Coat Shopping

Last winter I realized I needed a warmer coat. I've got a wool princess cut that I adore. It's from Cardiff, and has served me well for the past 9 years. I hope to keep wearing it for a long time yet too, because I love it love it love it. Well, I love it until it's 10 degrees outside and sleeting. Then it's not so awesome, even with a few layers of fleece and wool socks. Nothing seems to keep me warm enough around here.

See, it's the coastal wind. We live right by the water, so the humidity, or whatever you'd call it, that permeates the air makes winter snows feel sloppy. It seeps into the bones in a way I've never really experienced before. Even when it's warmer than other areas (because the coastal effect also makes it less likely to get cold enough to actually snow) it feels more miserable.

So this year I decided to find a coat BEFORE winter begins. I realized around January last year that my coat just wasn't cutting it, but decided winter wouldn't last *too* much longer. And I was right, but I was also miserable for a few months.

But did you know how many puffy coats there are to choose from? And how expensive they are? While I normally love to shop, I pretty much hate coat shopping. First of all, many coats (at least many super warm coats) really don't flatter the figure. Searching for that ONE coat that doesn't make you look like you're 50 pounds heavier can take hours of searching. Meanwhile, as you try every coat on, you get to feel like a sweating walrus, because even in winter, department stores keep their buildings warm enough to make a coat too hot to handle.

To avoid the process, this year I decided to search online first. I'd pick out the best features, read the reviews, limit my choices and go in for the kill. REI had a bunch of options so I did my fact checking and headed out. I STILL ended up stuck between a few choices and came home empty handed. More down but no rain proof? Rain proof but super heavy? Removable vs. non-removable hoods? Marshmellow vs. Gestapo?

I came back home and immediately checked the internet again, hoping to find more reviews, better online prices...and was directed to.... Sacks Fifth Avenue.

On a positive note, the price for an Arctic Down coat from REI is the exact same from SFA. I suppose that makes sense, although I'm surprized to see the same coat in both stores. But the big difference? Oh, how about those other 96 coats that cost up to $2000. Won't be buying them.

But you know what I noticed? All those pretty, well fitting down coats that I've seen on people walking by on Newbury St., yeah, they must be very expensive coats. You can tell, just by the pictures, that a down coat that doesn't make you look like the Michelin Man from Ghostbusters, one that has style and finesse, costs some serious $. I mean, some are downright beautiful. I wish I could convince myself the investment is worth it. I mean, my last coat has been good to me for almost 10 years. And who knows, maybe I can find a pretty coat somewhere less well known for their high prices. Or maybe they could have a sale...

But I really want the agony of buying a coat out of the way and there is no way I could justify a coat that expensive.

WHY does coat shopping always have to be so painful?!