Womens Outerwear FW24/25 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Whether ripping the park or boosting big lines, the female rider knows exactly what she wants and isn’t making any compromises. Not in function, nor in style. Find out more about the trends in Women’s Outerwear for FW24/25 in our report by Anna Langer.
THEMES
No matter what you think about the current gender debate, the trend for unisex design in women’s wear is unmistakable. 32 says “our female riders are often looking for a more unisex fit and look. We take that into account and offer our key outerwear pieces in sizing down to XS.” Roxy give a modern update to their tomboy, 90’s trend capsule and the result is a masculine retro sport look with feminine details, while L1 Premium Goods feature two genderless capsules with the Axial and Ventura. 686 “embrace modern femininity. The women’s collection essentially has two sides – one for the female who wants to embrace a traditional feminine look through fit and colour and another side for the women who have been embracing more gender inclusive looks, styles and colours. We believe each woman should be empowered to embrace her femininity in her own way.” Focusing on maximum inclusivity, Airblaster broaden their “Every Body collection, welcoming all body types”. Horsefeathers also find that the “upcoming trend of unisex and loose-fit apparel significantly influences our latest collection. This trend reflects a shift towards more versatile outerwear options, catering to a diverse range of body types and style preferences.”
This new direction is clearly rider driven, says L1: “The main source of feedback for the redesign came from our female team riders and female reps. Half of the line has been redesigned to make sure women can get what they want vs what men think they want.” Oxbow also value their team input: “Our outerwear range is fully dedicated to the riders, and developed in collaboration with our ambassadors,” says Oxbow. Oakley dedicate them a capsule: the “TEAM COLLECTION, where we co-create products alongside them, drawing from their needs and creative inspiration to craft superior products. This season, our collaboration continues with remarkable athletes such as Jamie Anderson.”
Forward Outdoor Global Brand Director Tony McWilliam finds that: “What we need is pieces tailored and cut specifically for women who actually want something that is focused on them pushing the envelope in the backcountry. We’ll always take inspiration from fashion, but we’ll always do it in a way that combines performance and sustainability into a complete offering. And we build products that fit exceptionally well and are built to last.” Burton have updated the cut lines for women’s Gore for a more modern, technical look and function, Roxy pair innovative materials and advanced technical features to support the core freeriders needs, including touring specific outfits, Oakley cater to various disciplines with a special emphasis on backcountry adventures and DC’s storm division “compiles all products with technical points ensuring comfort, warmth and everything which a rider need when riding.” Norrona are launching a new lightweight freeride collection for durable touring, progressive features, and solutions with a subtle design expression. Jones Snowboards announce the new Women’s Dark Start Hoodie and a fresh look to their Women’s Shralpinist Stretch outerwear.
For Mammut the overall theme behind the FW24/25 outerwear range is resourceful performance and also Rojo emphasizes their continued focus on climate and the environment. “Creativity and sustainability is an important driver to stimulate and reignite imagination and optimism” which they do via “to use hand selected recycled fabrics and colours to delve into feelings of preservation for personal well-being and the planet,” says Jo Buckle, Founder and Designer.
Last but not least, a “seamless on and off mountain experience” merits a mention as well. “We design versatile pieces that aim to offer both performance and style for complete versatility. Our design focus is on adaptability and customization for our wearers, so they have the flexibility to adjust based on conditions or personal preferences,” says Oakley. Rojo highlight their new Slope Style Jacket next to softshell anoraks that are suitable for various activities, from downhill action to hiking, and everything in between.
FITS
With gender neutrality as one of the major trends it’s not surprising that we’ll be getting a lot more options for baggier, boxier, unisex fits next winter. Burton offer “true” gender neutral style in their Future Trust collection: “Our prior gender neutral styles had been cut from the men’s block but offered in a broader range of sizing, but this collection has been designed and fit across a variation of men and women to really make this a truly equal option. We plan to roll out this learning throughout even more of the line in the future.” Airblaster expand their Every Body, which welcomes and celebrates all body types: “Bottoms are built to accommodate wider bodies, yet happily cinch in to fit slim bodies who desire a baggier fit. Tops are wider and slightly shorter to accommodate full hips without bunching or provide a slightly cropped look for slim/tall frames,” explains Jesse Grandkoski, Co-Founder & Creative.
