I purchased this coat to take on an Anartica Cruise, where I would be wearing it on the ship's deck, watching ice bergs and on land excursions. It was summer in S.A., but still cold on the ship's deck. I love this coat: it is light weigh, so easy to pack; warm and can be used with our without the hood, zips and buttons up tightly. Highly recommended.
I live in Buffalo, NY and drove out to Rochester store to try on multiple coats before buying this one. Our winters are brutal: 7 feet of snow, sub-zero temps (-8) and enduring (turned my heat off in June last year). I know what it means to need a good practical coat.
Its a very flattering coat, looks good and has some brilliant ideas (fleece snow cuffs, zip pockets, snap closures) in it's design, but in the end it just didn't stand up.
1. The hood kept unzipping and the buttons on either side felt a lot of strain - so much so that they pulled off. 2.. Material is NOT water-resistant enough for wet snow, or even light drizzle or freezing rain. I wore this while shovelling 6 inches of fallen snow, during the storm, and came back into the house drenched. To my bra. Returned it the following day.
I really loved this coat, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. As I said, I drove to the store to try on MANY other. But after testing it in real life, this is not a practical choice for me. Hope this helps someone.
