Halfdays, the Denver-based, woman-owned ski label with a devoted following, has released its first Gore-Tex collection this autumn — making it the first women's-only ski brand to partner with the fabric famous for keeping mountaineers dry. Ski Magazine got an early look, touring Gore's Maryland testing facility and then skiing the line at Valle Nevado in Chile.
The centrepiece is the Betty kit: a jacket at $645 and bibs at $495, joined by a second jacket-and-pant set named the Genevieve, plus pants, gloves and mittens. The Betty carries a 28,000mm waterproof rating, a step up from the 20,000mm on Halfdays' existing Lawrence jacket — and reviewers found it breathes and moves far better than most shells at that spec. It's stiffer and more technical than Halfdays' signature line, closer in feel to an Arc'teryx or North Face shell, but with details women actually notice: pockets sized and positioned to fit female anatomy without bulk, a phone leash on the chest pocket, and a built-in goggle wipe. The brand describes the Betty as its entry into the freeride space, with a more fitted cut than competitors.
The backstory is worth knowing. A North Face product executive made the first call to Gore on Halfdays' behalf in 2020, and the partnership was formalised in 2022. Gore, by its own account, had struggled for a decade to connect with women skiers, so the collaboration suited both sides. Prototypes were tortured in the lab — blasted by simulated hurricane rain from a 30-foot ceiling, abraded by devices with morning-star-style metal balls — and one of the new kits is named after Gore-Tex co-founder Genevieve Gore, who famously field-tested early fabric on hiking and camping trips.
Field testing in Chile backed up the lab results. In gusts approaching 60mph, the reviewer felt no wind cutting through seams or openings, and the kit shrugged off spills on a surface lift. The one real gripe: sizing. At 5'3", the tester found the Betty pants far too long even with adjustable straps, rolling the cuffs to ski — awkward for a brand whose whole premise is designing around women's bodies. Halfdays, which offers multiple inseams in its non-Gore pants, says shorter and taller lengths for the Gore-Tex line are planned.
For skiers shopping this winter, the takeaway is simple: Halfdays has moved into serious technical outerwear without abandoning the women-first design thinking that built its reputation. If you've been choosing between a big-name hardshell and gear that actually fits, the Betty tries to be both — and the refreshing colourways don't hurt. Worth watching as the kit gets a full season of testing in deeper snow and sustained storms.
