ProView – TREW Gear Women’s Trillium Jacket + Bibs

A typical February in Colorado usually means waking up to crisp, cold mornings and fresh snowfall from the night before. Given the late start to this dry winter season, I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to experience a few powder days on my snowboard – both teaching, and freeriding in my spare time. And when it comes to navigating variable winter conditions, cozy outerwear is key. Luckily, TREW Gear’s Trillium bib and jacket combo gets the job done in keeping me warm. Especially when I’m on the hunt for those hidden pow stashes. 

As a snowboard instructor of four years (and a rider of eight), I usually over- prepare with my gear. I’m normally used to wearing up to three different layers, with a shell coat and pants to top everything off (I easily get cold). At least, that’s what I have to do when wearing my teaching uniform. It’s nice having the option to remove layers when need be. And to wear just the shells alone when springtime pops up.

They say that old habits die hard. Yet this couldn’t be further from the truth when it came to embracing insulation (and fewer layers) in testing out the Trillium kit. When given the opportunity, try new things. That’s the kind of message I instill for my snowboard students – especially other women and young girls. I’m taking my own advice here.

Up until this point, I hadn’t used anything by TREW before, but was curious about the brand. I’ve seen several of their pieces out and about – a few friends of mine have raved over how comfortable they are. Time to find out for myself. Throughout the month of February, I wore my new Trillium kit in a variety of conditions. However, my main focus was testing out the bib/jacket combo in colder weather and powder–at my home resort (Eldora), as well as a couple others. I really wanted to see if both the insulation and performance lived up to the hype. 

Fit/Comfort

Goodbye bell-bottoms, hello baggy! Even though I stand at 5’ 2, and usually rock a size small (I’m roughly 120 lbs.), I decided to go with a medium fit in both bib and jacket. The Trillium combo is designed to be worn as relaxed, with layering in mind. But I took things one step further by wanting the extra wiggle room. Doing this allows me to not only add layers, but padding for those park laps, if necessary. 

For all you ladies out there that are around my height/weight, keep in mind that sizing up might result in the jacket sleeves and pant legs being a tad bit long (did it to myself here, I’m a short-stack). But don’t let discomfort be the thief of joy. Plus, you can always role up the pant cuffs using the elastic band of each boot gaiter. And thankfully, the jacket has adjustable Velcro wrist cuffs. While the 100% nylon fabric is soft to the touch, the loosey-goosey feel of the fit really enhances mobility on my snowboard–a harmonious duo. 

Look/Style

Not gonna lie here. The maiden voyage for testing out this kit was back at the start of February, during an all-women’s freestyle event called Park Affair. With this gathering being hosted at my home resort, I wanted to see just how much unrestrained movement I could get from riding across metal freestyle features. I’m a neutral color kind of gal. Most things I wear usually involve black. Darker gear palettes appeal to me not only for practicality of cleanliness, but as a reminder to stand in my own power – as an Indigenous woman and snowboarder. 

It’s a no-brainer then that I naturally chose the Anthracite color scheme – a sleek combination of black and graphite. I absolutely loved the look. When it comes to freestyle, black always brings out the steeze. Just my humble opinion. But if you’re more into color, luckily TREW has two more choices in this kit design. For the gals that are all about bold pastels, try out the bib/jacket combo in Rain Shadow (light purple). And for those that prefer more earthy tones, the jacket also comes in Sandstone, with the bib in Toffee. 

Features

There’s no shortage of features in this kit! For real though. Both the jacket and bib boast several. Let’s have a look, shall we?

Jacket

TREW wasn’t lying about the zoned insulation, it definitely kept me toasty. In fact, my entire kit combo kept me warm and dry on those chilly powder days – 20,000mm waterproof membrane, baby! As somebody that normally runs hot in body temperature, I deeply appreciate that the jacket design includes long zip pits under each arm sleeve for easy ventilation. There were a couple times that I needed to use them (on the days when Colorado couldn’t make up its mind, weather-wise). 

An abundance of zipper pockets are a girl’s best friend. And TREW was being pretty generous on including as many as possible: front zip hand pockets, outer/inner zip chest pockets, a zip pass pocket on the left arm (love this), and an internal mesh drop pocket on the left side (easy storage space here). Honestly, you’ll have to keep track of where you put your belongings–pockets, pockets, pockets galore! To top it all off, a helmet-compatible/adjustable hood (with cinch drawcords) for those free refill pow days, plus a removable powder skirt.

I’ve yet to venture into the backcountry – I need to build up the gear for that first – but the Trillium jacket would be a starting point. It’s equipped with patented RECCO reflector technology. In the event of an emergency, this integrated reflector (it can be found in the hood) makes you more searchable to rescuers. It consists of a diode and an antenna, and thankfully doesn’t require any power to function properly. Just when you think TREW can’t fit more into this jacket design, guess again. Icing on the cake.

Bib

The number one thing I rave about is the easy-to-use pee zip – pardon my French. Merci TREW, you really kept us women in mind with this particular feature. Spanning the length of the right side are two-way zippers–pull them down for restroom use, or pull them up for extra ventilation. It’s a win-win. I can use the zip without having to remove layers, or my helmet. My old bib certainly didn’t have this design. A much-need upgrade. 

