Yup. We finally got our summer arses handed to us here in Minneapolis this month.
After a deceivingly September-like start to November, Mother Nature decided our warm weather karma had hit the goose egg.
Only a few weeks ago, I walked home from work in nearly 70 degree weather.
In shorts and a t-shirt!
In Minnesota!
The following night was so balmy that a few of us took advantage of an al fresco happy hour. A very surreal experience, knowing we should be getting pelted with a cold, uh, November rain (sorry, GnR!). However, there was no complaining as we sipped our Jamesons and Guinnesses and watched the sun set at a very non-summer hour.
Good old Mama Nature must be a fun-hater, because just a few nights later, I was watching snow falling in the glow of the street lights.
That would turn into what was apparently the biggest pre-Thanksgiving snowfall in 19 years.
A week after that fun, she treated us to the biggest ice storm in 20 years.
Mmm, interstate skating…
not so much.
Just to really stick it to us for enjoying the super-extended Indian summer, she slapped us with subzero windchills.
From near 70 degrees to -10 degrees in a mere 20-odd days. And all before December.
Winter is finally here.
Some friends jump for joy and run for their sleds and cross-country skis.
Others (particularly some of my Southern pals) have a meltdown.
Having grown up in Chicagoland, it’s more like “meh” to me. I'm not a fan of the first cold snap (especially this one), but after a while, you accept it. After all, we just move happy hour indoors!
Knowing that the weather is only headed downhill from here, I’ve become quite interested in the down coats currently on display.
I have a great black, ankle-length down coat that’s been my Old Faithful for the last few years.
As you can guess, it’s already made its debut this month.
Whenever I wear it, which looks to be now through February, I refer to myself as a pizza roll.
Not really sure why.
I look more like that kid in A Christmas Story than something from the frozen food aisle.
On second thought, after 10 minutes of waiting for the bus in frigid temps, maybe not. A pic of Old Faithful:
She's long, she's super warm, and she's also kinda shapeless. Hence, pizza roll-ish. Anyway.
The trusty coat is starting to show her age (yeah, like my Aersoles boots).
This isn't to say I love her - oh, I do, do! But she needs a day off here and there (don't we all!) so I don't run her into the ground. And I’ve been seeing a number of cute coats via all the emails and catalogs crowding my inboxes, both virtual and metal.
So, here are some toasty-looking ones that have caught my eye... click on the images for more info.
My friends swear by
The North Face.
I might have to see what all the gushing is about. The length of this coat, which is called the "Triple C," isn't as long as Old Faithful's, but it's still a possibility. I found this one on both the Bloomingdale's and The North Face websites.
Again, the North Face… this time from
Nordstrom, my favorite department store. The black color makes it a little more stylin' than the grey coat above, but the latter boasts a slightly longer hemline.
A while back, I got a catalog from Bloomingdale's. One of the pages showed off a great North Face puffer in a red color that I adore. Granted, it's not nearly long enough, but I got suckered in by the deep red. With apologies for the slightly distorted angle, here it is:
When I checked back online recently, I couldn't locate this coat on their website in the shown color. I checked the North Face's website as well, and it showed the coat in a seemingly different red hue called "Squid Red." Having flashbacks to
my earlier post about J. Crew's color miss? Me, too. So I'm not sure who to trust here. Bloomie's and North Face, help? Are these the same color or did Bloomie's get an exclusive edition?
OK, you’ve gotta love a company like the Wisconsin-based
Lands' End, which has its own share of nasty winters and lets you search for outerwear by temperature rating.
I mean, where else can I shop in the -15 F to -40 F range?
Yes, they offer that range and yes, I can guarantee you we will see temperatures that low. On a particularly harsh winter day this past January, my husband used his trusty iPhone to search cities with a lower temp than Minneapolis.
He couldn’t find a major city that could beat us.
Even Moscow was comparatively balmy that day.
Anyhoo... here's their Womens Luxe Down Coat. I appreciate the belt, since I need all the help I can get to not look like some blobby column of pouf. The faux-fur trim on the hood is a nice touch, and it has fleece-lined pockets!
Their Dory coat looks pretty hardcore. Not liking the absence of a belt, but it's not a deal-killer. Hemline looks longer, too.
Here's one from Juicy Couture, which I found via one of my favorite online retailers,
Revolve Clothing.
Last, we have a sweet-looking option, courtesy of another fave e-tailer,
Shopbop. The brand is Add Down. Again, belted = good. It's definitely the sleekest of the bunch, all shiny and kinda sexy.
I have to say, it can be hard to look even remotely stylish when it’s cold enough outside to make your head hurt after 60 seconds.
But the above pictures give me some hope.
Considering I could be wearing down for the next 3 months straight, methinks I need to alternate Old Faithful with a New Faithful. Like I said, a day off for the old girl.
While I mull over my big, fat coat predicament, I feel compelled to share the love and ask you (yes, you!) what your go-to winter coat is?
A big wool coat with thinsulate?
A puffer like the ones I’m contemplating?
It could be you’re lucky enough to be in warmer climes, and something light and cotton-y is all you need.
(I’m jealous now, but not come summer…
I used to live in Texas and remember what
that was like when June rolled around). Wherever you are, whether it's the US or the UK, Muenchen or Seoul, I'd love to hear about your favorite cold-weather coat.
For my fellow US peeps, I hope you’ve had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend full of good food, drink, football, family and friends.
I’ve enjoyed the last few days and amply imbibed, and now that I think about it, calling myself a pizza roll isn’t so far off the mark
J
Images: all credits are noted in the above text, the Old Faithful image is my own, catalog photo courtesy of Bloomingdale's
