Second-hand The North Face

The North Face is an American outdoor brand whose pieces are judged on their features and not on their looks: the jackets rely on waterproof membranes, taped seams and water-repellent treatments, and it is these that age, not the outer fabric. A jacket can therefore look impeccable and have lost most of its waterproofing - that is the brand's main trap second-hand. The sizing is generous, designed for layering, and given in US sizes. Check first: the inside of the seams, where the heat-sealed tape comes away first, the state of the zips, often oversized and expensive to replace, and the elastics on the hood and the hem. On puffer jackets, look for down escaping at the seams. A water-repellent treatment can be reactivated; a delaminated membrane cannot.