Goldwin: which jacket to choose? Shell, insulated, down or fleece, the guide

Goldwin has been making jackets since 1950, first for skiing and the mountains, today for the city as much as for the outdoors. The difficulty, when you discover the Japanese brand, is that its jackets are named after fabrics more than models: Barite 2L Shell, WINDSTOPPER Puffy, Pertex Quantum Down Parka, Deep Pile Fleece. Each answers a precise use, and the right question is not “which one looks best” but “for what weather, and over what”.

This guide goes through the five Goldwin jackets in the Aura selection, in Rennes and online, explains the fabrics that set them apart, and gives simple references for choosing by weather, use and size. For the brand’s history and its link with nanamica, see our dedicated article.

Contents
Goldwin in a few words
The four families of Goldwin jackets
The Goldwin jackets available at Aura
Which Goldwin jacket for which use?
The Goldwin fabrics to know
How does Goldwin fit?
How to wear a Goldwin jacket
Why Aura selects Goldwin
Frequently asked questions

Goldwin in a few words

Goldwin was born in 1950 in Oyabe, in Toyama Prefecture, at the foot of the Japanese Alps. The company first made skiwear for Japanese teams, became Goldwin Inc. in 1963, then began distributing The North Face in Japan in 1978. The line that carries its own name, the one you find at Aura, applies that performance culture to an understated wardrobe, cut wide, with little or no visible logo.

What sets Goldwin apart from a classic outdoor brand comes down to three points: fabrics chosen from the best suppliers (GORE-TEX, Pertex, Polartec, PrimaLoft) rather than in-house membranes, a design that removes everything unnecessary, and an obsession with detail inherited from skiing, such as the “Spur Line”, the curve on the front of the jackets inspired by racing suits.

“A lightweight, high-loft down parka that offers excellent warmth and versatility for both urban style and outdoor activities.”

Goldwin, on the Pertex Quantum Down Parka

The four families of Goldwin jackets

Every Goldwin jacket falls into one of four families, which match the layers of an outdoor outfit. Once you have that grid in mind, the choice becomes simple.

Shells protect from rain and wind without insulating. At Goldwin they range from 2L (two layers, coated fabric lined with mesh) to 3L GORE-TEX (membrane laminated between two fabrics). They are worn over everything else.

Synthetic insulated jackets bring warmth with polyester wadding, which keeps insulating even when damp and dries fast. It is the widest family at Goldwin: from the thin jacket worn under a shell to the winter puffer.

Down jackets offer the best warmth-to-weight ratio, with Cleandown-treated duck down. They are made for dry cold.

Fleeces are breathable second layers, Polartec or deep pile, worn alone in mid-season and under a shell in winter.

The Goldwin jackets available at Aura

Barite 2L Shell Jacket: the shell against rain and wind

The Barite 2L Shell Jacket (€480) is the outer layer of the selection. Two-layer coated nylon, water-repellent and breathable, fully lined with mesh to wick moisture, a large adjustable hood, two generous chest pockets and a two-way zip protected by a storm flap. The Dark Navy colour and straight cut make it as much a city jacket as a light hiking jacket.

One point needs to be precise: it is a water-repellent, water-resistant jacket, not a GORE-TEX jacket. It handles a shower, a day of Breton drizzle, a seaside wind. In prolonged heavy rain, you will need a 3L. Worn alone in autumn over a t-shirt or a sweatshirt, over a fleece or an insulated jacket in winter, it is the most versatile piece in this guide.

WINDSTOPPER Puffy Jacket: the windproof winter puffer

The WINDSTOPPER Puffy Jacket (€500) is the winter jacket in the strict sense. Its outer fabric, WINDSTOPPER by GORE-TEX LABS, is a windproof, breathable 30-denier nylon with a water-repellent finish that protects from light rain and snow. The insulation is a recycled polyester wadding that keeps its warmth even when damp. The cut is slightly relaxed, with an adjustable drawcord hem, articulated sleeves and a built-in hood that stows in the collar to become a stand collar.

It is the jacket to choose if you want only one for the whole winter: warm enough for December in Rennes or Paris, thin enough to stay wearable in a shop, at the office or on the train, and windproof, which changes everything in cold, dry weather. Goldwin designed it with SYN-GRID, a pattern system that reduces fabric waste at the cutting stage.

Insulated Liner Jacket: the insulated jacket to wear alone or underneath

The Insulated Liner Jacket (€460) takes up the idea of the military liner, the quilted jacket buttoned inside a parka. Goldwin turns it into a jacket in its own right: solution-dyed nylon with a crinkled finish, THERMOFRAME synthetic insulation, water-repellent finish, hidden button placket with metal buttons, zipped inner pocket and snap-adjustable cuffs. The cut is relaxed and slightly short.

It plays on two fronts. In mid-season, it is worn alone over a shirt or a knit, with a dressier look than a puffer thanks to the buttons. In deep winter, it goes under the Barite 2L and forms with it a rain-plus-warmth system. If you hesitate between a mid-season jacket and a layering piece, this is the one.

