>>1385911Goretex is a semi permeable membrane that licenses its name to lots of other companies. The one major thing that the Gore name brings with it is a lifetime warranty against water. If you get wet in you coat, for any reason other than a huge fucking hole in it, you get to send it back and get some level if reimbursement equivalent to the original price.
https://www.gore-tex.com/support/guarantee-and-returnsNow with that said, many companies (Columbia(mountain hardware/montrail), helly Hansen and patagonia) have their own semi permeable membranes which are equally capable of keeping you dry and have their own warranty to deal with failure of the membrane.
As far as function goes: it's all about the activity. Lightweight jackets with a membrane are generally more comfortable for long term wear and are much lighter. If you actualy are /out/ and not a larper it will work well with whatever layering you use for heat management.
Spending 14 hours in a PVC suit looking like the poor son of a bitch on the fish sticks box is miserable. You will get the inside wet with perspiration and wind up cold the moment you stop any kind of activity.
>>1385980 north face actualy makes pretty nice shit in parts of the line and has some fits (fat guy) that only they make with the feature sets of much higher end clothing at a better price point. The fashion shit is lame, so go buy some super high speed otter mode shit. I'm sure it will cost alot more for what you get. 