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Back in IL I wouldn't put on a coat until it got below 20, a long sleeved tshirt or the occasional sweatshirt was fine. I had an LL Bean Ascent down jacket I'd wear about once a year when the temps dipped to -10 with a -30 windchill... but I gave my coats away when we moved to FL and hope to never have to wear one again!! :p
Actually I did not buy the packable down coat because I wanted something thin and packable, I just wanted something down. The packable one was on sale and it fit and I believed the label that said it would keep me warm, so I tried it. I would be perfectly content with a puffy old-school down coat or a packable one, as long as it's knee-length and it keeps me warm.
After being unhappy with the packable down coat I tried an LL Bean "ultrawarm" coat. I think the fill is 750. It was awful! Very thin, like there was no down inside it at all. I thought it was defective so I contacted them to ask about it and they said it's supposed to be thin and flat. It didn't look anything like the photos on the website. It was also comically large (I ordered a size small based on the size chart) so I just returned it.
It's in the mid-40s here today but there's a cold breeze from the NW. I wore the latest coat when I went out to get lunch and it seemed okay so far. However it's a couple of inches shorter than I would like it to be. If I still like it tonight I will probably exchange it for the "tall" version. If I'm cold when I leave here tonight then I will have to wait until after Christmas because I can't afford a more expensive coat right now.
I've never heard of jil sanders -- I'll have to look for that. I gave up trying to find a nice wool coat several years ago, because I couldn't find any that were more than 50% wool except the ones at Bean which no longer have any buttons below the waist thus defeating the whole point of having a long coat. Also it's harder to find a wool coat that fits well over a warm sweater without being too tight across the back when I'm driving.
Yes I am very picky. But I can't stand spending lots of money for something that fits wrong or doesn't work as intended.
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Originally Posted by Pax
OMG. I do try not to wear coats until it's really necessary, but for me it is necessary once the temps drop below 60. I have a good leather coat for 50-60, and a couple of short winter jackets for 40-50. Below that I really need to cover down to my knees.
I work with a couple of guys who are always too warm. You know it's really cold outside when they show up wearing a sweater. Of course under those conditions I've got my ankle-length coat over heavy wool. Plus ski mittens on my hands, a wool cap with a fleece lining on my head and Uggs over wool socks on my feet.
Yes, there are a lot of people like Pax around here, but I am not one! I have a jean jacket for cool summer nights and early fall, and a leather jacket with a thinsulate lining that I could wear through a lot of days in the winter. I am kind of sick of it, it's 20 years old, and not so stylish. Now I tend to wear my packable down or a sweater type, very stylish jacket from BR, instead. I also have a lined trench coat, good for fall and spring, when I am wearing a dress or skirt. Then I have the wool coat and down coat. You are right, most coats do not button all the way down, mostly for ease of movement. I know my J Crew doesn't. It is not that bulky, and neither are the sweaters I wear, so they fit under it. I seriously hate wearing a hat, as my hair does not behave if I have it on for more than a minute. I have fleece headband I wear most of the time, just running into work from the lot, or I wear my very thin 100% wool ski cap if it's really cold. I also have a fleece lined heavy wool alpine looking hat I bought in Lake Placid. I went there to x country ski, twice, and there was no snow! But it was freezing in a way that was not nice, since there was no pretty snow. It has to be below 25 for me to wear this, and I really can't nordic ski in it, or it's too hot.
Another topic... people are kind of overreacting to my announcement that my son and DIL are expecting. By people, I mean my close friends. I am very happy for my son and DIL, but really, I hate to say it, I don't like thinking about myself as a grandmother. I know I will love the baby and they will be great parents and we will have fun. But, I am not going to make it my whole life. I was the same way when I had young kids, and my kids were very planned and wanted. I get almost a negative/oppositional reaction to situations wherepeople try to put me in a traditional role. Feh.
I told my DH he can start saving for the bike trailer and he said, "Yes, and it will be attached to *your* bike."
I don't think it's grandmother status, Crankin but just happiness to be related to a baby-child in an extended family, who you don't have 100% responsibility to look after anymore or not even 25%.
My partner is a grandfather of 3 grandsons -- eldest is 12 yrs. old with youngest 1 yr. old.
A few months ago, it kinda shocked me that my eldest niece is 30 yrs. No, I would be very surprised if she wanted children. (I don't think it's good if one is still sorting out their own happiness.)
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I have a heavy, knee length wool coat. That's enough for me. I've had it for last 15 yrs. and I wear it about 10 times or less per winter. I just find it too heavy in weight. I can't believe I used to wear heavier wool winter dress coats 4 inches below my knee and walk 6 km. to university in the snow, with my knapsack filled with 3 hardbound texts. I never gained weight at university....
I find it adequate to wear a bum length semi snow repellant heavier down jacket that I wear for mountain snowshoeing (Hmmm, wonder if it smells.) when I wear long winter boots and a skirt to office. I walk 15 min. to LRT and might stand around waiting for train about 5 min. or less in -25 degree C weather.
I'm not keen to buy a down-filled knee length or longer puffy winter coat. For a short, petite person like myself, I don't think it looks attractive on me.
