Holden Fishtail Jacket 2015

Size: L
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 160 lbs

I’ve been eyeing up Holden for a few years now but only have so much $$ and have always put getting new skis, or a helmet, or boots higher on the list of priorities. Finally I was able to get my hands on some Holden gear and it was definitely worth the wait.

Style & Fit:
It’s no secret that Holden has the slim fit style on lock. They’ve been all over it for years. I live in Montreal (hipster central) where I’ve always stuck out as the one kid wearing ski jackets in a sea of pea coats and hand-me-down parkas. Holden has done a great job of borrowing from street fashion without losing it’s roots as an outerwear brand.

The jacket is cut fairly classically at the front with a fishtail design that extends about 4 inches longer in the back. At first the jacket felt a little too short for me but that’s because I was used to riding XL Tall. After I got used to the feel of a shorter coat the style really grew on me. It's just long enough to bridge the gap between functionality on the hill and style in the city.

The final thing I’ll mention about style is the attention to detail. There are a ton of smaller features that really make this coat stand out for me. Some are more noticeable, like the camo back/shoulder panel, while some are less so, like the matching inside zipper liner. The small things always make a difference for me, like leather tags, quality drawstrings, 50% cotton inside lining, and graphic detailed powder skirt.

Functionality:
I won’t lie and say this is a parka. It’s not. With 100 G polyfill it’s not designed to be the warmest coat you have. Then again, I wore it for more of the winter with an insulating layer beneath and was fine. In additional, it has has fully taped seams that cut the wind from getting through.

It has a 20k/10k waterproof rating and I never had any issues with getting wet. I wouldn’t wear it out in the pouring rain for a month straight, but there definitely isn’t anything to complain about there.

Cons:
The only things that really come to mind as cons are minor concerns at best. For instance, the zipper to get into the ipod pocket is on the inside of the jacket. I like it when that goes outside the main zipper so I don’t need to undo my jacket to get into the pocket. Another thing I found was that the wrist gaiters always seemed to twist and felt like they should have been placed at a slightly different angle. But is these are the worst things I have to say then there’s not much wrong.

Final Thoughts:
I’ve been waiting to grab a Holden Jacket for a while now and the anticipation definitely didn’t let me down. I’ve had a ton of coats in my day and this one holds up with the best of them technology wise, but is leagues beyond in terms of design and fashion. These days it’s pretty much all I wear.

• Design
  Clean
  Busy
• Weight
  Light
  Heavy
• Durability
  Fragile
  Durable
• Style
  Uncool
  Cool
• Fit
  Tight
  Baggy
• Waterproofing
  Wet
  Dry
• Breathability
  Pourous
  Airtight
• Warmth
  Cold
  Warm