Nobis – Fashion + Function From Canada
Canadian cold-weather street wear weds fashion with function and fit

Nobis entered our collective conscious in 2007, with an offering of warm, waterproof, highly technical, Canadian-made outerwear with smooth styling, classic cuts, and a reputation for exceeding consumer expectations. Leading the Nobis charge Vice President Robin Yates, Toronto based 20 year outerwear industry veteran and former Vice President of Canada Goose, whose penchant for perfection now brings technical innovation to Nobis cold-weather streetwear. Function has been integral to alpine skiwear for years, but waterproof membranes, warmth and breath-ability is something new for parkas worn on the street—Yates is determined to wed fashion with function.


Function and Fit

Indeed, in the collection for 2014 The Nobis team has married fashion with both function and fit. Slim-fitting, fur-trimmed jackets in sumptuous fabrics succeed in flattering a woman’s silhouette and making a man look smart, yet have been kitted out with the latest technological advances. Among them:

• 100% Canadian down for ultimate warmth.

• Sympatex TM Laminated seam sealed windproof, waterproof, breathable membrane technology, constructed to block out wind, rain, snow, and cold.

• DWR (Durable Water Repellent), coated outer shell that prevents saturation of a fabric, causing water to bead off the surface of the jacket.

• Adjustable wire-framed snorkel tunnel hoods that provide deep protection from exposure for the wearer’s head and face.

Many parkas in the 2014 collection include removable rex rabbit or coyote fur options. “Coyote is our principal fur trim,” says Yates. “You can wear it closed around your face, it doesn’t bead up, and it’s a readily available resource in North America.”

Nobis: Styled for Us

All these technical features are packed into 56 classic styles—outerwear with eye-catching fits like The JillianThe Tula, and The Astrid for women; plus The RoscoThe Higgins, and The Yatesy for men. “Many of our competitors simply took men’s fits and sized them down accordingly for women,” says Yates. “The result is a boxy, my-boyfriend’s-jeans kind of fit. At Nobis we understand a woman’s physique is separate from a man’s and we strive for the style that flatters a woman’s figure.” After all, as Yates explains, Nobis is the Latin word for us.

And then there’s color. The pallet Nobis has chosen for 2014 implements bursts of rusts, plums, navys, greys, greens, blacks, burgundies, reds, and subdued shades of stone. Says Yates: “A Nobis parka is a complimentary purchase. It can be worn with anything. We aim to give it timeless appeal.”


Future of Nobis

For designs of the future, Yates promises even more opulent styles for Nobis: “More elegance, more functionality, more uniqueness,” he says. He’s also promising an extreme jacket to be added to the Nobis line in 2015—one that’s the warmest on the market, able to withstand the extreme temperatures experienced in the coldest places on the planet while still maintaining nobis’ signature styling.   For more on the Nobis 2014 Collection, see [add URL]