Warm stylish Winter Coat in Toronto...?

Can anyone recommend where in Toronto to get a nice, warm, flattering
coat, and/or just give me any tips on buying a good winter coat.
As a newbie to the chilly northern hemisphere, I need to buy a winter
coat in, and am not sure how to tell if the ones I am trying on will be
warm enough. Some of them say down 70% or feather /down mix. But lots
of them seem very thin!
I tried a nice looking one on in aritzia, but it is polyester filled, I
can't find one that is down filled and vaguely aesthetically pleasing.
thanks!

thankyou cofarb! The land's end website is great – they have a few
promising coats. Though I have never been great at mailorder sites – i
really like trying stuff on. But they have heaps of info on
temperature ratings and water resistancy etc. Do you know if you have
to pay shipping both ways if you return stuff?
What you said about down, and how it doesn't 'work' when it is wet is
something I was wondering about. I am not hooked on down at all, it
just sounded like a good and warm – I am scared of the impending cold
temperatures! Do they make down coats that don't make you look like
the michelan man?
I think I'll have a look down queen st, and maybe try sears too.
Change of topic, I also need boots, and I found some hush puppies that
claim to be waterproof, they are leather, and up to the knee, with a
thin layer of fabric on the inside. They have rubber wedge soles. WIll
they be warm enough for day to day city wear, or do I need something
more rugged?
thanks

Can anyone recommend where in Toronto to get a nice, warm, flattering
coat, and/or just give me any tips on buying a good winter coat.
As a newbie to the chilly northern hemisphere, I need to buy a winter
coat in, and am not sure how to tell if the ones I am trying on will be
warm enough. Some of them say down 70% or feather /down mix. But lots
of them seem very thin!
I tried a nice looking one on in aritzia, but it is polyester filled, I
can't find one that is down filled and vaguely aesthetically pleasing.
thanks!

Can anyone recommend where in Toronto to get a nice, warm, >flattering coat, and/or just give me any tips on buying a good >winter coat.

As a newbie to the chilly northern hemisphere, I need to buy a >winter coat in, and am not sure how to tell if the ones I am trying >on will be warm enough. Some of them say down 70% or >feather /down mix. But lots of them seem very thin!

After reading some more rec's, I'm so glad I live in Vancouver. I'm a
wimp – you folks in TO are tough. And I'm jealous cause you guys have a
Sephora and an H&M.
Of course we suffer with bone chilling dampness from cold rain from
October to March.
I need a beach vacation right about now.

They have salt remover for shoes? In all my days I've never heard of
such a thing! Wow....
I agree with Miss Jenney – wear layers. The offices and malls will be
overheated, so you'll want to be able to strip down as the situation
warrants.
If your hair will not tolerate a hat, go for those bands that cover
your ears – bonus – it will give flat hair an extra lift at the roots
:)
Sometimes the best advice is to look around at what people are wearing
on the buses and streetcars and subways. You'll see that for the most
part it is not much of a fashion show when it comes to staying warm.
It does take some time to get accustomed to the cold.

Do they make down coats that don't make you look like
the michelan man?

In article <1133148524.303793.100...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
melissa.f...@gmail.com says...
In a cold–winter town, there are two looks: "Michelin Man", and "Too
(disparagement of choice) to Buy WARM Coat".
To the other advice you've gotten here, I would add –– get a coat/jacket
with a hood.
This will be warmer than a mere scarf covering the gap between your head
and your torso. You can even wear a hat under the hood, when it's really
cold.
Dr. Scholl's used to make an anti–cold–feet insole faced with silver
heat–reflecting film, but they seem to have been discontinued. Great
product, if you can find it or an equivalent.
Checklist so far:
engineered materials coat, mid–thigh or so, hooded; maybe windbreaker or
waterproof or both
hat, scarf, mittens, socks (under boots; not for all day wear) –– wool or
acrylic
sweater (under coat) or shawl (over coat) for the colder days
waterproof boots, well cared for, thick traction–grip sole, mid–calf or
so
––
Visit my Iron Age Pages for technical and fun stuff (holiday specials,
too)!
http://pages.prodigy.net/feaudrey

... earmuffs ... prefer them to most hat–like things ... unlike a lot of
hoods, I can wear them while driving without restricting my peripheral

In article <4OmdnaskNvG9NxLeRVn–...@adelphia.com>, do...@cofarb.com says...
vision.
Unless you're driving a convertible, you can just fold back the hood when
behind the wheel.
––
Visit my Iron Age Pages for technical and fun stuff (holiday specials,
too)!
http://pages.prodigy.net/feaudrey

I am just really worried about getting really cold while I am waiting
for the streetcar or bus.

