This Respected Outdoor Brand Faithfully Revives Some Gorgeous 1960s Alpine Gear

A 23-piece collection dripping with 1960s mountaineering swagger.

A person wearing a dark puffer jacket, striped knit beanie, and black sunglasses stands with hands in pockets against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains and a clear blue sky. Snow is seen flying in the air behind them.

Published September 29, 2025

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Although outdoor equipment technology has advanced greatly since the late 1960s and early 1970s, the look of that era has had a lasting influence on menswear.

A collection of retro alpine gear inspired by photos taken during a groundbreaking 1969 climb nails that aesthetic for some of the best-looking jackets, sweaters and pants released in 2025.

A person wearing a bright red puffer jacket with a hood, black pants, a white climbing helmet, and a striped knit hat underneath the helmet. The background shows a snowy mountainous landscape with rocky cliffs. The jacket has visible snap buttons and drawstrings hanging down. — A climber wearing the Directissima IN Hooded Jacket in Mammut Red.

British designer Nigel Cabourn teamed up with Swiss outdoor brand Mammut to create a capsule collection that “reimagines an
authentic 1969 mountaineering kit through a modern lens.”

At the heart of the collection is Michiko Imai, a groundbreaking Japanese climber who became the first woman to ascend the Eiger, one of the most formidable peaks in the Swiss Alps.

Three climbers dressed in heavy winter gear and helmets stand on a snowy peak, holding a weathered Japanese flag with handwritten messages. The climbers appear smiling despite the harsh, snowy conditions. — Michiko Imai (center) holding a Japanese flag at the peak of The Eiger, Grindelwald, Switzerland.

Accompanied by five fellow Japanese climbers, Imai’s expedition, known as the Japanese Direttissima, established the most direct route to the peak. It is also one of the most technically challenging routes on the mountain.

A golden era in gear

The Nigel Cabour x Mammut Japensse Direttissima collection contains a puffer jacket, two parkas, a hooded blanket jacket, a shirt-jacket, a sweater, a wool fleece, two different pants, a scarf and a beanie.

A person wearing a navy blue sweater with a white and red patterned design, a white scarf with red lobster prints, black gloves, and a bright red puffer jacket draped over their shoulders. The background appears to be snowy. — The Direttissima Wool ML Sweater is made from 100-percent merino wool and comes in two colors.

Each piece is inspired by the gear captured in photos of the Japanese Direttissima team and surviving examples from that golden era in alpine gear. Nigel Cabour and Mammut demonstrate extreme attention to detail to get the vintage look just right.

While modern climbing equipment is exceptionally light thanks to advances in synthetic materials, this collection predominantly sticks to what was available in the late 1960s.

A woman wearing a gray wool coat with red and black horizontal stripes near the bottom, a beige knit sweater with red and black patterns, white pants, black round sunglasses, and a red and white patterned headscarf. She is smiling and standing outdoors with snow-covered mountains and a clear blue sky in the background. — The Direttissima Blanket Jacket is made from 100 percent felted wool.

The Wool ML Sweater, Blanket Jacket, Wool ML Jacket and Wool Beanie are made from 100 percent merino and lambswool. The puffer jackets use real 850-fill down. And the corduroy pants are 100 percent cotton with genuine Sashiko stitched patches.

For a few of the outerwear pieces, Mammut utilizes Ventile, a “100 percent natural and hard-wearing cotton with a durable water-repellent finish.” It was a newly developed fabric in the 1960s and is still popular for weather-resistant garments.

Man wearing a patterned fleece jacket with animal designs, beige corduroy pants, a striped knit beanie, and black sunglasses, carrying a green backpack with black straps, standing in front of a red vehicle. — The Direttissima Wool ML Jacket features Mammut’s mammoth logo in the pattern.

You probably shouldn’t climb the Alps in the Nigel Cabour x Mammut Japensse Direttissima collection, but it makes for beautiful and hard-wearing daily gear. It follows the retro trend set by brands like The North Face, Moncler and Patagonia, but with far more accurate detailing.

