Embroidered jackets serve a basic function of providing an outer layer of warmth and wind protection in addition to the visual dimension of showing off a logo. But some manufacturers make jackets designed to withstand harsher weather. If you need a jacket with a higher rating for water protection, look for the technical specifications of the outer shell. Here are a couple of items to compare:
1) Port Authority makes a soft shell jacket that is popular. Its techincal specs claims a “1000MM waterproof rating.”
2) AlphaBroder offers a comparable soft shell jacket under their North End label with a waterproof rating of 10,000MM.
Which is better? The rating has to do with how much volume of water has to puddle on the fabric before the water begins to seep through the fabric. On that basis, the North End jacket would seem to be the choice to keep you drier longer in wet weather.
On the other hand, the Port Authority jacket is quite popular, even here in the rainy northwest, which means that you may also need to ask how often you’re exposed to such volumes of water that you need the next biggest thing.
I can say from personal experience that I have worn North End embroidered jackets with waterproof ratings of 8,000 MM to lacrosse practices south of Seattle near Sumner, WA in weather that was 36 degrees and steady downpour of rain. Those are some cold and miserable afternoons/evenings for everyone concerned, but I have been delighted that water neither leaked nor seeped through the jackets.