A wonderful shell

By Cecelia Spitznas February 12, 2011

The fabric in this jacket is a great alternative to scratchy gore-tex proshell. It still has the gore-tex inside but the outside layer is a softer fabric. Arc'teryx calls it "soft shell" but they do not mean stretchy jersey fabric "soft shell". What they mean is waterproof shell that is soft.

I made this purchase because my insulated ski jackets were too hot for learning bumps in 30 degree+ weather. I would sweat and then freeze on the lifts. I ended up wearing with several layers underneath in Vail in February in minus 0 degree temps and was quite comfortable. It snowed 5 days straight in Vail and no moisture whatsoever got into the jacket.

One thing to bear in mind is it does not have any insulation other than one layer of fabric inside to help you get it on and off over fleece. That one layer means it probably would be too hot for a summer raincoat but its definitely not a stand alone jacket for placid alpine pursuits like watching hockey outside. But its perfect for very active outdoor activities in the cold cross country skiing, hiking, ice climbing or bump skiing.

I got it in the camellia color and got the pants to match. My husband now calls me "Violet" and one ski instructor called me "the popsicle" but another ski instructor could not stop complimenting me and I skied by a random dude on a bump run and he shouted "Looking Good!" so take that for what its worth.

If you can't take the teasing generated by the monochromatic magenta, the jacket would also look nice with the navy blue Arc'teryx pants (I was afraid I'd be hot in such a dark color) or generic black pants. In terms of color, the camellia is two toned and the lighter color is a darkish pink while the darker color is magenta like the other magenta colors Arc'teryx produces.

Instructors were all exclaiming that I was very easy to see in the snow which is a good thing because when visibility is low you don't want to be hit or get lost. But its not a "highlighter" glowing color like an orange or lime green might be. Also while its not a color you would see on a guy I don't think its severely "girly" because its more of a dark pink/purple. Plus if you wear Arc'teryx its pretty obvious you care more about function than fashion.

I would not call this an athletic fit but rather a relaxed fit; however it is slimming especially with the single color scheme. I've got a thick Arc'teryx fleece and an Arc'teryx coreloft hoodie to put under it and they all fit really well together.

The hood on the jacket fits over my ski helmet but I didn't find I could move my head very well due to the google strap rubbing inside the hood. It may just be time to buy a helmet and google combination that will do away with the strap in the back so I can use the hood.

Finally, I don't regret buying the camellia but if you will feel weird or dated in camellia in 2021 then maybe consider a color that is more generic. I expect this entire outfit will last pretty close to forever.

View Details: Arc'teryx Stingray Jacket - Women's

Nailed It? 4 Yes