Alpine Designs (Alp Sport) Down Jacket

Alp Sport was started in Boulder Colorado in the early 60’s and later became known as Alpine Designs. This unique jacket comes from that transitional period sometime in the mid to late  1960s.

The shell is constructed from a tightly woven nylon which is light and dense, much like modern shells. The down fill is fairly lofty, but this definitely not an expedition piece.  The subtle outside gives way to an all cotton, vibrant paisley lining.  Talon zippers, with Alpine Designs’ edelweiss flower logo embossed on the snaps. The gommeted tab suggest it could be used as a ski jacket.

This jacket can be seen as an early example of outerwear as a fashionable piece. In the late 60s, early 70s decades of advancements in outdoor gear design started popping up on college campus’ nation wide as students embraced this new style. A sea change that helped propel companies like The North Face and Patagonia into the upper stratosphere, while giving rise to a whole new crop of labels and the eventual demise of most.