It’s always fun to sport a different brand.

Riding up the Silver Queen gondola at Aspen Mountain recently, it took only moments for the question to float.

“Who makes that coat?” the man across from me asked.  It’s a darn good-looking jacket, so I wasn’t surprised.

Pointing to the embroidery on the left front I answered, “Stio. I’m reviewing this jacket. Do you want to know more?”

He did. Here’s what I told him (and more).

Introducing Stio

Around since 2012, you may be familiar with Stio. I was familiar with their catalogs and I’m Facebook friends with their founder (we went to the same high school), but until I received a Women’s Shot 7 Down Jacket, I’d only seen one other person wearing a Stio coat (and I was jealous).

Consequently, I was thrilled when I was asked to demo their latest piece of technical outerwear. As for Stio’s founder, president and my high school acquaintance, I doubt he even knows I’m writing this, let alone, wearing the jacket.

So be sure: I’m going to tell you what I really think.

The Stio Women’s Shot 7 Down Jacket

At the time of this writing, I’ve had my jacket about two weeks and I’ve worn it alpine skiing and hiking on cold winter mornings. It’s also made plenty of trips to the supermarket and kept me warm on after-dark dog walking expeditions.

Which brings me to my first Good Thing: The Shot 7 Down Jacket is a ski coat that doesn’t scream ski coat.

The fabric is best described as heathered – a solid shot through with enough white to turn Black Iris into a lovely blue grey. Also available in Wild Aster, a bright pink diluted with white, the primary accents are a sturdy color-blocked font zipper and low-key embroidery (the word Stio on the front and their pine cone logo on the back). It’s a jacket that looks fantastic skiing and equally stylish about town.

Other Good Things

Down-lining. 800-fill down wraps the trunk and arms in lightweight warmth. Because of the down filling, I anticipated the jacket being much warmer than it is and expected it to be most appropriate in heavy weather.

Instead I’ve found that the Shot 7 Jacket performs well in all conditions, as long as you layer appropriately. By itself, it’s not super warm. But with generous shoulders and plenty of room to layer, it’s the one and only ski coat you’ll need.

Pockets. It’s hard to differentiate one jacket from the next based on pockets, but I like, nay, love the interior stash pockets. With a small, angled, stretchy opening, these pockets are more secure than average, and just as easy to use.

The other clever pocket is harder to find. It’s a slot with a zipper on the upper left arm, perfect for stashing an RF ski pass. But first you have to find it and it’s pretty well camouflaged along an interior seam.

The Perfect Hood. When it’s cold, I use my hood, pulling it over my helmet. Unlike some hoods, this one slips up easily, doesn’t push my head forward or fall onto my goggles and the jacket’s front zipper rises to just the right height for comfort.

Additional Technical Features

As you should expect from a ski jacket at this price ($550.00, currently on sale for $440.00), the Shot 7 Down Jacket has a removable, adjustable powder skirt, dual direction pit zips, adjustable wrists and it’s made from high-performance technical fabrics and responsibily-sourced down.

Things I Don’t Like

This is a very short list.

Originally I was going to mention the lack of a sleeve RF pocket, but then I found it. Now I truly don’t have any complaints.

How The Shot 7 Fits

As for fit, I’ve met another woman who skis in this jacket and we agreed that it runs large and the sleeves run long. While I often wear a small in street clothes and a medium in ski coats, I am definitely a small in this style.

Also note that while the Shot 7 Jacket has tapered princess seams, the overall silhouette is boxy, with only slight waistline tapering. The down filling adds to the puffy coat look, without the obvious baffles.

The Upshot

The Shot 7 Down Jacket could be for you if you’re looking for a well-designed, well-made ski jacket that will look good for seasons to come; you ski in all sorts of weather and want just one jacket in your quiver; you want a jacket that doesn’t scream “ski coat!” that you can wear anywhere, for any cold-weather activity.

More Stio

When I finished hitting the high points of the Shot 7 Down Jacket on the gondola, my new friend had one more question.

“Do they make men’s jackets?”

And yes, Stio does, along with product for kids and plenty of other offerings for year-round outdoor living.

Although I haven’t tried any other Stio product, here are photos of a few standouts from their current winter season line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to Stio and MODCo for the opportunity to review the Stio Shot 7 Down Jacket. As always, all opinions are my own and are exactly what I would tell my family and friends.

More Ski Fashion: 

• Ski Fashion 2015-2016: Big Styles, Little Rippers, October 5, 2015.
• Ski Fashion 2015-2016: On-Trend Styles for Women of Winter, September 28, 2015.
• Top Ski Fashion Picks from WinterWomen.com, November 30, 2015.

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