That's a pretty coat Ana. It is sadly too white for me as I prefer cream. But hopefully it might work for someone else.

It's VERY pretty Ana. Is the extra 40% off in store only? I'm not crazy about the idea of wearing down, but I have been freezing to death for weeks because of this crazy arctic weather, and I don't know if I can take it much longer.

Side note: Does anyone else think the model looks strange wearing strappy sandals with a puffer? One of my biggest peeves is when people wear flipflops and other summer footwear with heavy coats (like the reverse of wearing Uggs with miniskirts in June). I mean, I don't like flipflops or Uggs period, but that just boggles my mind. Most people use the comfort excuse for wearing flipflops/Uggs, but how can it possibly be comfortable to wear something so unseasonable? Sorry to get off topic...

It's good for online as well, Maya. And they have free shipping at any price with code NMSHIP. It might be worth a shot, especially if you have a NM near you, so you can just return it in store, rather than mail it back if it doesn't work out.

The sandals ARE weird.

Hmm, it might be worth calling to get more information on the coat unless it's available online. It doesn't say it's down, so it might just be poly fiberfil which isn't as warm. Cute coat though.

Sweet! It might not be warm, though. I worry about micro-fibre fill and warmth.

HA! Your pet peeves are actually a blog topic for next week, Maya. Stay tuned.

Hee, Angie and Maya. Angie, are you going to mention sandals in the rain? I see it so often here, and I don't get it. Sandals are probably practical for tropical rainstorms and torrential downpours, but in the cold?

I am really looking forward to that blog post Angie.

Speaking of your future blog posts, when do we get your famous flop-proof outfit series for winter? I have been really wanting to read those for months. Could we have them soon, pretty please? *batting eye lashes*

I share your pet peeve, Maya, so I am looking forward to the blog post, too. I also wonder about winter coat with pumps look - it also seems a little unbalanced to me, even though it's common in old movies (especially fur coats :)). Am I wrong about that one?

Heh, this also reminds me of Tevas with socks in winter, which used to be a very common look here, but I don't see it as much anymore.

I hear you on the "flop proof Winter looks posts", Tanya. Many people have been requesting them and I want to help out. It's a time challenge at the moment, though. I am very busy and about to get busier. They take FOREVER to compile because polyvore is a pretty blunt tool, and that’s all I have at the moment. But you of all people don’t need my formulas Tanya – you could be writing them for this blog instead :-)

Oh goodness, Lena. Don’t get me started on people in Seattle wearing shorts and slops when it’s snowing (22 degrees) outside. A sad, sad state of affairs. Honestly, they’re a little ill in the head.

When I was in high school, I used to see lots of Birkenstocks sandals with thick socks in autumn. (or maybe they were Tevas?)

Marianne, good question about pumps with winter coats. I wonder about this, too.

I don’t see a problem with pumps and Winter coats at all. You need to wear hose or tights and the right type of coat - not a puffer. And hopefully not real fur. Actually, I’m always surprised at how money people wear real fur on the East Coast. You’d virtually be stoned in tree-hugging Seattle.

Oh, I understand that you are very busy Angie, I can only imagine. I just absolutely adored them when you posted them in the summer, and am very curious about the winter version. But I am happy to wait.

I randomly stumbled across that gorgeous grey/black dress from your summer dress flop proof outfit. I was so happy till I noticed that it is by Mr. Alexander McQueen and costs $600 on sale :(

I hope to get a few out in the next month, Tanya. Promise. Nice to know someone as style savvy as you appreciated them.

That’s another thing. Polyvore is all over the map with its items. The site drives me batty. The search engine is poor. But, if you can get it right – it makes for an effective visual aid.

Oh, I have more than appreciated them, I have absolutely adored them Angie! You know us scientists, we are simply in love with formulas :)

Polyvore is a very annoying site, I agree. The idea is great but it is very difficult to use. I gave up after a few trials.

Ah ha. It’s the scientist-formula connection. How could I forget!

I’m happy to hear it’s not just my poor technical skills that makes polyvore a frustrating site. Although I’m sure that increases the aggravation.

Angie, I am sure that your technical skills are very good. Your blog posts and occasional Polyvores look fantastic. It is just that whoever designed that site did not try to make it as user friendly as possible.

Maya, why are you opposed to wearing down? Because of the animal factor?

Nicole, I was not sure how down is obtained so I did some research and was not happy with what I found. I will leave it at that. Being cold is uncomfortable but it's nothing compared to what those animals endure. I keep going back and considering it but I know ultimately I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it.

I don't think this jacket specifies what it is filled with. It might be worth it to call customer service and ask. NM lets you return items that don't work out within 30 days.

Ana, Angie has said synthetic materials aren't as warm, so it would probably wouldn't benefit me or be any warmer than my current coat.

Oh, thanks for clarification on the pumps! I can't quite explain why it seems odd to me - probably because in my mind if it's cold enough for a winter coat, it's too cold for pumps :)

Maya, I know often synthetics aren't as warm, but I think it might depend to some extent on the individual materials and design--some are very innovative. I know someone who just bought a very warm non-down winter coat at mo851. I asked what it was made of because I was fascinated by the possibility of a down alternative and she said it's polyurethane, the stuff very commonly used as insulation in walls. Might be worth checking out?

I hear you on the down. It's a dilemma. I feel more OK about my down puffer b/c I thrifted it.

you are from Canada brianna so I put extra stock in your opinion. I haven't seen any made of polyurethane--most are polyester or nylon. I wonder if, even if they are not as warm as down, maybe they will still be warmer than my coat. It's impossible to tell without wearing it on a super chilly, foul weather day and potentially making it non-returnable.

Maya, I'm from one of the only parts of Canada that doesn't get very cold at all (our weather is just like Seattle's--we almost never get snow, just a lot of rain), so don't trust me too much! I know Land's End and some other places give temperature ratings for their coats. Maybe you can find some other options where temp ratings are given. How cold does it get where you are?

Are you willing to try thrifting? I've seen a ton of down coats (some ugly, some really nice) at thrift stores recently.

I love thrifting Brianna, but somehow don't have much luck with it. Everything is usually too big so I end up going for accessories instead.

It got up to 36 here today (2C), and I actually felt WARM because it has been so unbearably cold for the past couple of weeks. Yesterday it was 18 (-7C) and before that it got as low as 14 (-10). Today and most days my coat is warm enough, but every winter there are at least a few days of arctic weather where I would like something extra warm. I suppose I'll just tough it out though, I suppose.