1960s alpine swagger

The Nigel Cabour x Mammut Japensse Direttissima collection will be available from Mammut on October 1, with prices ranging from $51 for a beanie to $990 for a Ventile parka.

Below are some of my favorite pieces from the collection.

A classic expedition parka

Black insulated winter jacket with a hood featuring white drawstrings with wooden beads. The jacket has a front button closure, two front flap pockets, and visible stitching details. The interior lining is blue, and the sleeves have ribbed cuffs. The jacket also has drawstrings at the bottom hem.

Direttissima IN Parka

$990 at Mammut

The toughest and warmest piece in the Direttissima collection is the IN Parka. It has a Ventile cotton shell and Peretex Quantum lining and is stuffed with 850-fill goose down.

The zipper front has a button storm flap with an attached storm hood, which features decorative wooden beads on the drawstrings.

Close-up of a person wearing a light beige hooded jacket with black buttons and white drawstrings featuring black accents and wooden beads at the ends. The hood is up, covering the head, and the jacket fabric appears smooth and slightly padded. — The Direttissima IN Parka has decorative wooden beads on the hood drawstring.

This burly winter jacket is equipped with double patch pockets, shoulder gussets, a vintage-style waist cinch and elastic cuffs. It is available in dark navy blue and creamy off-white.

A sweater as Swiss as chocolate and watches

Navy blue knitted sweater with a small white dotted pattern throughout. It features a horizontal red and white geometric design across the chest and upper sleeves. The neckline, cuffs, and hem have white and navy blue striped ribbing.

Direttissima Wool ML Sweater

$203 at Mammut

Despite looking distinctively Swiss, the Direttissima Wool ML Sweater is made in Scotland from 100 percent wool produced and milled in the Scottish Highlands. It is the same quality of wool sweater that was common in the 1960s, but is increasingly hard to come by in the twenty-first century.

It has a woven birds-eye pattern with ringed cuffs, waist and collar, and knit mammoth stripes. The sweater is available in dark navy and creamy white.

A retro puffer parka

Bright red puffer jacket with a hood, featuring a quilted design and silver snap buttons down the front. The jacket has two front pockets with snap closures, elastic cuffs, and adjustable drawstrings at the hood and hem. The material has a slightly shiny finish.

Direttissima IN Hooded Jacket

$720 at Mammut

The structural design of the Direttissima IN Hooded Jacket is based on a jacket worn by the Japanese Direttissima expedition, but the shell is updated with a modern Pertex Quantum fabric that is lighter and more tear-resistant than anything available at the time.

It is insulated with 850-fill goose down, has two external flap pockets, and a retro waist cinch. The jacket is available in Mammut Red, Valley Blue and White Stone.

A rugged and functional shirt-jacket

Blue and dark brown plaid button-up jacket with a collar and two front flap pockets. The jacket has a checkered pattern and silver buttons down the front and on the pockets.

Direttissima Shirt

$210 at Mammut

The pattern of the Direttissima Shirt is copied from flannel shirts worn by Michiko Imai’s 1969 expedition team. It is an era-specific work shirt with oversized chest pockets and an inset tool pocket, and the elbows are reinforced.

The shell is made from Ventile cotton, available in a red and white plaid and a tonal blue plaid, with a Peretex Quantum lining.

Vintage cords with a Japanese touch

Light brown corduroy pants with an elastic waistband and a white drawstring. The pants feature patch pockets on the right thigh and left knee area, with visible stitching details. The fabric has a ribbed texture typical of corduroy.

Direttissima Cord Pant

$191 at Mammut

The Direttissima Cord Pant is the only piece in the collection with detailing that looks like a surviving vintage garment. Corduroy was popular among mid-century mountaineers for its blend of comfort and durability.

In a nod to the 1969 climbing team’s Japanese heritage, this pure cotton drawstring cord pant is accented with Sashiko-stitched patches, emulating the types of repairs active climbers would have made at the time.

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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