Anonymous wrote:I have had my goretex north face jacket for 18 years and it still looks brand new. I don't have a comparable LL Bean or Columbia jacket to compare but my North Face jacket has definitely held up.

I, too, have NF stuff that's 10-15 yrs. old or so and is great; it dates from before it became a fashion statement but the fleece vest, jacket, and raincoat have lasted forever without excessive wear.

For my latest winter jacket replacing the 15 yr. old NF, I went with Mountain Hardware and so far, so good (still very new).

wait....my members only jacket is out?

I have some great fleece shells from LL Bean, Eddie Bauer and Patagonia that have held up very well for 5+ years. I have a thin North Face half zip pullover that I've had for 5 months. It seems more worn than some of my other older pieces. I think it is because the fleece is so thin. When people tell me that their NF fleece is 10+ years old, I can tell. They don't look "new", and that is fine, I wouldn't expect my 9 year old Patagonia fleece to look new, but it is still in good condition and serves me well. My point is, the items may well hold up, but don't be convinced that they are so amazing and will be "like new" for 10 years.

Anonymous wrote:Who wears the same coat for 10+ years?

this is the pp with the 10+ year NF shell.

this is a technical shell that i only used on trips in the woods/mountains. since i am not a professional mountaineer, this clearly wouldn't be 365 days a year.

as for folk who have items for 10+ years, good for them! why would you get rid of a perfectly nice coat if it was still in great shape? i'd still have my NF if not for the fact that it lost its factory waterproof coating after 10 years, so it wasn't serving its purpose!

Anonymous wrote:I also wear the same coat for 10 or more years. I buy classic cuts and fabrics. What a waste not to wear it for that long. I've had some sweaters for at least that long, too. And I'm the one with a Patagonia fleece that I've had since 1991 or so (20 years, yikes!). For the most part I don't buy disposable clothes that are dated after one year and fall apart quickly. If you prefer to spend money on things that don't last, that's your choice.

Like++++
I bought a North Face goretex shell ~20 years ago , used it for hiking and it is still in perfect condition. My teen daughter now wears it and everyone loves it, it is now "vintage".

Anonymous wrote:Who wears the same coat for 10+ years?

Me too.

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, Moncler is the brand to buy now if you want to look trendy in Verbier and Gstaad ... about $1200 for the basic puffer model 8)

(but I have LLBean ski pants and a Land's End jacket and do just fine, thanks very much ... they're 3 years old and going strong)

I don't like the Moncler jackets. And much as I used to love Bogner, and had a Bogner outfit a long time ago, I find most of their stuff a little too fashionable as well. Kjus is the brand of choice in Vail these days - $900-1200 for a jacket. I got mine on sale though.

FWIW, Moncler is the brand to buy now if you want to look trendy in Verbier and Gstaad ... about $1200 for the basic puffer model 8)

(but I have LLBean ski pants and a Land's End jacket and do just fine, thanks very much ... they're 3 years old and going strong)

I also wear the same coat for 10 or more years. I buy classic cuts and fabrics. What a waste not to wear it for that long. I've had some sweaters for at least that long, too. And I'm the one with a Patagonia fleece that I've had since 1991 or so (20 years, yikes!). For the most part I don't buy disposable clothes that are dated after one year and fall apart quickly. If you prefer to spend money on things that don't last, that's your choice.

Anonymous wrote:Who wears the same coat for 10+ years?

I do. I have a 25+ year old Burberry rain coat. It's in great shape and is a classic style so why not continue to wear it. My winter dress coat is newer but I expect I will have for at least 10 years. I have other jackets which are older as well. I usually get new ski jackets more frequently - maybe every 5 years. Coats are expensive and I don't wear any one of them that much do they should last.

Who wears the same coat for 10+ years?

Anonymous wrote:I just saw my 72 year old aunt wearing a north face jacket. I think it is over.

I'm a 50+ DCUM poster, and your comment gave me a great laugh to begin the day! Love it!

i had my NF shell for 10 years - 10 YEARS - and it went through many backpacking and snowboarding trips just fine! sadly, i had to replace it as the water proof element just wore down but that is to be expected after 10 years of use. as much as NF is mainstream right now, their technical stuff is still very solid. i still own base layers, fleeces and gore-tex pants 10 years later. they've held up great.

by virtue of NF being everywhere, you can get good deals on last year's products. check out the clearance racks at HTO or REI or online (backcountry.com, altrec, fogdog, etc).

Anonymous wrote:NF is for suburban poseurs whose most grueling expedition is going to be from the spot where their Suburban is parked to the entrance of the Whole Foods.

This made me laugh out loud. So true - especially at pickup at my children's private school.

No way are they worth the price of buying new. For the same price, you can get Patagonia, which will last forever and if for some reason it does not, you can take it back YEARS LATER and they will replace the item for free. No joke. My husband has replaced his ski jacket and his biking jacket over the years. Big upfront cost, terrifically well made, and then when they collapse after years of use, the company replaces them for free. Plus they do incredible community and environmental work, second to none.

For those who really want NF instead (or more likely, for your kids who really want NF), you can get NF jackets on Craigs List and Ebay for at least half price. I don't think they're as well made as Patagonia, but they certainly are popular, and at half price the cost about the same as LL Bean.