In T’s column 1 Piece, 10 Budgets, we share 10 perfect versions of an item in a range of prices. This time, we’re looking at windbreakers, or wind-resistant jackets first developed for outdoor use. They’ve since come to double as sporty style statements, hence the current range of iterations, from packable shells to more fashion-forward silhouettes. Here are the T market editor Angela Koh’s favorites.
1. Gu, $40
Now under the creative direction of Francesco Risso, the Tokyo-based company Gu offers this windbreaker made using fine, high-density threads that are still lightweight enough for the piece to be worn in the sun.
2. The North Face Renewed, $60
This option comes from the North Face’s Renewed program, through which the outdoor performance stalwart takes back old gear from customers, refurbishes it and then resells it at a reduced price.
3. Peak Performance, $180
Why not opt for the pink version of this wind-resistant nylon zip-up from the Swedish brand Peak Performance? It features a back panel for ventilation, and the material makes it ultrapackable.
4. Arc’teryx, $200
This windbreaker from Arc’teryx, the North Vancouver, British Columbia-based brand rooted in mountaineering, is made from ripstop, a technical fabric woven with a strengthening crosshatch pattern that prevents tearing.
5. Leset, $420
Founded in 2019, Leset was conceived as a bridge between luxury and athleisure. Take this yellow windbreaker, cut in the brand’s garment-dyed Kyoto cotton and reminiscent of a warm-up jacket. (Matching pants are available.)
6. Weekend Max Mara, $725
In 1983, the Italian design house Max Mara launched its subbrand Weekend, which has focused on casual, off-duty pieces — like this water-repellent windbreaker with a high collar and drawstring waist — ever since.
7. Another Tomorrow, $750
A blouson is a blouse-like jacket, and this example from the New York brand Another Tomorrow, which prides itself on its commitment to environmental welfare and supply chain transparency, is made in Italy from recycled nylon.
8. Nili Lotan, $790
From Nili Lotan, a New York label known for its seasonless essentials, this hooded windbreaker is made from tactile cotton, giving it a workwear-like feel that sets it apart from more typical sporty styles.
Moncler may be best known for its heavy winter gear, but pieces in its year-round Longue Saison collection, like this glossy pink windbreaker with two-way zippers and the brand’s signature emblem at the sleeve, are designed for the in-between seasons.
For their debut collection as the dual creative directors of Loewe, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez hewed to a sportswear theme, as exemplified by this jacket, with a roomy silhouette and a black silk drape running down its center.
