Corduroy Came for The North Face's Nuptse
Corduroy truly does make everything better. Take The North Face's classic Nuptse jacket as an example. Oh, it's nice on its own, sure, but you slap some corduroy on a TNF puffer and you've got an instant classic on your hands.
These seasonal corduroy TNF Nuptse jackets are exactly what they sound like. Down-filled, corduroy-trimmed. It's a shame that we aren't dealing with wide wale corduroy and TNF opted for the thin stuff but that's fine, the desired aim is still achieved.
You've got two puffy jackets made extra plush by their soft exterior, one versatile in black and the other lush in a desaturated blue. Their construction is as considerate as their textile usage: the lining is made of recycled down and the shell is made from recycled polyester, which promises to keep its soft hand even after many sudden downpours. No need to baby this corduroy in winter weather!
Fun fact about corduroy: part of its long history includes a stint as hunting gear, because it was assumed that its construction would create rivulets of rain water, diverting moisture from the wearer's body.
The North Face doesn't really dabble in corduroy all that much, unfortunately. Aside from that one Supreme collaboration over a decade ago (!), I can't really think of any corduroy TNF gear besides the accessories currently available on the North Face website. Shame because few fabrics affect the feel of retro outdoor gear better than a soft cord.
Luckily, you can always rely on The North Face Japan to come correct. Operated by Japanese outdoor giant Goldwin, TNF Japan always dishes top clobber, as they say in the UK, reformatting familiar TNF layering pieces into jaw-droppingly excellent outerwear with shocking consistency.
Currently available on Goldwin's Japanese website for ￥50,600 (about $340), TNF's corduroy Nuptse jackets can only be had through a third-party proxy. Luckily, they're offered every year, so no need to rush, but no promise on that nice blue hue returning...
I'm a big fan of any archetypal design made fresh through a material renewal, That is to say, update a staple garment or shoe in a new fabrication and I'm in. Corduroy is especially tasty, as evidenced by a ridged Birkenstock or corded Clarks Wallabee.
Everything is better with texture. Doubly so if that lived-in look comes from cushy corduroy.
