Help me find one jacket to rule them all!

October 19, 2017 2:19 PM

Now that temperatures are dipping, I need a new jacket/coat. Help me find one (or two) that I can wear in the Bay Area (walking around and bike commuting) and in DC in January. Aesthetic - boring classic. Caveats - must be vegan, should be good for rain.

Now that it's getting kind of cold at nights, I realized I finally need a new jacket/coat. The requirements:

• Must be rainproof
• Must be vegan - no leather, no down, no wool
• Suitable for a range of temperatures with layers
• Decent pockets for storing things like phone, keys, wallet
• Classic look like the Penfield Kasson or something similar that skews more masculine than feminine

Right now I'm leaning to this jacket from Bridge and Burn. My current jacket (not rainproof) is from them, and it's OK. I would prefer something a bit more masculine though. I do like this men's jacket from them, but I am a short, round woman with hips and don't think it will fit.

It would be nice to be able to wear this to bike to work as well, but I will also concede if I need to get a different jacket to bike to work in. (I currently use a shell which is OK, but not warm at all.) If you have recommendations for jackets for cycling in mild wet weather, I'd love those too.

I'd prefer not to spend a ton of money on it (~ $150) but would go higher if it's great and will last years since I tend to be outside a lot.

posted by kendrak to Shopping (6 answers total)

Check out Vaute. Pricey but classic. Not sure if rainproof -- they list some of their designs as snowproof, though. You might ask them.
posted by delight at 3:00 PM on October 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

Patagonia is pretty great for vegan performance jackets, though they're not as stylish as the one you linked to - I have one that seems not to be available online anymore that's perfect in the cold rain, it's waterproof, lightly insulated (good for 40s-50s without any extra layers, down into the 10s with a fleece layer) and very plain looking.

They have a couple insulated waterproof jackets now, but I don't have first-hand experience with either of them. Some of their women's jackets have feminine styling, but most just look exactly like their men's jackets but are cut for women.
posted by snaw at 3:40 PM on October 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Not the first time I've recommended the Helly Hansen Welsey Trench. Best raincoat I've ever owned, and classic look! I don't ride my bike in it because I'm a speedy/sweaty bike rider, but if you're a more civilized commuter, it might work for you.
posted by beyond_pink at 5:03 PM on October 19, 2017

I have a SCOTTeVEST jacket and I love it - nylon/cotton; rain-resistant but not waterproof, and POCKETS. Lots and lots of POCKETS. They're pricey but often have sales; I though about the trenchcoat for almost 10 years before buying it, and it's now my daily wear jacket. I live in the SF bay area, and it's perfect for all kinds of weather.

(I am a short, roundish woman with hips; I have the XL women's trenchcoat.)
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 5:14 PM on October 19, 2017

Check out nau and vaute. The latter is fully vegan. I have coats by both companies. For rain, I prefer the nau; I have one without lining that I use on spring/fall days and one that is lined that I use all fall/winter. Because these coats are windproof and waterproof, I can wear less layers. I found my nau coats within your budget through other sites like evo or ebay. I have a winter snow coat from Vaute; it's fantastic and warm, but not as versatile as my lined nau coat, although this is partly because I have a calf length coat. Vaute is difficult to get within your budget unless you find it on ebay or on clearance from Vaute.

Edit to add: I use both nau coats for cycling in all kinds of weather.
posted by mayurasana at 11:27 AM on October 22, 2017

For clarity, nau sells some fully vegan coats, but they also sell coats made from wool or down.
posted by mayurasana at 11:33 AM on October 22, 2017