What do a 60-year-old birdwatcher and that cool streetwear guy you follow on Instagram have in common? Chances are, not a great deal. Until you begin to examine their choice of technical outerwear, that is. The answer is a Gore Tex jacket.

It’s a name you’ve no doubt seen stitched into the kind of gear worn by alpinists and hikers. But anyone with even a passing interest in fashion will have also spotted it cropping up under the banners of some of the world’s most distinguished and sought-after designer labels.

Fashion’s uncharacteristic obsession with utilitarian detail and outdoor clobber in recent years has created a perfect storm for this technical fabric to flourish. Partly because storms are what Gore-Tex deals with best, but also because the stuff is highly versatile, and just so happens to look the part when stitched together into an everyday wardrobe hero.

To bring you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the groundbreaking fabric, including what exactly it is and where to buy the best Gore Tex jackets for styling out the wet season.

What Is Gore Tex?

Created by father and son duo Wilbert and Bob Gore in 1969, Gore-Tex is a semi-permeable membrane that allows sweat to escape while remaining completely watertight. It does this by using microscopic pores that are 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, but 700 times larger than a water vapour molecule.

The unparalleled functionality of Gore-Tex has made it the go-to fabric for performance, outerwear, and something of a byword for waterproof gear, whether deployed on shoes designed for climbing mountains or cool jackets . Think of it as what Heinz is to beans, or what Dyson is to vacuum cleaners that are fun to go around corners with.

There are plenty of variations of the fabric, too. Gore-Tex Pro, for example, boasts increased durability. You could probably blast it with a riot van water cannon for a month and it still wouldn’t let a drop through. Meanwhile, Gore-Tex Paclite and Gore-Tex Active provide lighter alternatives for outdoor workouts and day-to-day use.