Thank you all! Good suggestions. I'll look at Athleta, Jules -- thanks for the reminder!! and Sharan, I'll check Garneau!

StagFash, it really is the wild wet west out here! In all seriousness, it's fine in town, but I live (and walk) in a suburban/ bordering on rural area. It gets dark early in winter and it is not very well lit (edited to make snese, LOL) and such lights as we have seem to exacerbate glare.

I do have a true reflective jacket for my bike. (In Finds. May not look reflective, but it is!) But for walking, hmm. I don't know about that. I mean -- most of them seem like the wrong style for my needs. I need a longer walking style coat, not a short puffer.

Anyway -- the white one has gone back and still on the hunt!

Jaime - you wore a puffer when it was 20c ish ? I’m killing myself laughing over here . We’re in shorts breaking out the sunscreen when it hits that high of a temp

It's true.

Shevia, thanks for the reminder that I wanted it this way! My puffy vest with the fur trim on the hood was my Florida winter coat, and I was excited when temps dipped into the teens (Celsius) so I could wear it! Easy to remember today, when everything is covered in a blanket of fluffy white, but I must remind myself that the next few months of single digit temps under grey skies are a privilege I’ve chosen

Suz, long reflective coats are out there! You’ve gotta do you, but the situation you describe is one where I’d put function before form. These are intended as proof of concept, not specific recommendations. Cool bike jacket, btw—exactly what I meant about not always being obviously reflective when there’s ambient light. https://www.adidas.de/en/refle.....ts-regular

Laughing at Shevia so much I forgot what I was going to say to Suz…..

Um….

I like the quilting and cut of The North Face jacket but I do not prefer this warm of a white for you. If you really like this particular jacket, I have learned it is likely that TNF will produce it in other colors so keep alert since it is not something you seem in a hurry to purchase. If you are looking specifically for a white jacket it may be tough, they are known for this warm white (it has been in a lot of their ads over the years) so they may not change something that seems to be a hallmark to their brand……

Also, did you feel the logo? They have gone from embroidery to a patch with embroidery, to maybe a printed or stamped logo which has a tacky residue feel to it, as though it is double sided tape with the protective backing removed……(I have two new this year TNF items with this logo….)

Really great puffers, both, navy more practical, BUT I LOVE YOU IN THE WHITE!!! (I don't see it very warm in natural daylight, at all!!)

I’m late to this, but I love the dipped back hem of the white one. If this one didn’t feel quite right to you, I hope you can find another one that suits you, because the light color is really great.

Kudos to you for being picky and patient. I’ve been impatient in the past with puffers and have a couple in my closet I don’t love for various reasons. Sigh. Double zippers on longer ones are now an absolute requirement — live and learn!

Suz Im following along here with great interest. I love the blue one on you, and I agree the light color looks fab with your coloring--I could see you in a soft silver version

Im currently obsessed looking for the right down puffer....for the NW rain, but not too warm. Walking and bus commuting, (looking for black)Also considering the non-down versions (Sonora) but not sure if they really are as warm and lightweight?

I currently have a down Andrew Marc in a metallic ink blue 3/4 length that I bought on a whim a few years ago and have really been loving the light weight warmth! I used to always wear wool coats, but the down has converted me. but its not very waterproof

I bought a maxi down one from Costco of all places, it has great details and quality--lots of zipper pockets, hood, double front zip and zipper sides..but its much more for a frigid Chicago winter than Seattle! lol. Way too warm....so back it goes.

Im now waiting for delivery for the J+ puffer from Uniqlo...but it might be a bit too oversized. will see

Eddie Bauer currently is running an outerwear sale, so you might check in there.

Thanks, Rebekah, it sounds like our needs are similar. My Ontario puffers are really too warm for all but the coldest days here. Yet I do need some warmth and definitely waterproofness.

I often get a poor fit with Eddie Bauer but I am checking anyway just in case because never say never!

I love the Uniglo style! It was all sold out here when I last looked but I will check again for restocking. I hope it works for you!

Staysfit, Lisa, Carol -- I hear you!! At 20C I'm putting on the summer clothes, too! I'd have been chortling at the idea of a puffer at all out here a few years ago, but it's amazing how fast you get acclimatized. It's damp and wet and sometimes gales blow off the ocean so colder than one might imagine at times -- but not so cold that we need big arctic protection but cold enough that more than one winter coat is required for sure!

Just chiming in to say the navy is wonderful and glad you are keeping it. I have a mid thigh very light weight puffer from Lole. They offer a few colours and might be worth checking out. It serves me until -5 or so.

THanks, Glory. They are a good company. My grey puffer is Lole and it is still going strong after 11 years of constant winter wear. It has lost a few feathers and the zips have a tendency to stick (a problem with many older puffers, I've noticed) but otherwise it is still terrific. Worth a look!

Suz, I really like Sugoi, too, for biking. I have a version of that jacket--I love the all-over reflectivity.

The photos of the blue are a bit dark, so it is hard to tell, but as long as its it useful and comfortable (which it definitely is!), it was a valuable purchase.

As for the white, I simply adore you in that color. Perhaps not THAT particular shade of white, or that particular coat, but honestly the lighter color brightens you up so much and complements your hair so well that I didn't even notice the fit/style of the coat at first. It is just that stunning on you. It wasn't until I went back and looked at it closely that I could see some of the issues others had mentioned. So while I applaud you being patient and picky, you NEED a coat in a light shade like this!

Glad I checked back so I could crack up at you Canadians/North Easterners cracking up at me and my puffer in the chilly 20C weather! You would all die laughing if you could hear the radio reporting the "wintry weather where it is better to stay under the covers".
As for puffers in your "summer" weather, let's just say I'm not the only one!

