I admit, I bought the Patagonia Rain Shadow Trench Coat (in ollaberry) because it was the closest one I could find to Kristen Stewart's purple raincoat in the La Push Beach scene in the movie, "Twilight." It's true the rain coat weighs no more than a shadow, and so far has done a spectacular job of keeping my torso dry. A couple of reasons prevent me from deeming the rain coat perfect: it's rather pricey (my friends and I call it the "PataGucci" rain coat) and I find the hood to be too shallow for any woman with a hairstyle other than pixie or bob. I don't have a large head, but if I have my hair in a ponytail, or even in a bun at the nape of my neck, the hood does a poor job of covering my head and sides of my face. At this point, the hood becomes a mere ornament. Since the hood can be tightened at the sides, I don't see why they had to make it so shallow. I just prefer deep, roomy hoods that offer my face more protection from the elements.

This is my first adult-size Columbia gear purchase. So far, I am extremely pleased with the quality and design of the parka. I used to buy only The North Face jackets, but after this experience, I'm defecting to team Columbia. I am very glad that Columbia makes XS sizes in their women's parkas. I hope they continue to make high-quality gear in pleasing designs for those of us who are of the petite persuasion. Also, kudos to your most expeditious shipping of my order. Glad to do business with you guys.