We got a first look this past week at several pieces from Columbia’s spring 2015 line. From a new kind of zipper to a color-changing shirt, these items stood out. —Stephen Regenold
Retro Windbreaker — Direct from a 1992 catalog, Columbia pulled this design and made it new again. I tested the windbreaker for a few days and liked the fit and basic function of keeping you warmer in the wind.
The Flashback Windbreaker is not a high-performance piece and is not made to be waterproof or very breathable. But at just $39.99, the Flashback is a fun jacket. I like the “kangaroo” pocket on front and basic wear-anywhere fit as well as the retro look for 1990s nostalgia’s sake if nothing else.
‘Future Zipper’ On Rain Jacket — We covered the Columbia LightRail zipper in an article earlier this year. (See our article “Never-Before-Seen Zipper Created For Olympic Outerwear.”)
But while it debuted on an Olympic shell Columbia decided to bring the zipper to the masses in 2015 with this $80 raincoat.