Oakley put a lot of thought into this one, but beware of magnets

By Cabernet Ranked #2587 - Women's Down Jackets February 13, 2009

This is the first Oakley product I've ever bought and I have to say I'm impressed - this is a really nice jacket. The coat is covered with little hang tags explaining every feature of the coat. I got the wine color and it's just a hair lighter than in the picture. I'm 5'8" and about 125 pounds and the small is a perfect fit for me - the sleeves are nice and long (even longer than normal) and the jacket falls at the bottom of my butt. (If you're petite, this jacket will be way too big for you.) Even the hood is great - it's insulated, has a nice brim, and fits perfectly over my ponytail, which most hoods never do. It even has a magnet that locks the hood against the back of the jacket when you're not wearing it. The sleeves have thin lycra wrist gaiters (they'll easily fit under your normal gloves). The jacket also has pit zips (a must), a drawcord around the bottom hem, and a zip-in powder skirt. It's also compatible with a zip-in Oakley snow pants system that I know nothing about.

What's unusual about this coat is the magnetic closure over the main zipper - instead of the snaps or velcro on the outer flap that covers the zipper, this coat has magnets all the way down. They make a fun snapping sound when they come together and you don't even have to bother zippering the jacket to get it closed. One of the front pockets is a "flasher" pocket and flaps up to show an ID on the underside - this is kept down with magnets too. The coat has a tag that warns about the magnet and credit cards, so I'm a little concerned about putting my wallet in a pocket. The one feature it's lacking is a drawcord around the waist to adjust the fit. Considering it doesn't have one, it fits great, but I'd like to take about an inch out of the waist. When you put it on it pretty much looks exactly like it does in the picture in terms of shape. The pockets are a little awkward looking and awkward to put your hands in because they're not angled at all, but the sleeves are long enough to keep your hands warm without them.

I haven't tested the jacket in the cold or the rain, so I can't attest to its warmth or waterproofing. As much as I like the fit of the coat, I'm still debating whether or not to keep it because 1. potentially ruining the magnetic strip on all my credit/debit cards is a big drawback and 2. I really like putting my hands in my coat pockets. This is why the coat gets 4 stars instead of 5.

View Details: Oakley Parachute Down Jacket - Women's

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