Snuggle Into Sleek Down Jackets
We are disgruntled to have the winter cold settling into San Francisco, but happy to have an excuse to bundle up in some cozy jackets. We’ve been testing out two down coats, the Patagonia Women’s Nano Puff Hoody and theSierra Designs Men’s Gnar Hoody Jacket
The human marshmallow isn’t our favorite fashion choice, so we were pleased that both down coats kept the bulk to a minimum. The Women’s Patagonia is astonishingly light-weight for the warmth, and perfect to bundle into a bag for those days when the weather is unpredictable. We’ve reviewed a similar men’s version but the newer model offers a convenient full zipper and updated styling. The Men’s Sierra Gnar is a little bulkier, but still quite portable, and is the first clothing item from them that we’ve tried- though we’re quite familiar with their tents.
Both jackets are fashionable enough to wear around the city with jeans and boots, but durable enough to take into the deep woods. Morgaine, a cat with discerning taste in fibers, immediately settled on the Patagonia jacket when we set it on a chair, massaging it lovingly with her claws. We were impressed that after the jacket was rescued from her caresses, it looked none the worse for wear (the manufacturer tells us it’s due to the ultralight ripstop-polyester face fabric). The jackets also survived an adventure in the woods on a discovered “path” that ended up having lots of brambles.
When the sky opened up during a pizza run, we felt smug to have hoods (make sure to get the Gnar with the hood- there are both hooded and non-hooded versions). Unlike some of our jackets, these didn’t sog down from the water. On the Patagonia we used the waist drawstring to keep the cold wind from encroaching. The Gnar jacket has an elasticized waist and cuffs that effectively served the same purpose.
Both jackets boast pockets perfect for stowing cold hands or a wallet and smart phone. We’re enamored with the vibrancy of the volcanic blue we chose for the Patagonia. If you’re wanting to go incognito, it also comes in a nice off-white “fog” and in deep black, as well as acai (bright purple). Our Gnar jacket in espresso/syrah is a lovely, deep brown with burgundy accents, and other muted color options are available.
We think these jackets are great additions to our wardrobes, and would recommend them for yours. You can get then various places online, including the Patagonia jacket on Amazon for around $200 and the Gnar jacket on Amazon for around $170.
About the Author
Ruth The ampersand tattoo on her shoulder goes a long way towards explaining Ruth's outlook on life: there's always an "and." With TrulyNet, Ruth enjoys working on social media and writing... and editing... and... Ruth went to the University of Oregon, where she studied music, dance and cognitive psychology (and sleeping very little). While there, she designed classes and taught arts enrichment to talented and gifted grade-school students. After graduation, Ruth spent several years as a Market Analyst at a large law firm in New York. Feeling the pull back to the west coast, Ruth moved to San Francisco and worked for Stanford for a year before deciding to pursue dance. She now runs dance events (wejustdance.com) and travels around the world teaching Argentine Tango, Blues Dance, Street Jazz, and as many other dances as she can get her feet on (danceruth.com). Ruth is also the founder of Just Dance Project (justdanceproject.com), a collection of recordings of people dancing to music - a living anthropological study. Ruth spends more time on Facebook that she cares to admit. When not attached to the computer, working for TrulyNet, or dancing, Ruth rock climbs, knits, swims, obsessively plays Boggle, plays games, plays tennis, cooks, sips beer, wine and whiskey, and travels seeking adventure.
Other Articles You May Enjoy
Easter With Eddie Bauer’s Mackenzie Trench Coat →
Tilley Times Two: Outdoor Coats For The City And Be →
Tilley Times Two: Gorgeous Jackets For The City And Beyond →
