During the winter season it is crucial to stay warm and the best way to do that is with a nice, cozy ski jacket. Modern fabrics have improved the ski jacket by making them warmer, more lightweight and more breathable. Even though most ski jackets have these qualities, they are not all pleasing to the eye.

When choosing the right ski jacket, make sure you look for features that will help you before you look at color. Do you need a coat with removable layers that you can wear all year long or a coat that is specifically for a harsh climate? Another factor to consider is if you need your coat to be waterproof. Although most ski jackets are weather proof, some are built solely for looks and comfort.

Most ski jackets are made up of three layers: a base or wick layer, an insulating layer and an outer shell. The base layer’s main purpose is to wick away the moisture from your body to keep you comfortable. The insulation layer is exactly what it sounds like; it retains your body heat by trapping it around your body. The outer shell protects you from the winter elements, and is almost always waterproof and windproof.

Now that you know what to look for, you can now narrow down your search by style and color. Do you want a jacket that’s long or short? Is a removable hood something that would make your life easier? Also look at the cut; even though cuts may look the same, they may look different once you try them on. Another important feature is pockets. Do you like the smaller pockets or bigger pockets? Lastly, color is a big factor. Choosing the color of your jacket is difficult, but you can narrow down your choices by process of elimination. Do you want a bright or a neutral color jacket? Most jackets are either bright colors or black and white but the trend this season is bright greens and purples.

The North Face and Columbia Sportswear are two of the most popular ski jacket brands at AHS. A down side to getting a popular brand is that the jackets are pricey. The North Face’s popular Triclimate jacket  sells from $200 to $300. Columbia Sportswear’s Parka sells in the upper $200s to mid $300s. Although these jackets are popular at AHS, most students buy the more everyday cheaper jackets. However, because spring is quickly approaching you should buy your jacket in the next couple of weeks, before stores clear out their jacket inventory. On the other hand, buying them later could benefit you because many will be on sale.

Overall, choosing the right ski jacket may be stressful, but knowing what you want in advance makes the experience more enjoyable. This season ski jackets are all the rage, but are the ski tags?