A lot of the chic looking puffy jackets, aren't that warm. One woman I knew, wore 2 on top of one another. That's not a good sign of quality.
Of course, the "chic" in-style brand in western Canada, is Canada Goose brand line. The real version that is made in Canada. They are plain, warm but expensive. Not knock-offs in China.
I don't need that..unless I live in Canada's Arctic.
Our winters are around -10 to -25 degrees C. We do get a few days each winter down to -40 degrees C. Now you know why it doesn't faze some locals to work in/near the Arctic. :) We are at least 250 km. north of Toronto in latitude or more...but of course 4,000 km. west of Toronto.
Well I walked from my office to my car in a cold wind with an air temp of 39F and could feel the wind going through the coat. Which means another trip to the mall to return it.
Don't really know where to go from here. Two coats supposedly rated to be comfortable in below zero temps that are not warm when it's still above freezing. No idea how to find a coat that is as warm as the manufacturer claims. I'm already tired of buying and returning, and stores will be selling out soon.
Try to tune out people's expectations if you can, Crankin. One of the best things you can do for children or grandchildren is to show them that it's okay to be yourself without worrying about what others think you should be.
Lots to learn from grandmother, particularily she has had a long work-related career, balanced child raising yet a happy marriage. And she bikes well into her...60's. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ny biker
Though I am not a grandmother, I do feel I have a role for the niece who lost her mother. I could never replace her mother who died. But I know that just for niece to know that she has an aunt who enjoys writing, art ....like she does now. Her mother was different and naturally strong in other skills.
I used to be cold all.the.time, menopause fixed that, now I'm hot, all the time. It can be 100 outside and I'm hot, it can be 20 outside and I'm hot... at least here in FL the temp is more constant. Couple that with the fact I hate wearing clothing of any kind (I think I'm a nudist at heart) and tropical living works better for me. I have acquired six new pairs of flip flops though.:D
Makes sense to me!Quote:
Originally Posted by Pax
I laugh when I read a description of a coat online and it claims the coat "holds in body heat." I have no body heat. The other day a nurse took my temperature and it was below 97. That is normal for me. Even when I'm getting hot flashes, I alternate between them and cold flashes when I just can't get warm no matter what I do. (Until the internal furnace clicks on and then I can't throw the blankets off and rip off the sweaters fast enough!)
I have to go into Georgetown tomorrow (i.e., traffic hell) to pick up a Christmas gift, and there is a North Face store there that I can visit. They have a knee-length coat that seems to get good reviews, so I'm hoping I can check it out. Though if I like it, I may buy it at REI where I get a dividend.
I did find that Nordstrom carries Canada Goose coats. They are quite pricey.
Yeah, goose down is much warmer for its weight than synthetic fill.....think of the amount of down a goose has (and it keeps them warm :) )……and think of a coats shell as feathers. My outdoor research jacket is 800 fill and very light, toasty warm, the shell is wind and water proof and it stuffs into a small bag. I have very light goose down comforters for the guest bedroom and people are surprised how nice and warm they are especially for the weight.Quote:
Originally Posted by ny biker
Quality is more expensive. I save until I can buy well-constructed, good material clothing by a designer that does more of a timeless look. That way I actually spend less in the long run and have nice clothes, especially for work. Because of only doing clothes shopping when i have saved the money means less shopping for me too.Quote:
Originally Posted by ny biker
think of it as keeping mary warm in bed on a cold night…she should be thanking you :).....and yeah flip-flops ftw!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Pax
When it comes to warm clothes, style and fashion mostly go out the window for me once it gets cold enough. I've acquired a fair amount of practical, warm stuff for hiking, skiing or working outdoors, but none of it is particularly attractive unless you go for the lumberjack look ;-)
After some years I felt the need for a "civilian" coat for dressy occasions in cold weather, and now have both a ankle-length wool coat with a mouflon collar and a knee-length down coat. They're surprisingly "un-warm", probably because I don't have warm "civilian" boots to go with them, and overtrousers look weird with a coat. I usually have to choose between looking nice or being warm ;-)
She used to be a furnace, just a tiny little ball of heat, menopause did the opposite to her and she's always cold now. Bodies are weird. LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by rebeccaC
Is your thyroid okay, NY? Low body temp can be a sign of hypothyroidism. I am cold-natured too, although with menopause I am much hotter natured than I used to be and sweat a LOT more. However, I have a very small comfort zone, so I get chilly at much warmer temps than most people. Some of that is probably from living mostly in hot climates for the last four years, though. My blood has definitely thinned!Quote:
Originally Posted by ny biker
Good luck finding a coat that keeps you warm.
My normal body temp is also low, and there have been many times it's been 97. something when at the doctor. As far as I know, my thyroid is fine.
I don't like being hot. I think it comes from living in air conditioning for 23 years. I had no issues adjusting to the cold when I moved back here, but now, it bothers me a little, mostly when I am running to the office from the parking lot. Never, though, when I am exercising! In fact, I prefer being outside in the winter to exercise. And, it's mostly wind related. I hate wind, even when it's warm out!