I am convinced that gear from quality manufacturers is comparable. I have looked closely at Kjus and Mountain Force jackets (both priced in the stratosphere) and I am convinced that my Marker Gore tex performance shell insulated jacket has essentially the same materials (except for Gore Tex which may be preferable to their (Kjus and MF) waterproof shell material) to what is in the Kjus and MF jackets. I really only shop 4 things anymore, Features (pit zips, powder skirt, enough pockets), Waterproof (some form of truly waterproof material) fit which for me especially with pants can be hard (whenever I find a pair of pnats that is small enough in the waist and long enough in the legs I usually buy two pairs) and lastly and perhaps most important;y: Color (and/or style)!!. As for durability, most people wear a jacket or pants for 3-5 seasons before they decide to get something new (and for me pants age faster than Jackets). Most skiers do not wear out their outerwear, and all the major brands hold up well for that amount of time especially if you wash them with Nik wax and apply more DWR after several washings.
I guess because I ski mostly in Montana versus Tahoe in the past, I also prefer puffy's/insulated jackets (Pataonia Primo Down Jacket is my favorite and an awesome product!!). I try to wear as little as possible underneath (usually a long sleeve thin shirt and a Nano puff jacket (great Patagonia product as well) or a light smartwool layer and this allows me to cool down quicly on the lift if I find myself sweating. The whole layering thing with a shell never really worked for me. I was never as warm when I was moving slowly as I am with an insulated jacket, and I when I got hot it was really hard to open things up to get in cold air quickly. An insualted jacket with Pit Zips is awesome for MT, I can cool down in 2-3 minutes on the lift and then zip things back up and be warm when I get off. IMO, for resort skiing this is a vastly superior set up.