Don’t be fooled by the name: The North Face Standard is anything but. In fact, this concise capsule is a prime example of how good The North Face can look, when it takes on the right perspective that is.

The outdoor brand's functional designs long since escaped the need for purely functional purposes; they've since become design touchstones and bonafide signifiers of style. No other outdoor brand of a similar age — The North Face turns 60 in 2026 — is turning out all-time classics like the Nuptse puffer and Mountain jacket.

Not that any of those icons are present here.

The North Face Standard is a series of Japanese TNF stores that occasionally receive their own exclusive product lines while also selling everything from in-line product to collaborative gear. But when we talk The North Face Standard, we’re not talking ordinary TNF gear gussied up with thematic branding, but a standalone series of refined gear. (of course, nothing about The North Face Japan is ordinary but more on that later.)

The latest of those collections, released for Fall/Winter 2025, centers around military regalia, the inspiration for countless brilliant menswear designs.

Olive green quilted liner jackets and long fishtail parkas are bring together modern technology and retro innovations, with one GORE-TEX-lined parka also fitted with a nifty hood that can be cinched to properly engulf the wearer's face. It's plainly stylish stuff, riffing off evergreen archival military garb that’s informed much of modern menswear, and brilliantly styled to boot. 

Especially when shot against picturesque backgrounds, these garments demonstrate real editorial quality, a rare sentiment for a label better known for top-of-the-line climbing equipment. 

But that’s where The North Face is different. While its peers, such as Patagonia or Arc’teryx, are serious outdoor pioneers that accidentally found a streetwear-leaning audience and occasionally meddle with stylish collaborations, The North Face has always explicitly maintained fashionable inclinations. 

This is especially true in Japan, where the brand is operated by outdoor giant Goldwin even as the Japan-exclusive Standard and Purple Label collections build a considerable worldwide following. Stuff this strong is "standard" in name only.

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