Help me fill this coat-shaped void
February 26, 2018 4:04 PM Subscribe
What kind of coat do you wear when it’s too warm for down or wool, but too cold for a trench or blazer?
Help. I grew up in CA, then moved to CO where I would wear heavy fleeces when it was in the mid 40s. I live in NYC now, and my office is not nearly as casual, and on the weekends I tend to dress not as casually now either.
I have a down coat for when it’s very cold, and a wool pea coat when it’s 30s-40s, and I have a trench coat and assorted wool blazers and knit moto jackets for when it’s in the 50s and up. But what do I do in between, when the pea coat and down are too heavy and everything else is too light?
Mid-30s woman, hourglass-ish and short. I run cold. I suppose the answer could be more layers under the trench or fewer under the down, but I’m hoping there’s some other obvious answer I’m missing.
Help. I grew up in CA, then moved to CO where I would wear heavy fleeces when it was in the mid 40s. I live in NYC now, and my office is not nearly as casual, and on the weekends I tend to dress not as casually now either.
I have a down coat for when it’s very cold, and a wool pea coat when it’s 30s-40s, and I have a trench coat and assorted wool blazers and knit moto jackets for when it’s in the 50s and up. But what do I do in between, when the pea coat and down are too heavy and everything else is too light?
Mid-30s woman, hourglass-ish and short. I run cold. I suppose the answer could be more layers under the trench or fewer under the down, but I’m hoping there’s some other obvious answer I’m missing.
Wear a lambswool sweater under one of the light coats?
posted by Thorzdad at 4:18 PM on February 26, 2018
posted by Thorzdad at 4:18 PM on February 26, 2018
How about a light quilted jacket like this one, or even a vest?
posted by Everydayville at 4:27 PM on February 26, 2018
posted by Everydayville at 4:27 PM on February 26, 2018
Insulated trench? I have a more dressy one from Cole Haan and a less dressy but 100% waterproof one from Eddie Bauer. I usually wear the EB one as it's more practical and really nicely cut. The liners are removable on both and are not down (cruelty free).
posted by fshgrl at 4:33 PM on February 26, 2018
posted by fshgrl at 4:33 PM on February 26, 2018
I know this isn’t a perfect solution, especially if you want to be dressier, but I do a hoodie under my leather jacket/corduroy jacket/trench when I need this. It has the added bonus of a free hood, and I just treat it like a lining and take them both off at once/hang them up together.
posted by OrangeVelour at 4:47 PM on February 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by OrangeVelour at 4:47 PM on February 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Maybe use a non-outerwear tactic and wear a silk tank or undershirt. When I lived in Chicago (I'm also a California native), wearing a very thin silk tank or boatneck undershirt with 3/4 sleeves helped me feel much warmer outside while also not sweating to death inside. I also favored large scarves, sometimes called blanket scarves. Wrapped around a lighter coat, they warmed me considerably.
posted by quince at 5:37 PM on February 26, 2018
posted by quince at 5:37 PM on February 26, 2018
My lazy way of dealing with this is to wear the slightly too warm coats but leave them open or slightly open when walking around, or dress up the too light options as described with a uniqlo heat-tech tank, warm sweater, and keeping my extremities well-covered (so a headband, scarf, warm leather gloves).
My non-dressy in-between is a kenneth cole parka-style jacket that is lined but not well insulated, the hood zips off so it's can be made less casual, I got it at winners/marshalls.
posted by lafemma at 6:25 PM on February 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
My non-dressy in-between is a kenneth cole parka-style jacket that is lined but not well insulated, the hood zips off so it's can be made less casual, I got it at winners/marshalls.
posted by lafemma at 6:25 PM on February 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is what I use large scarves and walking fast for. But I run hot.
posted by dame at 7:59 PM on February 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by dame at 7:59 PM on February 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Lined bomber or denim jacket
posted by greta simone at 8:13 PM on February 26, 2018
posted by greta simone at 8:13 PM on February 26, 2018
Triclimate jacket, or a lighter weigt down? May not be dressy enough for you, but many outdoor companies (Patagonia, North Face) make nice-ish looking jackets and the down comes in different weights for more and less cool temps.
posted by stillmoving at 11:00 PM on February 26, 2018
posted by stillmoving at 11:00 PM on February 26, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 4:05 PM on February 26, 2018 [2 favorites]