Also Horsefeathers embrace a more spacious, comfortable style with broader cuts across various pieces. “This shift caters to a growing demand for more relaxed fits, blending comfort and contemporary style. The wider cuts are designed to offer a more laid-back look while ensuring maximum mobility and comfort, which is particularly important in active wear,” says Tomas Koudela, Head of Marketing. Roxy embody this trend with their co-designed capsule with Chloe Kim, pairing soft ornamental floral print to contrast against strong unisex silhouettes. In a similar way, L1 embrace the relaxed fit trend for their parkas and introduce two-new oversized and baggy fits as well as several jackets that have been updated to be shorter and boxier. Picture Organic Clothing highlight their Citrik jacket and Dicentra pants: “A new silhouette very important for us since Picture definitely came from the snowparks and the freestyle snowboarders. It showcases a very loose fit, vintage fabric, and gender free colourways.” And Rojo find that their “Retro Jo Jacket and She Ripz Pants offer a full circle moment and a looser fit which can be sized up or down for a baggier silhouette.”
Maybe a bit more surprising is that many brands also take sustainability into factor for their new silhouettes. “We’re introducing the redesign of one of our most important all mountain snow sports shells, the Stoney. Made from the ground up to be as resourceful as possible whilst still delivering the performance and protection the Stoney is known for. This has been achieved through the optimized pattern to reduce fabric usage, and utilizing the most durable workmanships we can, alongside the high-performance recycled Polyester 3-layer monocomponent fabric” explain Mammut.
Jones add the Dark Start Recycled Hoodie to the women’s collection: “The Dark Start is a highly breathable, super-stretchy, synthetic mid-layer that’s perfect for high output adventures and wet climates. It’s made with 100% recycled face fabric and 100% recycled synthetic Air Flake insulation that retains its warmth even when wet and Rojo highlight their new Slope Style Jacket, that is crafted with recycled insulation and an eco-friendly shell. Rehall combine recycled Dermizax shell fabrics with recycled padding and lining materials and highlight “ergonomic fittings that are light weight, comfortable to wear and durable.”
Last but not least, fits are also an important factor to performance. “Recognizing the unique requirements of women, we’ve designed silhouettes that cater to their specific needs. Our Slim fit is designed to be trim and close to the body, ensuring a snug yet flexible fit that facilitates freedom of movement,” says Oakley Marketing Manager Carrie Brigs. For “splitboarding one day, cruising and freestyling in the park the other”, Oxbow count on their women jacket and bib together as their “ultimate silhouette. Forward also count on bibs: “Our Tour silhouette is incredibly lightweight and we’ve removed what you don’t need – but kept everything you do – to create an outfit that moves with you to make the ascent as enjoyable as the descent.” 686 have added a female version of their bestselling men’s bib and state that “women’s pants have gotten roomier through the hip, thigh and knee overall and waist and rises have been rebalanced. We continue to update our fits based on women riders, who tend to have stronger legs with more muscle,” explains Brent Sandor. And Colorwear updated their Slash bib: “a high raised pant with oversized upper part made for female riders and with a par of big suspenders how fits well both under your jacket or over your hoody.”
Picture Organic Clothing highlight their highly technical Gravita 3L jackets and Burton updated the cut lines for women’s Gore for a more modern, technical look and function. Rojo mix classics and heritage inspired pieces with all new and functional pieces. Finally, L1 mention that the popularity of the skinny pant has dwindled but it still has a consumer that wants it and also Colorwear stick with their favourite silhouette of an “oversized look on jackets and sleeker silhouette on the pants for her,
And we still see that look for AW24 importance.”
