Herno Laminar Explained: Gore-Tex, Fabrics and Who It Suits

Herno Laminar is the technical line of the Italian outerwear house: performance jackets, parkas and coats in which weather protection leads the design, and the label under which Herno sells its Gore-Tex shells. The mainline keeps the tailored city shapes the brand is known for, while Laminar is the engineering end, made for wind, rain and travel.

Quick answer

• Laminar is Herno’s technical outerwear line, and Herno’s Gore-Tex shells are sold under it.
• Herno was founded in 1948 in Lesa, on Lake Maggiore, and its first product was the men’s raincoat.
• Herno’s 2-layer Gore-Tex pieces use lightweight stretch nylon in a plain 30-denier weave.
• Herno’s 2-Layer Windstopper bonds polyester microfibre to a membrane rated to a 20,000 mm water column.
• The technical Herno pieces in this Coveti edit cost $1,720 to $2,190.
• Sizing is Italian: your UK/US chest size is the IT size minus 10, so IT 50 is a 40.

What is Herno Laminar?

Laminar is the part of Herno where the fabric does the talking. Instead of starting with a tailored silhouette and then adding protection, Laminar starts with the membrane, the seams and the weight of the shell, then builds a clean shape around them. Herno’s Gore-Tex shells live here.

The name is worth decoding. A 2-layer construction fixes a face fabric to a waterproof, breathable membrane. The result is a jacket that keeps rain out, lets body heat escape and still looks like something you would wear into a restaurant.

For most buyers the practical takeaway is simple. If you want a Herno that can handle a long walk in steady rain, a windy station platform and a cabin bag, you are shopping in Laminar territory. If you want a padded blazer to wear over a shirt, you are shopping in the mainline.

Why does Herno have a technical line at all?

Because performance is where the house began. Giuseppe Marenzi and his wife Alessandra Diana founded Herno in 1948 in Lesa, in the province of Novara, and named it after the Erno river, which flows into Lake Maggiore. The first coats were men’s raincoats in cotton treated with castor oil, a post-war answer to a wet lakeside climate.

From the 1980s Herno built its reputation on parkas and down jackets in very light nylon with natural down. In the 2000s Claudio Marenzi, the founders’ son, took over, refocused the business on the Herno label and brought the supply chain in-house. A dedicated technical line is the logical next step for a company that has spent decades treating outerwear as equipment first. Read the full background in our profile who is Herno.

How is Laminar different from Herno mainline?

In practice the line blurs, and that is a good thing. Herno’s mainline also uses bonded membranes, notably 2-Layer Windstopper, but cuts them as blazers with bibs and long city parkas. So the real question is less about labels and more about use: how wet, how cold, how active.

What do Gore-Tex, Windstopper and water column mean?

A membrane is a thin film with pores small enough to block liquid water and large enough to let water vapour out. That is why a membrane jacket keeps rain off without turning clammy on a brisk walk.

Water column is the standard measure of waterproofing. It describes the height of a column of water, in millimetres, that a fabric can hold back before it leaks. Herno quotes 20,000 mm for its 2-Layer Windstopper pieces, a serious figure for city rain. For comparison, Herno’s flannel pieces with a waterproof membrane are rated to 500 mm, closer to showerproof.

Herno also uses its own performance labels across the range. They are worth knowing because they tell you, at a glance, what a piece is built to do.

Herno also applies PFC-free water-repellent treatments on many pieces, which matters if you care about what goes into a finish as well as how it performs.

Who is Herno Laminar for?

• The wet-city commuter: a Gore-Tex shell with a hood replaces both the umbrella and the heavy overcoat.
• The frequent traveller: light technical shells pack small and cover airports, city breaks and evenings out.
• The weekend walker: a hooded parka with a removable puffer handles three seasons in one.
• The minimalist: technical Herno is quiet, with a small metal logo plate on the back on many pieces instead of a loud badge.

If you mostly drive, live somewhere dry and wear a suit every day, the mainline La Giacca padded blazer will serve you better. Our guide to the Herno La Giacca covers that side of the house.

The best technical Herno pieces at Coveti

Herno sells its Gore-Tex shells under Laminar, and the first three picks are Gore-Tex. The rest use 2-Layer Windstopper and Polartec, the same performance-first approach in Herno’s city cuts. Every piece is full price and Fall Winter 2026. Browse more in men’s jackets and men’s coats.

1. Black Short Parka in 2-Layer Gore-Tex

The most versatile technical Herno here, at $2,190. A Gore-Tex membrane sits behind lightweight stretch nylon in a simple 30-denier weave, and goose down padding is built into a removable puffer. Take the puffer out and you have a spring shell; leave it in for January. The removable hood and the logo on the back finish it. Sizes run from 34 to 48, so it fits most frames. It suits the man who wants one jacket for the whole year. It also comes in blue.

2. 2-Layer Gore-Tex Coat in Blue

Technical protection in the shape of a classic city coat, for $2,050. The 2-layer Gore-Tex construction uses the same light stretch nylon, with goose down padding, a lapel collar, welt breast pocket and a removable bib that keeps wind off the chest. Herno designed it for formal occasions and business days. It suits the man who must look like he is wearing a proper overcoat over a suit, yet still arrive dry.