I figure a white raincoat is an essential if you are walking after 4pm in the winter months in Victoria. The combination of rain, trees, narrow roads, and dark clothing make pedestrians almost invisible on black nights. The other tricky aspect of our winter is getting accustom to warm temperatures when it’s raining—our winter rains are called “The Pineapple Express” for a reason.

Gaylene, so interesting! You are so right about the visibility here. Sadly, as you probably heard, the teen who was hit at a crosswalk on Monday in Saanich (not too far from where I live) has since died. That shows you just how poor visibility can be. It's quite shocking to me. It's not that there are no lights (although there are very few lights in my area, as it happens). It is more that there are many obstructions and there is a lot of glare from the rain. And it seems to get dark so much earlier than in the east. Actually, it doesn't "seem" to get darker faster -- it does get darker faster! That would be different for you, coming from Edmonton. But Edmonton gets a lot of winter sun. So the darkness would be noticeable for you in a different way, I'll bet.

Anyway...it sounds like I may run cooler than you (or maybe wear fewer layers?) or maybe walk into the wind? I'm not unwilling to layer, though, so can consider something like your strategy with Helly Hansen. But when I walk at night right now, I'm wearing a merino base layer, often a merino second layer, boots, merino hat, gloves, and my Lole puffer, meant for genuine cold weather! And oh yeah, a scarf!! And my reflectors, of course.

In the daytime I can get away with less and do. And of course on the rainy days, I need raingear, not a puffer.

I am not surprised by the rain=warmer and sun=cooler -- that's a Maritime thing and it was the same in Kingston (near Lake Ontario). The changes here are less extreme and abrupt (as a rule) and of course there is far more rain -- especially this year. OY!!!

That was such a horrible accident but I can certainly see how it could happen on that road at night. It’s the utter blackness of the shadowy areas which make pedestrians so invisible until the glare of a headlight hits them. Like you, I’m totally fine with forgoing fashion if it means being more visible when I’m on foot.

Suz, that Little Puff looks so good! I'm wondering if you can have a seamstress add an inside pocket?

The white one, I'm on the fence about. It's pretty good, but it isn't approaching Suz-level Fabness, for reasons I can't quite explain. I think it's that the white color itself, is revealing a kind of generic design to the coat. But I bet that color would be stunning as a wool or cashmere coat.

Love the Little Puff! I was considering those Aritzia coats too.

As far as a white coat, I think that would be very smart. Our street is similar to yours, it's a neighborhood but no sidewalks and there are often people out walking their dogs when I am driving to work. It is still dark then and very hard to see them. Many carry a light and have reflectors on their coats but they are still not very visible at all. I go very carefully.

Robin, that's it exactly about then neighbourhood! No sidewalks, windy streets, lots of trees and hedges, not many streetlights.

Gaylene, I'll check out the Helly Hansen. I can see how it might work. I do layer up that way with my Pendleton raincoat and a lightweight puffer but the Pendleton is a very dark navy. I'm with you on the "no bad weather" mantra. I'm out there every day, just like I was in Kingston. I have rain pants, etc. for the really dismal days.

Echo, thank you. I hear all the nice words from those who like the white. I really like it in theory, too. It's just a question of holding out for the right one, I guess!

Suz, I HEAR you on the VERY dark PNW!

A pedestrian was run over just last week a few streets down from our loft. TERRIBLE. One of my short puffers is citron, and accessories to match. You can't miss me!

Sam and Jo wear lights on the harnesses too. They look like little walking Christmas trees....

How about a short silver puffer? Wear a light on your bag? Silver reflector tape?

Angie, a short puffer jacket would be fun, and I found a great silver one at Athleta! But I will be honest here -- short (not bum-covering) jackets are a bit of a novelty item for me. I just won't wear them often except in the fall or as an underlayer. I seem to need my bum covered or I feel cold. I also like some thigh coverage. And all this especially in the wet weather. Getting damp clothes is no fun.

I did a search on reflective puffers and didn't come up with a lot that was available in Canada.

I do wear reflectors on my bags, and also a very ugly but useful reflective harness. And sometimes I carry a light or wear a headlamp. I guess I like the idea of a white/ light coat for both fashion and safety purposes. So it might be a HEWI.

Suz, have you looked at the parka-length version of that Athleta jacket? Colour is a bit different, but still eye-catching: https://tinyurl.com/Whisper-Featherless-Parka

Very nice puffers, especially the white one. I am also shopping for a puffer, and I like the “below the bum” length (my mother always called coats in that length “car coats”). I’ve just about decided on one from LL Bean that they give a “warmest” rating to, which would be perfect for my climate. Since I like your North Face one so much, I’ll have to take a look at that brand and see what they offer before I pull the trigger.

Karie, I think maybe the "Gotham" NF parka could work for you. I sent this one back as too warm a white, but I'm REALLY interested in white.

LaPed, thank you. I saw that one but really really really want white (if I can find) OR a vivid but not orange-red, or silver or something that is actually reflective.

Suz, a bum covering puffer it is!

You'll find your white puffer.

And you're setting a trend with a reflector harness

Some options in links and finds:

https://www.saksoff5th.com/pro.....7.html?ran

https://www.bloomingdales.com/.....uffer-coat?

Thank you, Angie! I will check them out!

And you would be surprised how many people wear reflective stuff around here (or maybe not, given what I have reported!) Most have vests like the one below, or jackets...but I find the little harness is easier to pack into a bag or backpack. You're smart to wear your citron on the street!

Go for the Adidas—white, long, *and* reflective!

All of this is making me realize how weak my puffer game is this year . I’m not looking a fresh as I want to with my rather tired winter collection . I can’t wait to see what you end up with Suz !

Maybe not white or long enough but seems very practical …

https://www.atmosphere.ca/cate.....roduct/hel

Too boring?

https://www.landsend.com/produ....._349471?at