https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:48:23 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454508 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:58:42 +0000 Isabel 454508@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Krishni,</p> <p>I am going to buy a thinsulate "shirt jacket" to wear as a liner under my coats ( I already have a thinsulate jacket - but I like how fitted this one is ):</p> <p><a href="http://www.cabelas.com/product/Columbia174-Womens-Cozie-Cutie8482-Shirt-Jac/1243686.uts?WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products" rel="nofollow">http://www.cabelas.com/product.....l+Products</a></p> <p>another idea, is this mid-layer :</p> <p><a href="http://www.titlenine.com/product/515206.do?kwd=jacket" rel="nofollow">http://www.titlenine.com/produ.....kwd=jacket</a></p> <p>I do have to disclose that the one type of apparel I have the most of are coats. And I use every single one ! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454463 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:45:44 +0000 Vildy 454463@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I doubt I needed to say but almost all my outerwear is thrifted. Some is or was new once but if I had to pay $700 to keep warm, I couldn't manage it. I'd have to buy my one new coat at the army surplus store. I often pay $5 - 10 for my coats. Some few are given to me. Some of us friends and acquaintances have a kind of perpetual clothing swap. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454414 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:54:50 +0000 krishnidoux 454414@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Suz, thank you THANK YOU for your great post. More coats! It's impossible to find a one-fits-all coat that would suit everything. Outerwear that completes rather than competes with what you are wearing: love that. That is exactly the problem with only one gear style coat. </p> <p>Yet, quality warm coats are so expensive. We're talking in the $700 if not more. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454379 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:26:31 +0000 Suz 454379@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Vildy, that is what I have been thinking. Realistically, for those of us who actually go outside in the winter, and spend TIME outside (i.e. walking) people mainly see us in the coat. So to wear the same one day after day after day...well, no wonder we get sick of it! We would never wear the same DRESS every day. Or if we did, we would accessorize. </p> <p>I am a wardrobe minimalist, on the whole. The only things I really believe in having "more" of are those basics that you wear almost every day - underwear, layering camis or Ts, perhaps jeans for the jeans-wearing woman. Shoes and boots. </p> <p>But it seems to me, in our climate (including New Jersey), coats do fall into that category. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454374 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:19:44 +0000 Vildy 454374@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The thinsulate jacket as an underliner sounds brilliant. Alpaca is supposed to be the warmest, shame they didn't use all alpaca. Generally very expensive, though. </p> <p>When I was a teenager my mother and I visited back East in New York City. An old<br /> family friend mentioned how she loved coats and how many she had. My eyes widened.<br /> My mother had no more than one or two of *anything* - just the way my parents were.<br /> She glared when she saw ideas were being put into my head because she knew I always liked "more." </p> <p>I've read before that some New Yorkers travel to Canada because the coats are made warmer. Not true?</p> <p>Now live in relatively mild New Jersey and have an armoire full of coats and outerwear jackets. Plus lots more non-winter coats: raincoats, couple wildly patterned cloth coats, suede coats. For months on end, most people only see me in a coat. They wouldn't even know what I was wearing otherwise. Coats are kind of like dresses to me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454361 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:53:14 +0000 sarah 454361@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm not in Canada, but Minnesota is close enough. I don't have good answers, but I certainly do commiserate. For example, my new lighter colored boots are going to have to be relegated to wearing with jeans only, as I don't know how I'd keep my legs warm wearing them with skirts (and even with jeans, I will only be able to wear them until about the end of December - then it's warm snow boots only). I'm interested by this "more coats" idea. I hadn't really thought of that, but it does make sense. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454357 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:31:52 +0000 Isabel 454357@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Though I am not in Canada, I somewhat can relate. Thankfully, now a days, there are lovely options. Even some of the "gear" stuff is beautiful. </p> <p>I completely agree with layering ! I find that thin wool blazers are great. I agree with a nice puffer, like so many ladies have here. I also have taken to wearing thinsulate jackets as make shift coat liners. For example :</p> <p><a href="http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68213?feat=58795-ppxs&#038;dds=y" rel="nofollow">http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop.....#038;dds=y</a></p> <p>Sometimes though, their is just no way around a heavy coat. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454343 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:51:48 +0000 elpgal 454343@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>" MORE COATS! " - Suz, thanks, you have just given me my new mantra for start of winter shopping! </p> <p>I have the same coat set you describe - long black wool coat, 3-in-1 gear coat and a severe dearth of casual-dressy coats which I justify by telling myself that since the coat is coming off indoors, there's no need to spend money on it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454341 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:47:18 +0000 JennyAnne 454341@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>How funny that I've been feeling the same way about hot Florida 8 months out of the year. How on earth can I be cute in 95 degree heat every day? I think the solution is sundresses, but they're not practical every day with two active little boys, who love Mommy to play legos with them on the floor.</p> <p>So for me, I think it would be easier to be stylish wearing shirts, sweaters, turtlenecks and scarfs layered every day </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454334 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:33:48 +0000 Suz 454334@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, the colour is extremely rich and luminous. I think maybe the alpaca makes it a tiny bit glossy. </p> <p>I got it large enough to layer under. I had no choice, really, as the smallest size is "layering" size for me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454329 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:29:41 +0000 cheryle (Dianthus) 454329@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Now I remember Suz. I still love it. There was a $25 off card in the magazine I saw the coat in. Very tempting. The color is even more beautiful in your pics than on the website and in the magazine. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454326 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:25:14 +0000 Suz 454326@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Dianthus, that is the coat I bought!! For my dressy winter coat. </p> <p>Here you can see it on me: <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keep-or-return-winter-coat" rel="nofollow">http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....inter-coat</a></p> <p>I have not yet worn it. However, I'm guessing that it should be warm enough (with layers underneath) for a good proportion of our winter days, but definitely not for the coldest (-30 to -40C) days. Since we do not get too many days like that in a typical winter (our average is more like -10 to -20C with windchill making it colder, of course) I think I should be able to wear this coat on many days. Alpaca is supposed to be warmer than wool and the coat is a wool/alpaca blend. </p> <p>It is a beautifully soft, well-draping coat. I am short so it is knee length on me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454316 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:12:55 +0000 celia 454316@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I was thinking that yesterday about boots.<br /> I still haven't adjust to the fact that you can dress stylishly and even without many layers for the inside but put almost gear to go outside.<br /> I might buy another puffer coat but then again I find that the long ones are not very practical.<br /> Sorry this was not very helpful </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454311 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:03:05 +0000 cheryle (Dianthus) 454311@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am back again. Missvee made me remember how I felt left out of the cape trend even though I love the look. Having the lower part of the arm open to the elements only works for a few weeks.</p> <p>I also agree with Suz that we need a coat wardrobe. I try to keep it neutral and most of my coats for winter are black. I have one that is almost ankle length wool, a knee length vintage swakara fur in the cossack style (I apologize to those who oppose fur but it is a 70's coat so I rationalize that it is okay as I am re-using/recycling), a hip length down jacket with a hood and probably a few more.</p> <p>I still feel I need more. I saw this one in the Bay top 10 ad and it was listed as warm but I am not sure if it would be warm enough for here.<br /> <a href="http://www.thebay.com/eng/womens-outerwear-top10-TOP10_Alpaca_Blend_Coat-thebay/216695" rel="nofollow">http://www.thebay.com/eng/wome.....bay/216695</a> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454295 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:42:45 +0000 missvee 454295@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm in Canada too, and I agree that we need more coats than you might think, especially ones we can layer under for the swing seasons (fall-winter, and winter-spring). This isn't a bad thing, but it does put a hole in your clothes budget!! I'm trying to focus on better casual coats, since that's more my lifestyle, but it's an ongoing process. Some of the really smart styles aren't meant for layering, so they aren't always the best choice. I like vests too, but agree they're not for real winter. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454269 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:04:24 +0000 Suz 454269@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hear you, Krishnidoux. I have begun to feel that this is largely a problem of not having the right combination of layers and outerwear. I have a similar problem. It is not quite as cold where I live as where you are, so my true struggles have not yet begun, and yet, for example—yesterday I thought about wearing my new dress. And then I realized that I would need to put my winter coat over it, because nothing else would keep me warm enough. And I wasn't quite ready to go there, not least because I have not yet acquired the gloves and hat to go with it. </p> <p>I have recently come to the conclusion that MORE COATS is the way to go. I think I was brought up with this idea that one winter coat should be enough, or possibly one very casual jacket and one longer, dressier coat. Perhaps for those whose winters are not as cold and long as ours, that makes sense. But I am beginning to believe that a coat collection is not an extravagance or indulgence for people who live in our climate. </p> <p>Layers are wonderful, of course. And we should definitely layer for warmth as well as fashion. But we still need outerwear that COMPLETES rather than COMPETES with the outfit itself. And sometimes that may mean coats/jackets in several different styles. Or several different colours. Even if it is a puffer coat that makes one look like the Michelin mascot, if the colours are toned to the outfit, perhaps this makes it feel more fashionable? </p> <p>Speaking of puffers, I saw an interesting coat at the Bay the other day. They are featuring it as one of their 10 top coats. It is a reversible coat. Looks like a thin puffer on one side and is plain on the other side. They had it in black, khaki, navy, and perhaps dark brown. I could not tell what I thought of it. One part of me wondered if it actually had any warmth. Another part of me thought it was a very dull, conservative cut. And still another part of me thought that it would be nicely unobtrusive; the kind of coat you could put a scarf onto and no one would really see the coat at all, and slim cut enough that it would not scream I AM A BIG WINTER COAT! This coat is not dressy but it is also not sloppy casual. This coat would probably not be warm enough for true winter where we live. But it would certainly work for November, some of December, and March.</p> <p> <a href="http://www.thebay.com/eng/womens-outerwear-Top_10_Reversible_Down-thebay/219282" rel="nofollow">http://www.thebay.com/eng/wome.....bay/219282</a></p> <p>I have not yet acquired a wonderful coat wardrobe. At the moment I have my new coat and an old and very ugly puffer from LLBean. Plus a MEC jacket bought in the children's section of the store many years ago! But I am seriously considering putting some money aside for the winter sales and trying to find a coat at that time. I know it may be difficult given my size (and small sizes may be gone) but I still think it's worth a try; I may find something a bit unusual and feel better about buying it at a lower price. </p> <p>I loved your use of a belted down vest as a jacket in one of your WIW photos. That was clever. But of course at a certain point, it is not warm enough, even with layered sweaters on top. </p> <p>A long-winded non-solution to the problem. sigh. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454257 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:20:56 +0000 cheryle (Dianthus) 454257@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hear you Krishnidoux. I just got back from a week in Edmonton and packing footwear for a trip is really hard in winter. It isn't quite cold enough to pull out the heavy artillery for me but it will be any time now.</p> <p>Although I try not to look too over-bundled, I would rather forgo fashion than get frostbite. Having said that, I park in a garage attached to the house, park in an indoor heated garage at work, have command start and heated seats. My strategy is to avoid it as much as possible. For reference I an in Winnipeg and we probably have the coldest winters for any major city south of the territories. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454251 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:09:15 +0000 Kristine 454251@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>How about layering? I find when the seasons start to really change and I get particularly cold, I need layers. So I'll wear a tank top, long sleeve top, blazer or sweater then a wool coat and scarf. My wool coat is long, to my knees, and then when it's really cold I wear my 3/4 length puffer. </p> <p>Maybe you just don't have the right coat for this point in the year? I figure if we live in this climate (I'm in Wisconsin) we can justify having a few choices in coats and boots! I try to keep my coats stylish but I don't give up warmth for style either in the winter. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/canadians-style-and-winter-contradictory#post-454239 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:48:09 +0000 krishnidoux 454239@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Is it possible to be stylish AND warm enough to lead a normal life in the winter, which is, for us, more than half of the year?</p> <p>Yesterday's cold spell where I live shocked me back into my Eastern Canadian reality. Despite having prepared outfits, I got so depressed dressing up in the morning because of the sudden reduction of choices I have. Major MAJOR Nothing-to-wear-15-minutes-late case. </p> <p>I don't lack any warm inside outfits, but I do lack stylish YET warm outerwear to wear it with. This reduces the choices quite a lot!</p> <p>I have stylish jackets and coats, yes, but the "demi saison" ones in wool are not warm enough while my down coat is too bulky and make me look like the Michelin Tires mascot.</p> <p>I would like to hear of your tricks! </p>