Sunday 30 November 2014

It's Frigid on the Prairies - the 2014 Version

Four more days in France with plus mid-teen Celcius temperatures and sunny skies with a smattering of rain and then it's back to the congélateur - the freezer, as my Port Ste. Foy neighbour has nicknamed what I call "home". November, 2014 has been frigid on the Canadian prairies with below normal temperatures, and an early snowfall that has been supplemented with yet more snow. Both the northern US and Canada are receiving record snowfalls and city administrators are claiming that snow removal budgets are already becoming depleted. Sigh. But I see the long range forecast promises me a mild minus 8 on our return. 

For the moment, what type of coat or jacket to wear when it is . . . 

-20 or more Degrees Celcius

Nice: Something that . . . holds in and maintains body heat, wicks away perspiration and is naturally water resistant, can be fashionably designed, and lasts for decades.

Reversible Shearling for Frigid Temperatures. Photo by JoyD.
In my mind, if it is minus 20, shearling is a natural choice that can keep you comfortably warm. See my post from December, 2013. My shearling has to be at least 20 years old now and I still love it in frigid temperatures. I am fond of the boxiness, the choice given by its reversibility and the length; yet there are those who would criticize it saying it has no style. To me, its functionality overrides the "style" factor and in fact, its plain lines are what has made it stylish every winter for the past twenty. It is heavy but there is a comfort in that heaviness. Now it is showing signs of wear and therefore . . .


Helmut Lang Shearling Jacket. Photo Source: Stylebop

Need: I will have to break down and buy another but I have been looking, online and otherwise, for the past two winters. This Helmut Lang shearling has possibility, although the designer price is a tad much for me at the moment. It might be spring before I save enough sheckles to buy it and by then, I will rationalize my procrastination for another year.

Necessary A functional, safe and warm pair of winter boots . . . but that's another post. I'll wait until I am back in Canada for that one.

6 comments:

  1. Another great post but kind of sad if you don't like the cold. I don't mind Winter but I don't like the cold! Or at least feeling cold. Depending on how cold the temperature is usually dictates my wardrobe. The colder it gets, the less fashionable I get. Best case scenario, let's hope for a short Winter or many trips somewhere warm

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    1. Maybe November 2014 will turn out to be the prairies' coldest month. For me I don't mind the cold, it's the snow or more so, the great amounts of snow that make driving and walking difficult. In the dead of winter on the Canadian prairies, it may be cold but the sun is still shining. We had a gloomy sunless +10 day last week and my neighbour told me that winter is usually like that in the South-West of France. I think I would miss the sun.

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  2. Relaxing in Kelowna1 December 2014 at 00:02

    Oh my dear, nothing will replace the shearling, most notably not the coat featured. Your shearling will outlive you, and I say that in the kindest way!! It works. It keeps you warm. And it is gorgeous. What more could you want? Stay warm. Love you dear. And responding to your last reply; yes, you would miss the sun desperately!! :)

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    1. I have been saying that I need a new shearling but in fact you are right. If I want a change, there are plenty of different coats in a variety of fabrics that will do me well during most of the winter. It is only the horribly frigid times that I appreciate the shearling. Looks like I have another post here.

      And yes, the sparkle of the sun on the snow is magical; but for the most part, better looking out at my crystal and white garden from a warm house.

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    1. Thanks, but I don't know if you would have chosen "cute" if you saw it up close; more like cute in worn out sort of way!

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