The North Face’s New Street Parka Boasts 30 Years of History — and Its Own Unique Vibe

Sometimes, a product designed for one type of market attracts a totally different one, often surprising even the creator itself. 

In the outdoor apparel space, the most striking example is, of course, The North Face’s puffy down jackets. Built to withstand the frigid conditions of winter seasons and high-alpine climes, these items caught on with the hip-hop community and inner-city youth in the early ’90s. 

So high did TNF’s profile rise, such luminaries as Method Man, Mase and DMX all donned the brand for various projects, and it was name-checked by Biggie Smalls in 1999’s “Dead Wrong.” 

This week’s twist? The North Face has taken one such jacket from that period, the Himalayan Parka, and deliberately reinvented it as streetwear. Meet the new HMLYN 30 Anniversary Parka.

The North Face

The North Face Men’s HMLYN 30 Anniversary Parka

• $450 at The North Face

The North Face HMLYN 30 Anniversary Parka

Before we dig into the details of this jacket, it’s worth noting that TNF released a very different tribute to the original a few years ago with 2020’s 1994 Retro Himalayan Parka.

Upgrading the performance aspects of a garment designed to tackle Everest (as the name suggests), that release boasted a Futurelight waterproof-breathable treatment and 700-fill down, among other adventure-ready touches.

The North Face

Leaning into fashion, the new jacket should serve you well on street sojourns while packing enough technical features to stand up to backcountry adventures (within reason) as well. 

From a style standpoint, it offers a relaxed fit, logo on left chest and back right shoulder and iridescent waxed ripstop face fabric that will patina over time. A patch sewn into the inside front left of the jacket nicely explains and honors the jacket’s original incarnation. 

The North Face

From a performance standpoint, the parka boasts toasty yet compressible 600-fill goose down, an adjustable three-piece hood, a chin-protecting stormflap, dual-entry hand pockets (hook-and-loop flap-closure top entry, secure-zip side entry), an adjustable hem and adjustable cuffs. 

Made largely of recycled polyester materials, the jacket also features a PFC-free DWR treatment to protect you from precipitation — whether the source is mountain clouds opening up or the errant spray of nightclub champagne.

Availability and pricing

The North Face HMLYN 30 Anniversary Parka is available now for men and women. It comes in five sizes (XS through XL) and two colorways, TNF Black and Moonstone Grey, for $450.

The HMLYN Parka Collection also includes other jackets, pants and T-shirts starting at $45.

The North Face

The North Face Women’s HMLYN 30 Anniversary Parka

• $450 at The North Face

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