DESCENTE ALLTERRAIN: A Closer Look at the Mizusawa Down Jacket and GORE-TEX Paclite Active Shell Jacket
Written by Ali George Hinkins
For Autumn/Winter ‘22, This Thing of Ours is the recipient of two, to put it lightly, units of outerwear from the Japanese label, Descente ALLTERRAIN. Heavily inspired by functional sportswear, this off-shoot of Descente is the pinnacle offering from the brand utilising industry-leading technologies, minimalist designs and no overt, showy branding that could otherwise distract from the overwhelming functionality.
Proclaimed by This Thing of Ours’ owner, Tim, to be the ‘Final Boss’ of down coats, a statement that I agree with, the Mizusawa Down Jacket is certainly an investment piece when you consider its construction and performance. There is plenty to go through when you look at a jacket of this magnitude, but we’ll start off with the important stuff: keeping dry and staying warm.
The jacket borrows its ‘Storm’ moniker from the DERMIZAX® Flexile 4 Way Stretch Fabric that shields you, boasting a waterproof factor of 20,000mm and a breathability rating of 10,000g/㎡/24hr. Further weatherproofing is aided by the panels of Streamline Technology on the front of the jacket, their main purpose is to channel water off the garment as quickly as possible to prevent it from pooling and soaking through.
To keep you warm, Descente has opted for down insulation that is fully traceable to increase transparency and demonstrate that it has come from a responsible place, unlike some. As we mentioned, it is equipped with plenty of technical details including a dual-zip central placket that allows the wearer to dictate the level of ventilation and a Para Hood System that keeps it out of the way neatly until it starts to lash it down.
Truly, the Mizusawa Down Jacket is a belter, whether you wear it down the pub or freeze your mits off in windy conditions.
In contrast, the GORE-TEX Paclite Active Shell Jacket is designed for those people who like to have a jacket on them at all times - packed away in their bag - but enjoy the thrill of recklessly whipping it on and off in between downpours.
Jokes aside, it utilises Gore’s proprietary Paclite technology which means the jacket is extremely lightweight and packable without sacrificing an ounce of functionality. Much like the Mizusawa Down Jacket, this too features ample technical features such as a detachable hood, block-fit cuff adjusters, cord adjusters and a plethora of pockets - you can never have enough pockets.
The Paclite Shell Jacket functions best in environments where the conditions are less predictable and can change instantly. Both outerwear styles are available now online and in-store from This Thing of Ours.
