I really like this French Connection Rhumba parka (£190). It's the combination of the leather sleeves and the white fur collar. On the downside, or maybe the upside depending on how you look at it, it is a little short (and quite a lot pricey!)
I also really like this Ted Baker fitted parka (£210). Another Mum at school has it and we have had some discussions as to its warmth, with the conclusion that with a jumper underneath, it may be thick enough for the colder weather. It looks great on her and it is true to its "fitted" description.
I, on the other hand, have this Jigsaw down filled jacket. Now, whilst I know that I am very lucky to have it, it doesn't have the leather sleeves, it's not navy and it doesn't have any fluffy white fur in it. It's also pretty old now but, on the upside, I know for a fact that none of the others are as warm as it - and that is a big consideration for me because even if I bought one of the others, I would still gravitate towards this one. So what to do?
Well there's nothing that I can do about the fact that it doesn't have leather sleeves, or its colour (I don't fancy risk dyeing it) but I can add a little fur to it...
...which I did with this number from Primark. I bought it last week for £20 and I have to say that I have fallen a little bit in love with it. It looks and feels so much more expensive than it is and it's warm, really warm.
So I layered it underneath my Jigsaw coat and whilst I am not kidding myself that it's anything like the other parkas that I like, and it is a compromise, I do like the addition of the fur to it for a change. To me it feels different and we all know what a big part psychology plays in our wardrobe. So for now I am happy with my wardrobe tweak!
