In a world of full-featured jackets, the svelte Westcomb Shift LT Hoody first impressed me as decidedly minimalist. Maybe even too simple for the day-after-day demands of a skier. But I knew the folks at Westcomb don’t make garbage, so I reluctantly brought the Shift on a ski trip as a back up. Then I brought it on another trip—and another. And then it replaced my other shells.

The secret to the Shift lies in its use of Polartec’s NeoShell, which has the breathability and mobility of a softshell but is also, for all intents and purposes, windproof and waterproof. It also weighs next to nothing.

I've been wearing the Shift for six months, doing everything from skiing in the low twenties to biking and running errands around town. It’s light weight and breathability makes it easy to wear nearly all the time, and ideal for rapidly changing weather.