Winter coat for menopausal Canadian vampire

March 5, 2016 2:48 PM

I want to replace my winter coat and have some very picky requirements. Here they are, with the most important ones first:

- Available in Canada, from a store not online. I need to try before I buy because most of the time, XS is too big for me.
- I need the hood to stick out way, way past my face, in order to block 100% of direct sunlight. (I've seen a Canada Goose men's coat where the hood rolls out almost like a periscope. That's what I'm after.)
- At least a bit breathable, so I can walk to work and/or have a hot flash on the bus without drowning.
- No real fur, but fake fur around the hood is nice, especially when it's snowing horizontally.
- Rated for very cold weather (-30C / -25F)
- Machine washable
- At least mid-thigh in length
- Fitted so I don't look like a rectangle
- No giant logo

Am I seeking the impossible?

posted by Frenchy67 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

Best answer: Not a store suggestion, but if xs is often to small, have you tried shopping in the young adults sections of stores?
posted by hydra77 at 3:12 PM on March 5, 2016

If you live near an Aritzia or TNA store, the TNA Bancroft parka or one of the other styles they carry might work well for you. I think all of them have vegan fur trim, and they're more fitted than, say, The North Face's parkas. TNA sizes run small to begin with, and they have an XXS available. They're also much cheaper than Canada Goose.

The only downside I can think of is that this all those very-similar-looking TNA mid-length parkas were, and continue to be ubiquitous in large Canadian cities.
posted by blerghamot at 3:31 PM on March 5, 2016

Best answer: I'll recommend coats by Quartz Nature, which are available in bunches of real stores and run VERY small. My mother really loves hers, but only some are available with faux fur.
posted by jeather at 3:36 PM on March 5, 2016

If you are near Toronto and can wait until fall to try it out, Uniqlo is opening some stores and might have options for you. I have a mid-thigh, slightly fittable, machine washable coat with a removeable fuzzy liner and a hood that sticks way out and has a nice removable faux-fur edging. It's warm for the short periods that I'm outside walking around, but not too warm for my subway commute times. Not sure if you could go to -30 without some serious underlayers, though.
posted by slanket wizard at 4:33 PM on March 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have a Bancroft parka and I think it ticks all your boxes--it's not exactly breathable, but the zipper does go up from the bottom as well as down from the top, which I find gives me the venting power I need when I get all warmed up from brisk walking.
posted by redfoxtail at 4:52 PM on March 5, 2016

(For me, the they're-everywhere! factor is less of an issue because I'm in the US. But I can understand why they're so ubiquitous on your side of the border: they really do get the job done very nicely.)
posted by redfoxtail at 4:54 PM on March 5, 2016

Best answer: If you can find the right jacket, I don't think it would be a big deal to add fur trim around the hood. A decent seamstress or tailor could handle this, and you can pick the color!
posted by LaBellaStella at 5:27 AM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

This is the best AskMe post title I've ever seen.
posted by clockzero at 2:44 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Darn, I'm still coatless. I tried on quite a few Quartz and they fit well, but the hood was nowhere near deep enough. I found one at Mountain Equipment Co-op that had a good hood, but the coat was frumpy looking. I think I'm going to go with LaBellaStella and ask my seamstress to concoct an extension for hoods of coats I actually like.
posted by Frenchy67 at 8:39 PM on April 5, 2016