out pants are warm (to the tune of 40g of cold-battling insulation) and watertight. Toss in a generous cut, catch-free vents for dumping heat after a sweaty session, and all-manner of pockets and stash points for everything from lift pass to hip flask, and you get a triple cork-level pant with a frontside-180 price tag. Available at Surfdome, priced £63.99.
Gloves
Black Slope: Burton [ak] Oven Mitt
Burton’s premium [ak] line is designed for when the going gets rough. Which means mitts that pack in triple goose down, a sweat-wicking fleece lining so your fingers stay dry (handy for avoiding frostbite) and an ergonomic build that squeezes a boxing glove’s worth of warmth into something you can fit into your pocket. No wonder OG pro Terje Haakonsen is such a fan. Available at Burton, priced £115.
Red Slope: North Face Revelstoke E-Tip Gloves
It’s the perennial issue: you’re faced with a mountain of Instagram gold, but risk losing a glove on the chairlift every time you take it off to snap landscapes. Enter The North Face’s E-Tip gloves, which feature a special nubbin that controls your touchscreen, while your hands stay toasty. Like. Available at The North Face, priced £50.
Green Slope: Dakine Crossfire Glove
Dakine’s gloves are slim enough to let you fiddle with bindings (or bottle tops), but still chunky enough to keep out the cold, with a weatherproof nylon shell so your mitts don’t get sodden. The RubberTec palms play nice with your smartphone screen too. Available at Ellis Brigham, priced £29.99.
Goggles
Black Slope: Zeal Optics HD2 Camera Goggles
An on-board video of you stomping rails and shredding virgin powder: cool. Strapping a GoPro to your head: deeply uncool. Navigate this dilemma with Zeal Optics’ HD2 goggles, which boast a built-in HD camera between the eyes to capture your view of the route through the deep stuff. Just be warned that bails will look even more spectacular. Available at Mr Porter, priced £420.
Red Slope: Dragon Alliance X2 Goggles
Swapping between lenses when clouds engulf the mountain is a drag. So Dragon Alliance developed Swiftlock, which lets you transition between lenses suited to sun protection or flat light in seconds. The frameless design also opens up your field of view – handy whether you’re trying to spot a landing, or the bar your mates are holed up in. Available at Dragon Alliance, priced £209.
Green Slope: Anon Optics Hawkeye
When barrelling down slippery slopes, it’s advisable to have as accurate a view of what’s in front of you as possible. Anon’s spherical lens technology mimics the shape of your eyeball to avoid warping the landscape. So you’ve only got yourself to blame if you catch an edge. Sorry. Available at Sail and Ski, priced £79.99.