Pertex Quantum Down Parka: down for deep cold

The Pertex Quantum Down Parka (€580) is the warmest piece in the selection. Pertex Quantum outer fabric, a very fine ripstop nylon, windproof, water-repellent and tear-resistant despite its lightness. Filled with 80% down and 20% Cleandown duck feathers, a down washed using a process that maximises its loft. The baffle structure concentrates the down at the centre of the back, where the body loses its heat, and down tubes around the neck remove cold spots.

The hand-warmer pockets are set into the side seams, the Spur Line runs across the front. It is the parka for mornings at zero degrees, weekends in the mountains and cities in northern Europe. One reservation: down loses its insulating power when wet, so in continuous rain the synthetic-insulated WINDSTOPPER Puffy is the safer choice.

Deep Pile Fleece Jacket: the deep pile fleece

The Deep Pile Fleece Jacket (€300, in Espresso and in Morel) is the fleece of the selection: a deep pile fleece blending 84% polyester and 16% wool, lined with a coated nylon that cuts some of the wind. The wool brings a drier hand and better regulation than a 100% synthetic fleece.

It is worn alone as soon as temperatures drop below fifteen degrees, over a t-shirt or a shirt, and becomes a second layer under the Barite 2L when it rains or under the WINDSTOPPER when it freezes. It is also the most accessible Goldwin jacket in price, and the one that slips most easily into a non-technical wardrobe.

And the mid layers

The WF Light L/S Hoodie (€150) completes the system: a thin hoodie in Solotex waffle fabric, Polygiene odour control, UPF 50+ protection, which dries fast and goes under any of the jackets above. The Polartec Wind Pro gloves (€90) and the Logo Knit Cap beanie (€80) round off the winter outfit.

Which Goldwin jacket for which use?

Start from the weather and from what you wear underneath.

• Rain, wind, mild temperatures (8 to 15 °C): Barite 2L Shell Jacket over a sweatshirt or the WF Light Hoodie.
• Dry cold, city, every day (0 to 8 °C): WINDSTOPPER Puffy Jacket. One jacket, hood stowed, the most versatile.
• Deep cold, mountains, trips north: Pertex Quantum Down Parka, with a beanie and the Polartec gloves.
• Mid-season, dressier outfit: Insulated Liner Jacket alone, over a shirt or a fine knit.
• Rain and cold together: Barite 2L over the Insulated Liner Jacket or the Deep Pile Fleece. Two pieces that are also worn separately the rest of the year.
• First Goldwin piece, contained budget: Deep Pile Fleece Jacket. The best use-to-price ratio in the selection.

Two simple rules to decide. If you buy only one jacket, take the one that covers the conditions you meet most often, not the extreme ones: in Rennes, that is the WINDSTOPPER Puffy rather than the down parka. If you buy two, choose a shell and an insulation, never two insulations.

The Goldwin fabrics to know

Goldwin works with reference suppliers rather than in-house membranes. These names come back on every label.

GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER by GORE-TEX LABS. GORE-TEX is the waterproof, breathable membrane of the brand’s 3L shells. WINDSTOPPER, from the same laboratory, is windproof and breathable but not waterproof: it is the fabric of the Puffy Jacket, softer and lighter than a waterproof membrane.

Pertex Quantum. A very fine ripstop nylon, windproof, water-repellent and tear-resistant. It is the outer fabric of the Down Parka and the lining of the Puffy Jacket. Its lightness lets the down or wadding loft freely.

Cleandown. Goldwin’s virgin duck down, washed using a process that removes impurities to maximise loft at equal weight.

THERMOFRAME and recycled polyester. The brand’s synthetic waddings. THERMOFRAME fills the Insulated Liner Jacket; the Puffy Jacket uses a recycled polyester made from marine plastic. In both cases, the insulation keeps working when damp, which down does not.

Polartec. The American fleece specialist. At Aura, you find it on the Wind Pro gloves, a fleece four times more windproof than a classic fleece according to Polartec.

Solotex and Polygiene. Solotex is a stretchy, wrinkle-resistant Japanese polyester fibre, used on the WF Light Hoodie and Goldwin trousers. Polygiene is the odour-control treatment applied to the hoodie.

How does Goldwin fit?

Goldwin uses a Japanese numbered grid from 1 to 5, which the brand and Aura translate as XS, S, M, L and XL. The jacket cuts are described as “relaxed” or “slightly relaxed”: not oversized, but with room for a layer underneath.

A concrete reference on the Barite 2L: a 1.83 m model with a 96 cm chest wears size 3, that is an M, with a 65 cm flat chest width and a 73 cm back length. Sizes are reported as true to size by the brand’s stockists. For the Puffy Jacket and the Insulated Liner Jacket, cut relaxed, take your usual size if you wear them over a t-shirt or a shirt, and the size up only if you plan to slip a thick fleece underneath. The Down Parka lofts a lot: your usual size is enough.

Our FW26 selection runs from XS to M, sometimes L. If you are between two sizes, the product page carries the flat measurements when we have them, and trying on in store in Rennes remains the surest method.

