Outdoor Research Chaos Insulated Parka - Women's - 2008 BCS

Positives: I can vouch for this coat being warm and very windproof. The arm length is long enough so if you have shorter arms, you may find the sleeves to be too long. I like that there are two zipppers. The hood had fill in it that made it warm as well. I liked that there was an inside pocket for an ipod/mp3 player and a slit near chest-level for the earbuds to come out. The espresso brown color is a nice shade.

Negatives: Maybe it was just me and my experience wearing this particular parka, but I found it to be very unflattering because there wasn't a real shape to it. The sleeves were very baggy. Maybe the parka could use more stitching to feminize it - if that makes sense. No offense to Outdoor Research. This is a durable parka that serves its purpose, I just slightly felt like I was wearing a garbage bag.

Really impressed. Like the long length & trim fit. At 15 degrees, wearing a light silk plus fleece shirt, it's toasty. Hard to believe such a light coat is so warm. The medium size is the same as medium in Mt Hardware & North Face.

I got this jacket for ice climbing in New England. Very few companies are making long, insulated jackets that are also TECHNICAL. This one does it and does it well. Finally, my butt stays warm! I got a small, which fits well for hanging out in town, but is too small for all my layers when I'm out climbing. So size up if you want it to function as a good belay coat!