The North Face 1996 Retro Nuptse Down Jacket

The Original. Unchanged for Good Reason.

The The North Face 1996 Retro Nuptse Down Jacket is the jacket that defined a generation — the original boxy, short-body Nuptse silhouette faithfully reproduced in the most iconic colourway in TNF history: Summit Gold with a black upper yoke. Large horizontal baffles, high-fill-power down insulation, and the vintage TNF logo on the chest make this the most recognisable down jacket in streetwear and outdoor culture. There is no upgrade. There is only the Nuptse.

Key Features

• Summit Gold & Black Colourblock – A bold Summit Gold lower body with a black upper yoke and collar — the most iconic colourway in TNF history and the colourblock that has defined the Nuptse since 1996. Instantly recognisable. Endlessly referenced. Never replicated.
• Original 1996 Nuptse Silhouette – The boxy, oversized, short-body cut reproduced faithfully from the 1996 original — the silhouette that launched a thousand imitations and has never needed to be updated because nothing has improved on it
• Large Horizontal Baffle Construction – The Nuptse’s signature large horizontal baffles distribute high-fill-power down evenly across the entire jacket body for consistent, all-over warmth without cold spots — the baffle construction that is as much a design signature as a technical feature
• High-Fill-Power Down Insulation – Premium high-fill-power down throughout the full baffle body delivers the serious expedition-grade warmth that made the original 1996 Nuptse a benchmark for down jacket performance and a trusted piece on genuine mountain expeditions
• Vintage TNF Chest Logo – The embroidered The North Face box logo on the black upper yoke — white on black, at the exact placement and scale of the 1996 original, the brand mark that confirms this is the real thing
• Zip-Front Closure – A smooth full-length front zip closes the jacket for maximum warmth or opens to layer over or under other pieces in the TNF system
• Zip Hand Pockets – Clean zip-secure hand pockets at the hip provide secure everyday storage — functional and unfussy, exactly as the original Nuptse always has been
• Elasticated Cuffs & Hem – Elasticated cuffs and hem seal in warmth at the jacket’s openings and give the Nuptse its signature defined, hip-length silhouette that is as much a style statement as a technical feature

1996. Summit Gold. Large baffles. Zero updates needed — The North Face 1996 Retro Nuptse Down Jacket is the original that set the standard and has never been surpassed.