How to wear a Goldwin jacket

Goldwin is a technical brand that is worn like a wardrobe brand. The secret lies in what you wear underneath and below.

Japanese layering. Barite 2L or Puffy Jacket, WF Light Hoodie, Goldwin Baggy Straight Pants in Solotex twill. A monochrome outfit, black or navy, where only the textures vary.

The dressed-up counterpoint. Insulated Liner Jacket buttoned over a Kamakura Shirts shirt and Another Aspect wool trousers. The technical jacket steps out of its context.

The Japanese duo. Deep Pile Fleece under a nanamica jacket, the sister brand: same culture, two readings of technical clothing.

The feet. Goldwin jackets call for shoes that measure up: a pair of Merrell for the outdoors, G.H. Bass loafers for the city version.

Why Aura selects Goldwin

Because Goldwin is one of the few brands that pulls off the technical jacket that does not look like a technical jacket. No logos, no safety colours, no excess of zips: the fabrics do the work, the cut does the rest.

Because each piece has a role. We do not sell three puffers: we have a shell, a puffer, an insulated jacket, a down parka and a fleece, and they combine with each other. It is a system, not a collection.

And because Goldwin talks to the rest of our selection: nanamica obviously, but also Kamakura Shirts for the Japanese culture of clothing, ACT Running and District Vision for those who run, Another Aspect and mfpen for those who want a technical jacket in an understated wardrobe.

Goldwin: the details

Brand: Goldwin, founded in 1950 in Oyabe (Toyama, Japan), headquartered in Tokyo.

Jackets at Aura: Barite 2L Shell Jacket (€480), WINDSTOPPER Puffy Jacket (€500), Insulated Liner Jacket (€460), Pertex Quantum Down Parka (€580), Deep Pile Fleece Jacket (€300).

Layers and accessories: WF Light L/S Hoodie (€150), Polartec Wind Pro gloves (€90), Logo Knit Cap beanie (€80), Logo Cotton Cap (€70), Baggy Straight Pants (€270), Field Pants (€280), Soft Back-brushed Pants (€250).

Fabrics: WINDSTOPPER by GORE-TEX LABS, Pertex Quantum, Cleandown 80/20 down, THERMOFRAME, recycled polyester, Polartec Wind Pro, Solotex, Polygiene.

Production: Vietnam for the FW26 jackets, Indonesia for the hoodie, China for the accessories, depending on the piece.

Sizes: Japanese grid 1 to 5 translated as XS to XL, relaxed cuts.

Discover Goldwin at Aura

Aura Store is a Goldwin stockist in Rennes, at 2 rue Châteaurenault, and online at aura-estore.com with delivery across France and Europe. The FW26 selection brings together the brand’s jackets, mid layers, trousers and accessories.

See the full Goldwin selection at Aura →

Barite 2L Shell Jacket Dark Navy →

WINDSTOPPER Puffy Jacket Black →

Insulated Liner Jacket Black →

Pertex Quantum Down Parka Gunmetal →

Deep Pile Fleece Jacket Espresso →

Read also: nanamica, the brand’s story and its link with Goldwin →

Frequently asked questions about Goldwin jackets

Which country is Goldwin from?

Goldwin is a Japanese brand, founded in 1950 in Oyabe, Toyama Prefecture. The Goldwin Inc. group has also distributed The North Face in Japan since 1978 and owns nanamica, which designs the The North Face Purple Label line.

Which is the warmest Goldwin jacket?

In the Aura selection, the Pertex Quantum Down Parka, filled with Cleandown 80/20 down. For daily use in damp weather, the synthetic-insulated WINDSTOPPER Puffy Jacket is more versatile, as it stays warm even when wet.

Is the Barite 2L Shell Jacket waterproof?

It is water-repellent, water-resistant and breathable, with a storm flap over the zip, but it is not a GORE-TEX jacket. It suits fine rain, showers and wind. For prolonged heavy rain, Goldwin offers 3L GORE-TEX shells, which we do not stock for now.

How does Goldwin fit?

Goldwin sizes from 1 to 5, that is XS to XL, with relaxed cuts. Take your usual size, and the size up only if you plan a thick fleece under a shell. On the Barite 2L, a 1.83 m man with a 96 cm chest wears an M.

What is the difference between Goldwin and nanamica?

Both brands belong to the Goldwin group. Goldwin is the technical line, born from skiing, with performance fabrics and minimal design. nanamica, founded in 2003 by Eiichiro Homma, mixes technical fabrics and a classic wardrobe, with a more nautical, dressier spirit.

How do you care for a Goldwin jacket?

Follow the label on each piece. As a general rule: wash at 30 °C, zips closed, without fabric softener, which clogs water-repellent finishes, dry flat or tumble dry on low for puffers to restore loft to the down and wadding.

Where to buy Goldwin in France?

Goldwin is available at Aura Store, 2 rue Châteaurenault in Rennes, and on aura-estore.com with delivery across France and Europe. The selection is presented on the Goldwin collection.