Tall skiing jackets for men

Finding a new skiing jacket was long overdue as my baggy old XL jacket was starting to look decrepit as well as badly fitting. As ever, the challenge was to find one that fits and looks good. After fruitlessly scouring endless sports shops, ordering online seemed to be the only practical option. Always keen to find the widest options for tall men, I searched and directly contacted many outdoor apparel stores and I am happy to share with you my best finds. If you have found other options yourself, do let me know.

Meanwhile, as the ski season draws to a close for 2019, get ready for some discounts on last year's stock and to get in early on the limited tall sizes for the 2019/2020 season!

Columbia Sportswear

After exploring various options I opted for the tried and trusted, since my old jacket was from Columbia. Since humble beginnings in 1938, Columbia Sportswear has become one of the largest "outdoor and active lifestyle" companies in the world with sales of $2.8 billion in 2018. For such a large company, however, their tall range is good but not outstanding.

I am extremely happy with the Whirlibird III Interchange jacket that I bought. The 3-in-1 design means it has an inner jacket that is great for mild weather while the ski jacket served me well for a week in Austria when the wind chill was -16'C and the snow was driving horizontally. As you can see from the photo at the bottom of this article, the Large Tall size was plenty long enough for me at 6'5".

Summit Sports offers a broad range of tall sizes as well as big & tall with good discounts. Their stock is not always latest season but this does mean there is a good choice from multiple product ranges. Delivery outside the US is possible but very expensive. The Columbia web site also offers the current season's styles in all sizes. The stock for 'special' sizes like Tall appears to be very limited and is only available on the US site for US delivery, not any of their international sites.

Obermeyer

For over 75 years, Obermeyer has emphasized “fit” to ensure the ultimate performance between design and function. Founded and headquartered in Aspen, Colorado, the company is conscious of the environment and the main Obermeyer office is an award-winning “green” complex that receives 60% of its heat from solar energy. The clothing is also high-tech, incorporating weatherproof technology, lightweight insulation, specialty fabrics, innovative styling, and individualized features "to simply make being outside feel better".

Maier Sports

A German brand, Maier Sports does offer some extra tall sizes. Look for the filter "Long" in the size menu that shows products in sizes 94 (tall slim) to 122 (4XLT). However, they do not sell directly and tall sizes appear not to be widely available online. The web site will also direct you to a local store (in mainland Europe) from where you can order their products directly.

An easier solution might be to check Highley Tall, a UK online shop that specialises in tall sizes. They sometimes stock styles from Maier Sports.

North 56'4

North 56'4 is based in the Danish town of Grenaa, which is located (give-or-take) on 56'4" north of the equator. Geography aside, North 56'4 offers a Tall clothing collection which it describes as "a contemporary mix of the latest styles which ensure a perfect fit for the tall man". All styles are available in size LT (large tall) - 6XLT (6Xlarge tall). The range is directed at large rather than tall but there are some tall jackets, pants and tops including at least one style of ski jacket.

Other Options

A handful of other outlets has some tall styles or occasional tall styles. If you are still at a loss, you could try some of the sites below that may offer additional inspiration. Do let me know if you have any experiences or tips on tall ski jackets!

• https://www.eddiebauer.com/
• https://www.marmot.com/
• https://virtika.com/
• https://nwt3k.com/