But wait, there’s more. At the chest is a roomy Kangaroo-style pocket – did somebody say snacks? And speaking of pockets (again), the Trillium bib also includes a zip thigh cargo pocket, plus two front zip pockets. There have been times in the past when I rode with a small fanny pack to store my essentials–not the case with this kit. It truly eliminates the need for carrying around a pack. I can show up to the slopes as is. 

On the sunnier resort days, I definitely appreciated the option to get some air-flow by opening up the inner thigh zipper vents. The breathability in this ventilation system made warm weather riding much more bearable. Because I decided to size up to a medium fit, the bib had extra space all around–thankfully the adjustable Jacquard elastic straps did their job by not sliding down my shoulders, and keeping the bib locked in place. 

One final surprise: the bib is also equipped with RECCO. Be safe out there!

Weight/Packability

28.5 oz. (bib) plus 33.9 oz. (jacket), equals 62.4 oz.–in other words, this kit size weighs a total of 3.9 lbs. 

An insulated kit means that it’s naturally going to be (and feel) a tad bit heavier. It’s doable–with some effort–to role up both bib and jacket together into a tight, packable ball, but make sure you have extra room in whatever (large) outdoor-style backpack you stuff them in. Overall, when worn, the kit doesn’t weigh me down significantly, and thankfully doesn’t feel overly bulky. Like I said before, I’m all about comfort. If anything, working with a size medium certainly didn’t hinder my ability to snowboard. Especially in deep powder. 

Durability/Construction

Talk about a resilient fabric! I rode in powder, steeps, groomers, terrain park–you name it–and the Trillium kit still held up strong. No major scuffs, not even when snowboarding through narrow tree runs (hello branches). And certainly no tears in the material. Safe to say that TREW’s PNW 2L fabric really stood on its own two feet. And I appreciate that the bib is constructed with “Tough Scuff” abrasion-resistant fabric at the cuffs. Durable to a tee. 

Function/Performance

After a month of testing in multiple conditions and different types of terrain, I’d say that TREW’s Trillium bib and jacket combo are both incredibly versatile, and functional outerwear choices. I got away with using only a base layer underneath the kit, even on heavy powder runs with cold temperatures. The gear is multipurpose to the point of riding in slightly warmer weather conditions – cue practical ventilation zippers! Although I’d be weary of constantly sporting this fit on super warm, slushy 50-degree spring days (you’ve been warned). 

The garments are roomy. My performance certainly wasn’t sacrificed to the snow gods when it came to navigating tight nooks and crannies. As far as freestyle goes, I snowboarded across park features with ease–restraint was pretty much nonexistent here. The fabric durability and interwoven waterproofness definitely lives up to the product description–honestly, it’s better than my GORE-TEX shell jacket. And if you’re looking for an additional gear suggestion: like fine wine, the Trillium kit pairs well with the Zeal Optics Lookout goggles, plus the Smith Code helmet (both in black, of course). 

Friendliness to the Earth

TREW Gear, a member of the Conservation Alliance, aims at creating high quality products while simultaneously working towards lessening overall carbon footprint. Their most recent innovation is an upcycling program called The Afterlife, where customers can trade in and recycle their old TREW items. The company does a really great job at making functional gear designed to last for the long haul, but also encourages sending in garments when repairs are due, in order to expand product lifecycle. They are transparent about their supply chain’s equitable standards, which can be found on TREW’s website. 

In addition to maintaining ethical integrity in both product manufacturing and Code of Conduct, TREW Gear strives to educate on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I) within backcountry settings. All walk and no talk here, this brand works towards creating more accessibility for underrepresented populations, and actively donates to grassroots organizations preserving delicate environments. As a BIPOC individual of Indigenous heritage, this is something I can wholeheartedly get behind. This type of advocacy work is extremely important to me. I’d love to see other outdoor brands and companies take inspiration from TREW’s business model, and also lead by example in actively protecting our planet.  

The Final Word

Find inspiration with insulation, TREW’s Trillium bib and jacket are my new go-to for navigating cold weather and plentiful powder. As a snowboarder, I’m incredibly satisfied with the adaptable functionality of this kit: tough on the outside, yet cozy on the inside. As if I haven’t already nerded out enough here, can I just say that I love me some pocket-abundant outerwear?! It really does make a difference, storage-wise. And when it comes to technology, my favorite features would have to be the easy-access restroom zipper, plus the ventilation systems for warmer ride days. 

To all the women that are roughly my height/weight, both the bib and jacket in a size medium will wear long and baggy–maybe even feel a little weighted on some bodies over others. So if you prefer keeping your gear more true-to-size, stick with a small. If I could change one thing, I’d make the insulated inner jacket liner detachable to create a true shell. But that’s another project for another day. And quite frankly, I wouldn’t alter anything else–this combo contains the most features I’ve ever worn on-snow. Now it’s your turn to try them out! 

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