For warmth, I've never experienced anything like real shearling. And you
don't have to "Ugg it"; there are smooth leather, classic looking boots with
shearling linings.

cofarb wrote:
Okay I know the Ugg trend is out, for those who follow fashion trends,
but since I've owned my Uggs long before they were a "trend" and will
wear them now and continuing, even if they are considered "untrendy"...
can I throw in my two cents? ;–)
True Uggs (not the cheap imitations) may be ugly and now unfashionable,
but darn they are the most practical, warmest winter boots. You don't
even need two pairs of socks: in fact, they are warmer if you don't
wear socks, believe it or not! Too many socks reduces the loft of the
shearling, and that loft is what gives you warm toasty pockets inside
the boots.
Not only that, but the flat, wide base of Uggs make them very practical
on ice, providing better stability IMO than most dressier boots. As for
fashion, I just wear my pants over them and nobody really sees the Uggs
(unless of course I need to tramp through a foot of snow, in which case
I tuck my pants into them first).
As for sock recommendations, may I rave about wool/cashmere blend socks
from Target? These are the warmest socks I've ever owned. Because they
have cashmere in them, they are thin not bulky, so can be worn with
one's usual office footwear. And they come in lots of colors and
patterns. I cannot go to the office or anywhere in the winter without
them. Even if my Uggs worn sockless are just fine for outdoors, once I
hit the indoors and switch into indoor shoes, it's so chilly and drafty
my toes are unhappy unless I have my socks from Target.
I looked forever for wool/cashmere socks that didn't cost a fortune.
You can of course buy 100% cashmere socks but they are soooo expensive
and need hand–washing, I couldn't justify it. So I went on a long hunt,
and was tickled to find that Target offers a line of wool/cashmere
blend socks for very little money. I don't think you can order them on
their web site though: I found mine in the store itself. You have to
read a lot of sock labels though.
jen

Thanks for the Target sock rec. I would never have thought to look for
something like that at Target.

cofarb wrote:
YW – and I can confirm that they hold up just fine! I've owned several
pairs for going on two years, worn daily all day long (including to
bed) during winter, fall and spring, and have washed them constantly.
No holes. It is true that some of them tend to pill – but that doesn't
bother me. They are still just as warm.
I bought a bunch last winter for the girls too. It is soooo hard to
find warm socks for kids. Everything is acrylic or cotton, not wool.
These Target socks are now the only socks they'll wear during school
months.
Also for those with larger feet, try the men's dept. Initially when I
went on my hunt I found a ton of wool w/cashmere options in the men's
department. But I have tiny feet and I got sick of having that ankle
bump sticking out of the back of my shoe (even it the socks were toasty
warm).
It was a very interesting hunt – seems that men have many more warm
sock options – at cheaper prices – than women!
jen

I still wear my Uggs. I guess I am dowdy and frumpy. They are the nicest
(and might I add, the most expensive!) boots that I own and I like them,
trendy or not. They are practical. I am also not talking about the
imitation Uggs. I am talking about the genuine ones. They are extremely
practical, warm, and not gaudy. They look conservative under slacks or a
very long skirt. I wear boots for warmth, traction, and practicality, not
because someone has deemed them "out" or "unfashionable." FWIW, the
"newest" Uggs this season are ones that go all the way up to your knees.
The makeup artist who was doing my MAC makeover in Lexington, KY was
wearing a pair of black Uggs and she showed me hers b/c she noticed I was
wearing a pair of Uggs. We had a good laugh about people who sacrifice the
warmth of their feet at the expensive of "fashion's sake."
––Kristin

"shinypenny" <shinypenny0...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1133843122.056864.90...@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
I'm keeping my house very cold to conserve energy. Most of the time,
I'm wearing two pairs of socks––a thin pair of cotton under World's
Softest Socks. My daughter says that when she is rich, she is going
to wear new socks every day. (I accumulate interesting socks for her
throughout the year––usually at Marshall's––and give them to her for
Hannuka. (In my family, Hannuka gifts were traditionally pretty
sucky; I did NOT want to get socks as a gift. Fortunately, my
daughter loves getting a couple dozen pairs of socks.)
cofarb