3. 2-Layer Gore-Tex Jacket in Black

A minimalist hip-length jacket at $2,130, with a 2-layer Gore-Tex construction in lightweight stretch nylon. It has a high collar, a removable hood, light wadding and small pockets, and it protects against wind and rain while still looking smart. It packs better than a parka and sits neatly under a rucksack strap. This is the travel pick: one jacket for the plane, a wet city and dinner.

4. Black Long Quilted Parka in 2-Layer Windstopper

The long option, at $2,190. Polyester microfibre is bonded to a high-performance membrane rated to a 20,000 mm water column, and the quilting adds warmth without bulk. Flap pockets and a removable hood keep it practical. The length protects trousers on a long walk in the rain, which a short parka cannot do. It suits the commuter who walks more than he drives.

5. Ivory Hooded Parka in 2 Layers Windstopper

The same 20,000 mm membrane in a lighter colour, for $2,000. Ivory is a brave choice for a rain parka, and it reads as considered rather than sporty, especially over navy and charcoal. A removable hood, functional pockets and a high neck add protection. It suits the man who already owns a black technical jacket and wants a second one that looks nothing like the first. A brown version is available too.

6. Blue Jacket in 2-Layer Windstopper

The entry point to technical Herno, at $1,840. A minimal hip-length jacket in bonded Windstopper with a 20,000 mm water column, a removable hood and a two-way zip that lets you adjust the fit when you sit. It is light enough for autumn and spring and smart enough for a weekday. It suits the man buying his first membrane jacket and wanting it to last.

7. Military Bomber Jacket in Nylon Chamonix

For cold more than rain, at $1,720. Technical Chamonix nylon is padded with down and paired with Polartec technology for warmth and wind resistance, and it carries Herno’s POLAR-TECH label: water-repellent, light and thermal. The bomber shape keeps it short and easy to move in. It suits the city traveller who wants warmth without weight.

Herno Laminar around the world

• UK: mild, damp winters make a membrane shell the most useful coat you can own. A short Gore-Tex parka with a removable puffer covers October to April. UK chest size is the IT size minus 10. See our Herno UK guide.
• US: technical Herno suits the rain of Seattle and the wind of Chicago, layered over a knit. US chest sizing matches the UK figure, IT minus 10.
• Europe: in Milan, Madrid and Athens, where winters are cool more than freezing, a light Windstopper jacket is often enough on its own.
• Japan: Herno has had stores in Japan since 1968, and Tokyo buyers favour clean, minimal shells that work with tailoring through the wet season.
• Middle East and Australia: buy technical Herno for travel to colder places. Coveti ships worldwide by express from its UAE and Australia hubs.

How should technical Herno outerwear fit?

Herno uses Italian men’s sizes from IT 44 to IT 60, and Coveti lists the UK/US chest equivalent. Herno publishes a fit type per product, with regular fit the most common, so check the product page before you choose.

Order your usual jacket size. Size up one only if you plan to wear a thick knit under a slim-fit piece. A shell meant to go over a blazer needs room at the shoulder, so try it on with a jacket underneath. Our Herno size guide has the full chart.

Where can you buy Herno technical outerwear?

Coveti stocks 380 Herno men’s styles at full price, led by Fall Winter 2026. Every piece is 100% authentic and checked before dispatch, and we ship worldwide by express from our UAE and Australia hubs, with duties calculated at checkout. Many shoppers know Herno from Nordstrom, Saks, Farfetch and Mr Porter; Coveti is an authenticated alternative with worldwide delivery. Shop the range on the Herno brand page, and see our notes on where to buy Herno.

Read next: Herno raincoats and Laminar, the best men’s raincoats and Herno field jackets for men.

Frequently asked questions

What is Herno Laminar?

Herno Laminar is the technical outerwear line of Herno, the Italian brand founded in 1948 in Lesa on Lake Maggiore. It focuses on performance and weather protection, and Herno sells its Gore-Tex shells under the Laminar name.

Is Herno Laminar waterproof?

Herno’s Gore-Tex pieces use a waterproof, breathable membrane and protect against wind and rain. Herno’s 2-Layer Windstopper pieces are rated to a 20,000 mm water column, which is suitable for sustained city rain.

What is the difference between Herno Laminar and Herno mainline?

Laminar puts weather protection first, with Gore-Tex shells, hooded parkas and technical jackets. The mainline focuses on tailored shapes such as the La Giacca padded blazer and L’Aviatore bomber in Nylon Ultralight and recycled nylon microfibre, although some mainline pieces also use membranes.

How much does technical Herno outerwear cost?

At Coveti, the Gore-Tex, Windstopper and Polartec Herno pieces in this edit cost $1,720 to $2,190. Herno jackets at Coveti range from $1,080 to $6,020, and coats from $1,270 to $6,350.

What size should I buy in Herno Laminar?

Order your usual jacket size. Herno uses Italian sizes, and the UK/US chest equivalent is the IT size minus 10, so IT 52 is a 42. Size up one only if you will layer a thick knit under a slim-fit piece.