MATERIALS & TECH INNOVATIONS
Sustainable materials and production processes are becoming the new normal, which is reason to celebrate. Roxy integrate sustainable practices into every design, focusing on recycled and natural yarn, water consumption, energy use and minimizing eco-toxicity, says Julia Hascoet, Global Product Manager. They introduce a new recycled fabric derived entirely from textile waste. “Notably, half of our outerwear collection now incorporates this 100% recycled yarn, making a significant milestone on our journey toward a more sustainable future.”“Our main target is to deliver the most eco-friendly products possible” agree Oxbow, which they achieve by using recycled plastic bottles, recycled yarn from Italy (Newlife certified), fabric made and dyed in France, Sympatex membranes and recycled Primaloft padding made in Europe and producing in Portugal. Picture continue their chemical free XPORE membrane and Rojo use only Oeko Tex standard fabric and their recycled pieces incorporate traceable fibres sourced from the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Burton update almost all Gore fabrics to their new ePe offering, with a goal of 100% by the end of W26 and Norrona implement ePE in dedicated styles in their tamok and lofoten collections. And Oakley expand their offerings with the FNDRY 30/20k for ultimate waterproofness and breathability as well as sustainable insulation and treatments while Forward focus on combining hand feel with performance and sustainability to create unique offerings across the entire range.
Mammut sport a fully recycled Polyester material in their Stoney HS and Stoney HS Thermo Styles and introduce the Mammut Loop insulation: “a unique cluster fill and sheet padding insulation produced from mechanically recycled rope production off-cuts, creating something meaningful out of waste while performing on a high level, to keep its wearer warm and cozy even in humid conditions.” And to sum it all up, Colorwear state that besides implementing more recyclable polyester fabrics and sustainable sourced cotton “we encourage to buy less and ride more.”
COLOURS
The overall eco conscious trend is also reflected in earthy colour palettes. “Earth tones and shades become our canvas, mirroring the subtle beauty of the world outside,” says Oakley. Oxbow feature
cloud shades, 686 go for Sage and Cypress green next to Purple Impression, L1 have a lot of browns, greens, and stone in their line, Norrona introduce a more subtle colour palette with the launch of their møre collection, Forward highlight Dry Sulphur and Rojo are “inspired by how colour evolves through the elements, through time and weather, minerals and water.” Mammut reflect “the beauty of nature and our brand’s heritage. Our range features earthy green, purple and rose tones inspired by the great outdoors, with hues such as Dark Marsh, Marsh, Flux, and Quartz Dust” and also Jones continue solid colourways with fabric blocking and toned colours with less contrast. Yet they also have “more bright colours in our 3L styles than previous seasons, which are important for visibility in the backcountry” says Designer Heida Birgisdottir.
Also Roxy bring a burst of vibrancy into their collection: “We’ve introduced a sporty pop butterfly colour, infusing a refreshing energy throughout the range.” Mammut feature pop colours like Neo Lime and Glacier Blue for a lively contrast to their earthy tones. “Airblaster has painted the Women’s line in myriad purples – including Magic, Huckleberry and Shade – to create tonal monochrome magic huckleberry vibrations. Purple people unite!”. Burton tie Shadow Pink with muted pastels, alongside Dusty Blue, Petrol Green and Summit Taupe, next to a little extra punch with Peach Echo and Imperial Purple. Horsefeathers find that “in the women’s collections, colours and all-over prints are always crucial. The new FW24/25 line showcases a spectrum from subdued, earthy tones to more vibrant tints. “
PRINTS
Graphics are likewise inspired by nature, as we can find at Mammut, Oxbow and Oakley, who state that “prints are visual narratives of the intricate patterns and textures found in nature.”
Roxy find that “while prints remain a crucial element ingrained in our DNA, they assume a nuanced role, stepping back from dominance.” They showcase abstract prints as well as “soft ornamental floral print, contrasting against strong unisex silhouettes.” Horsefeathers “enhance their collection by two outstanding all-over prints, Abstract paint and Snowstorm, each adding a unique flair to the range.”
Burton tie their prints directly into the colour blocks, so it’s really easy for stores to display a combination of options. Airblaster mention a unique iridescent Leopard Shimmer print on special Japanese fabric that luminesces when in motion and Colorwear continue to tweak their signature leopard print: “For FW24/25 we have it in a tone of lilac and light blue that fits well with the bright colour pallet we have.”
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