latest north face summit series range

[wayno]

https://thenorthface.com.au/catalog/sho ... ies-comp-3

[Giddy_up]

Gosh wayno, those pants look the bomb but the $$!!!


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[wayno]

in NZ, add 10%

[north-north-west]

Love the look of those pants but - apart from the cost - only in medium or large. 'Cause small women don't do these sorts of things, y'know . . .

[wayno]

one choice in colour...

[north-north-west]

Don't care for colourful pants anyway. You don't really want to draw attention to a backside the size of mine. Jackets are *&%$#! drab, but. B-oooo-ring.

[benjabimon]

Do any of you think that the performance of these clothes justifies the price? Would you be served equally as well by similar items from other manufacturers?? Serious question.

[wayno]

not entirely. outdoor research are similar quality, much cheaper. Montane are built to a higher standard, stronger seams.
macpac similar quality now. Arcteryx are higher standard.
Westcomb higher build quality, cheaper...
mont bell high build quality, way cheaper.
Haglofs better..

[benjabimon]

Thanks, I am just curious to see where North Face fits in with all the other brands. Way too expensive in Australia for what it is, but I have a friend that lives in California, and the way that she talks about it, it seems more or less equivalent to Macpac. Mostly in terms of what they pay there for the same item, but the quality also looks as dependable.

[wayno]

quality varies but the summit range is high quality..

[benjabimon]

Would you say then that for a lot of their clothing and equipment that having something by North Face is more of a symbol of status?

Going back to what was said earlier about other brands, I've recently gotten a few things by Mountain Equipment, and I'm pretty impressed with what you get for the price. I would put them up there with Montane and RAB, and say that they all seem fairly close with quality, cost, and value.

[wayno]

ah, good you mentioned mountain equipment, i forgot about them. Their design and build quality are very good, the latest gear is as a result of spending three years working with swiss pattern cutters to refine the cut of their garments. they are one of the few brands offering waterproof zips in their top of the line waterproof gear as opposed to most companies which have water resistant zippers.
why people wear the north face will vary, its a widely available brand especially in the northern hemisphere, with good brand recognition sold by reputable shops, the gear is reasonable to high quality depending on which range of gear you're getting. people will buy from shops they trust and if they've seen the brand well advertised and or worn then they are more likely to buy it as well.
they have top athletes and mountaineers who are using their gear.
mountain hardwear is another good brand.
RAB are comparable to The North Face.

[benjabimon]

I think that's an interesting thing with this, the brand visibility. You're probably not an expert in all of this, so apologies if my questions seem specific, but would you say that the difference with the North Face is that they are large enough (certainly larger than the UK brands mentioned) to have the resources needed to make inroads into the Australian market? There is quite a large North Face shop smack dab in the middle of the Melbourne CBD, and while they have nice stuff, I was astounded by the price. It struck me as strange that we don't see nearly as much of the good quality and more affordable UK brands being sold, and worn, here. Particularly since you can get cheaper pieces of clothing or equipment that competes with North Face in terms of quality.

I should be fair and point out that when I say and 'more affordable,' this is only for some, not all. Where I am coming from is a background of being blessed with a well paying job that does not drive me insane, and enough of a free life to have disposable income.

[wayno]

the north face dont take an active direct interest down under, the gear is sold through an independent distribution company The True Alliance. how much market penetration happens is down to how effectively they can market and sell the product down under.
In auckland its not advertised, but there is a clearance shop for the north face where you can last seasons gear discounted.

[benjabimon]

The same friend from California I mentioned earlier has told me of a similar place over there. I think if I ever make it over to the US then I would need to check that place out, she said that things are sold quite cheaply in their clearance centres

[wayno]

hiking gear is part of a fashion industry, a lot of the shops are located in premium shopping areas where people with disposable income shop and can and do pay the asking price to get the latest style and colour. part of the selling point of the gear with the high price point is they often use the latest technology material which carries a premium when it comes out. being lightweight is often higher in the design priorities than being durable
by contrast hunting shops aren't located in lower income areas. being durable is higher in the design considerations than having the latest lightweight expensive materials. you'll find lower technology in the gear at a more affordable price..

[benjabimon]

Speaking of the latest technology, was it last year that North Face released a parka in partnership with some Japanese biotech company, which was made using lab made spider silk? So cyberpunk There's a lot of cool stuff on the horizon it seems, and it will be funny to look back in 20 years and see how much things have changed again.

Back to what you were saying, the whole idea of buying a whole new wardrobe each season is completely alien to me.

[wayno]

various outdoor clothing companies have started making clothes specifically for urban wear