15 November 2014

Quest for The Perfect Cold Weather Parka


Burberry *drool*


The downside (among the many perks) of being in the airline family is the leave allocation. It is not like we can just decide to have a vacation anytime in the year and it will happen. It is the other way around, actually. Captain will be given a block of weeks or days in a year to choose from together with hundreds other pilots and see who gets what. This year we have scattered leave days, a few days here and there and this makes planning for a long vacation a problem. We have been wanting to go to Amsterdam for a while and decided this year will be it and because of the problem with the leave, it has to be in November. 


Now, Amsterdam in November can be quite intimidating with low temperature and  a lot of rain. To tell you the truth, I am not equip to brace this kind of weather. Since I live in Dubai, my outerwear section in my wardrobe is kind of limited. Let see.. I have a long wool coat, a mac or trench for spring, a ski/mountain jacket and few short leather jackets. Now, the wool coat is nice and warm but it is NOT waterproof or water resistant. The trench is too light, so are the leather jackets plus, I will not compromise my Balenciagas in the rain! This leave me with the ski/mountain jacket. I will look really odd walking around the city in ski jacket. Nope, not willing to. 


So I decided it was time to add another outerwear to my closet. So happened I was in new York City for a couple of days last week and off shopping I go for the perfect cold weather, water resistant parka.



Canadian Goose Expedition Parka $845


The 'holy-grail' of cold weather coats/jackets has to be Canadian Goose. Who would know more about cold weather than the Canadians, right? Plus Canadian Goose has been sponsoring expeditions in Alaska, the Everest and even the Arctic so they definitely know their stuff. Hands down Canadian Goose is the best for warm outerwear. I loved the style of this jacket and the color was lovely too (came also in orange and white) plus it was warm alright. It came with the fur trimmed hood (important must have as I hate the look of my head in hats!) but I looked 3 sizes bigger than my real self  in it! Sadly, I had to say no to it because after all I am not going to Alaska or the South Pole anytime soon, just Amsterdam.  Note : Will definitely buy this one when Alaska popped in my travel list!





Sam Hudson Parka $795


This one by Sam was really cute. It was slightly longer than the one from Canadian Goose but lighter. I loved the gold tone hardware and the cute fur trim hood and how tapered it looked . Not as warm as the Canadian Goose but with nice cashmere sweater inside it'll do the job. I was not thrill by the outer material that was made by waxed canvas and the sleeves were quite narrow and that could be a problem for layering. I had to pass.



Mackage Cynthia Parka $1,150


Aaah, this piece by Mackage was a beauty! 10 out of 10! It was filled with down, making it quite warm but sans the bulky look I try to avoid. Also came with the cute fur trimmed hood, leather sleeves with ribbed elastic cuffs to block the cold wind (a plus) and it was very well made. The lack of unnecessary buttons and frills made this jacket looked elegant and expensive.  The problem was, it WAS expensive. Since I made a cap of $1,000 for this parka project of mine, this one here was way out of my league. Bummer!




Rag & Bone Waterloo Parka $ 995


If there was such a thing as love at first try, this would be mine. I was browsing Saks on Fifth Avenue and saw this jacket from far. The first thing that caught my eyes was the perfect green. It was made from nice sturdy water resistant material, no coating or anything like that. To me simplicity is best and this parka has simple buttons with extended leather button holes, hidden ribbed cuffs to block the cold wind and hood with removable fur trim (super!). This jacket was quilt lined and warm enough for European winter months. There were plenty of room in the sleeves area for layering purposes. Priced at slightly below my $1,000 cap, I have to admit looking at it hanging on my closet door, I kept thinking if I made the right decision spending that much. Well, for a well made piece, I think it was an investment especially when my last outerwear purchase was many years ago and it will be many more years before the next one.

So, what is your go-to cold and wet weather outerwear? I would love to hear all about it :)


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23 comments:

  1. Yes, here in Canada a warm winter coat is essential! This morning the temperature outside my door is -14º celsius and winter is just beginning! I would love to go shopping for a new winter coat as I am very tired of mine after wearing it for the past few winters but it is still in good shape and keeps me warm so I will probably continue to wear it unless I find a bargain I can't refuse! Unfortunately, my budget is not large! If I could choose one of the coats that you show above, it would be either the Mackage Cynthia Parka (definitely too expensive though) or the one you bought.

