Looking for a coat to protect me against special snowflakes

November 20, 2014 2:46 PM

I'm looking for a women's down coat that's longer than my hips but not down to my knees. Ideally it has a hood without a fur (fake or otherwise) trim. And it needs to be available in size 18ish. Where should I look that I haven't already?

Hey it suddenly got cold and I realized that none of my winter coats are up to the challenge of living in the Northeast and being outside a lot. So I need a new down coat, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding one that meets all my needs:

- Would like it to reach about mid-thigh, so I can throw it over leggings at 11:00 PM to walk my dog but not feel self-conscious or have a cold butt. But I'm also not into the coats that reach down to my knees or an inch or two above.

- Doesn't have a lot of extraneous stuff like blingy belts or fur-trimmed hoods. I'd like something that looks more outdoorsy than urban.

- Is available in a size 16-18.

- Is under $200 (will go higher for the absolute perfect coat from a company with a good reputation for quality).

- Warm but not for subzero temps. I'm in DC so I'm looking for something that's appropriate for when it's around freezing or a bit below.

So far I've looked at LL Bean, Patagonia, Eddie Bauer, REI, Land's End, and not found what I'm looking for. This comes the closest but is only available in orange, which I am not crazy about.

posted by lunasol to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (16 answers total)

I checked Zappos and came up with this one... I think it fits most of your criteria but it's a little hard to tell how long it is (plus I don't know how tall you are). Risk free as far as returns if you want to try it though.
posted by brainmouse at 2:54 PM on November 20, 2014

Response by poster: Brainmouse, good point about height - I'm 5'6", so coats and things like that are usually roughly the length on me that they're "supposed" to be.
posted by lunasol at 2:58 PM on November 20, 2014

EMS has this coat, which is slightly more expensive (but they're running a $15 off 75 sale so maybe not,) comes in XL (16-18), is described as having "thigh coverage" but not sure how long that is, and is available in a more subtle color than orange.
posted by jetlagaddict at 3:00 PM on November 20, 2014

Check Uniqlo, their down stuff is very sleek.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:04 PM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

This one from North Face looks like a better length, but the sizing might be tight. It is more expensive but for what it's worth, I have three North Face jackets (not down) that I have flat out abused for years and years and they've held up remarkably well.
posted by jetlagaddict at 3:06 PM on November 20, 2014

Seconding Uniqlo. The fur on my parka is removable.
posted by roger ackroyd at 3:10 PM on November 20, 2014

Something like this?

DKNY "Faith" down coat, hooded, no fur, mid-thigh, no bling.

Tahari "London" down coat (same attributes)
posted by erst at 4:18 PM on November 20, 2014

Or maybe this one, also from Nordstrom? The only color is a fairly bright blue and it's $220, but it hits all the other points...
posted by current resident at 4:31 PM on November 20, 2014

Mountain Hardwear Women's Ghost Whisperer Down Parka?

MSRP is pricey, but it's not uncommon to find Mountain Hardwear gear at a sizable discount. I have the men's non-parka/hoodless version. The whole Ghost Whisperer line is 850-fill down, so it's incredibly light (but warm).

Like ThePinkSuperHero said above, Uniqlo's ultralight down kind of apes the technical gear aesthetic while being a little more stylish, but I don't have any first-hand experience with their down jackets.
posted by strangecargo at 5:13 PM on November 20, 2014

Best answer: I just got this from Eddie Bauer (I know, you said you didn't find anything you like there. But just in case it's the fur hood that turns you off, the fur trim snaps off and the hood is removable besides). Love it, it's a great coat.
posted by shrieking violet at 5:13 PM on November 20, 2014

This sounds super crazy, but you can find wool military surplus coats from eastern european countries that are both super cheap and crazy warm. Also they tend to have a sort of feminine cut even in men's styles (sort of a hourglass shape) and are available in all sizes.

I had one in last year's Minnesota winter and it was a life saver.
posted by Ferreous at 5:19 PM on November 20, 2014

Response by poster: shrieking violent, now I feel silly! I didn't realize the fur could be detached from the Eddie Bauer coats! That makes all the difference. My old down jacket that I had for 11 years was from Eddie Bauer and I really liked it so I will probably go with one of those. Thanks so much!
posted by lunasol at 6:30 PM on November 20, 2014

The one from Eddie Bauer that you favorited is the one I got last year and it fits your criteria. It looks fine without the belt and you can snap off the fake fur trim.
posted by matildaben at 6:34 PM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

Another fan of the Eddie Bauer choice here. I default to that coat all the time.
posted by bearwife at 9:04 AM on November 21, 2014

Take a stroll through TJ MAxx, if you don't mind a little digging. I've gotten my past 3 coats from them and I have similar requirements to you in a different size.
posted by WeekendJen at 2:49 PM on November 21, 2014

Lands End has very warm but super thin (in terms of puffiness) down coats that are available in plus sizes with no fur on the collar.
posted by Colonel_Chappy at 7:31 PM on November 21, 2014