Whether you’re ice climbing on alpine glaciers or just braving the drizzle on your morning commute, there’s peace of mind to be found in knowing your jacket was built for the former. A piece of technical outerwear is something that should be hanging up in every man’s wardrobe, and there are more of them around than ever.

Classic outerwear may look the part, but when you’re caught in a downpour on your morning run, what would you rather be wearing: a suede jacket or a Gore-Tex hardshell? These performance garments are painstakingly engineered to keep water, wind and cold temperatures at bay. As such, they don’t tend to come cheap. That’s why it’s imperative to choose a brand that knows what it’s doing before parting with any cash.

From Arctic-worthy parkas to tricked-out rainwear, here’s everything you need to know.

What Is Technical Outerwear?

When we say “technical outerwear” we’re not talking about that light-up jacket David Hasslehoff wore when he inexplicably performed at the fall of the Berlin Wall. Instead, we’re referring to outerwear that uses innovative fabrics and utilitarian construction techniques in order to serve a specific function.

These are garments that put performance above and beyond all else, using textile science to get the job done. An insulating fleece, a waterproof windbreaker, a down-filled parka – the type of gear that’s created in a laboratory, not a design studio.

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However, while this stuff is great at banishing sweat, battling extreme temperatures and keeping you dry, it wasn’t – until recently – designed with stylishness at the fore. This begs the question: why should a style-conscious man be investing in one?

It’s an easy query to answer, because in recent years, technical outerwear has been abseiling it’s way off the mountains and into the fashion spotlight. There’s a fixation with utility gear and a newfound appreciation for design that’s about more than aesthetics.