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    1. I would get the Canadian Goose if I were to live in Canada. They are really warm and well made so the price justify the quality. This one from Rag & Bone better last me years.. still cannot believe I spent that much

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  2. I'm sure you made the right choice. Amsterdam is still rather mild (by my standards...), but rainy, so water proofing is essential, you can always layer on sweaters/cardigans underneath. As for me... I have quite a collection of winter coats, from wool coats for 'warmer' days (above freezing) to warm and water-proof (for zero degrees celsius and sleet) and really heavy-duty long down coat that leaves only my eyes visible (yes, will be posting that arctic burgha in February...), but then again, winter is from November till April... BTW, have you thought about shoes? You need water-proof, warm shoes, too. Just a tip: thick soles.

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    1. Together with the parka I actually bought a pair of sub zero boots by UGG Australia. They have leather outer layer and shearling inner with good grip sole. I hope they are sufficient. I can imagine your coat collection!

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  3. These are all beautiful! I need a fashionable winter coat and I'm loving these options. The Rag & Bone is perfection.
    <3
    katsfashionfix.blogspot.com

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  4. Lovely pieces... parkas, coats and capes are trending this season... can't wait to see you sharing a look with one of these here <3
    wish you a great week ahead…
    Borka
    www.chicfashionworld.com

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  5. the first one its just perfect , amazing , cute and seems to be warmer than the others!
    Un Rincón Para Mis Botas blog

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  6. Mrs C, I'm crazy about outerwear too! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the Mackage one! Perfect!

    xo Jo

    http://www.whiterosesandcoffee.com/

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  7. Those are all wonderful options. I've heard nothing but good things about Canada Goose but don't own one. My go to jackets have been The North Face ones. We wore those on an Alaska Cruise many years ago, and it kept us warm. I looked more sporty than chic in those, but as long as I was warm, I was good, lol!

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    1. I'm going to test this Rag & Bone in Amsterdam and see if it is warm enough for me.. if not I am heading straight to the mall and get one of those down coat!

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  8. I LOVE Mackage too! They're expensive, but they are just so on point with their designs. I'm still kicking myself for not getting the Mackage Peaches jacket... I heard good things about Canada Goose, but I don't see too many of them in stores in US....

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    1. I tried on the Canada Goose in Saks on Fifth in NYC. They carry some selection there

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  9. Awesome picks! Love the burberry one the best!
    xo, Jane
    http://www.fitfabfunmom.com

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    1. Yes, it is, isn't it? But it is way out of my budget ;)

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  10. Very wise to buy a good warm jacket. Here is the weather forecast for when you come: 40% chance of rain. Which is less than 50%. And it hardly ever rains the whole day. And it could be that most rain falls in the east, south or north of the country. Although the country is very small, it makes a huge difference.
    Now.. for temperatures: probably around normal for this time of year which is 8 degrees Celcius (you poor soul). 30% chance it will be under those temperatures.
    I recommend layers as you already know. So tights (they may be thin and they may be thick) underneath trousers. Boots (flat for walking), perhaps fashionbly over the knee? And of course your coat. You can bring your beautiful bag plus (f.i.) a rain resistant bag where you can put your good bag in if it rains. As I said, it hardly ever rains all day. As your coat has a hood, you don't need a fold-up umbrella. Enfin, not much news. I am sure you thought of all these things yourself.
    Greetje

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    1. Thanks Greetje for the info and tips.. definitely useful. :)

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  11. You bought it? I like that it's not so fluffy and Michelin Man-like as lots of other parkas, it's gorgeous:)

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    1. Yes, I bought it, I need it for the trip. I too am not a fan of Mr Michelin ;) and believe me its easy to look like one especially when you are vertically challenge on top of it all!

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  12. We absolutely love the first one!!

    xx 365hangers

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  13. love the first! my problem with parkas is that they are always too long on me...but i guess when you're cold, long is good because it covers more!!

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    1. I have the same problem, that is why the longer version is not for me. The shorter parkas are better for petite persons like us :)

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