The North Face

For an outdoor behemoth, The North Face has pretty humble origins. It was founded in San Francisco in 1966 by a couple of committed climbers who simply thought the outdoor gear available at the time wasn't good enough. Nearly sixty years on, much of the brand’s range is less about the summit and more about everything that happens around it. The iconic Half Dome logo has become one of the most recognisable in outdoor lifestyle fashion – and the brand's cultural footprint now extends well beyond the mountains.

Core heritage pieces like the quarter-zip and pile fleeces now make great grab n’ go layers for daily wear, while a bag like the Borealis remains one of the best-designed EDC packs ever made. There’s still plenty of innovative thinking going on at TNF HQ too, of course – such as the Base Camp Voyager Pro modular travel system, designed to reflect how people actually move through modern urban environments like airports and cities.

And to be fair, the technical gear continues to deliver when it matters – from 3L DryVent hiking shells to down puffers that deliver superb warmth for weight. But the honest picture is a brand whose best work right now sits at the intersection of outdoor credibility and everyday wearability. It’s gear you'd wear on a sunrise hike, then to lunch at a pop-up taqueria afterwards too.