I’m Convinced That I Just Found the Amazon Coat 2.0
At this point in the winter, we all know and love (or hate) the Amazon Coat. Or at the very least, we see it all the time. On a three-minute stroll to grab a bite to eat last week, I spotted two separate strangers rocking the ubiquitous puffer.
And while I fully understand the appeal of the Amazon Coat—it’s warm, it has a wealth of pockets, so on and so forth—it’s just not me. The appeal of the coat is not to be stylish, which, let’s be honest, is my MO. But when my PureWow colleague Dara Katz asked me if I, a fashion professional, could let her know if it was sartorially OK to wear her Amazon puffer for a second winter in a row, I came across a winter coat from Orolay (the masterminds behind the aforementioned viral coat) that truly spoke to me.
The much simpler and streamlined piece of outerwear appears, at first glance, to be just a basic jacket. It’s got the classic down fill, an attached hood and silver snaps down the front. The coat hits at hip level in the front and dips a little lower in the back, providing an extra warm cushioning for your bum. It also comes in three easy-to-wear shades: cream, black and a navy that’s actually a nice iteration of the 2020 Pantone color. But it was the removable belt that really lured me in.
As you might know, I recently admitted that I have an aversion to wearing a coat zipped all the way up, as it has a tendency to turn my petite frame into a lumpy mess. But having the option to cinch my outerwear at the waist? Well, now it just sounds like a fun way to motivate myself to leave the house when the temps are less than ideal.
The only issue? My new favorite coat was totally sold out in my size. So I stalked Amazon for a few days, and as luck would have it, they restocked it in white. But they only had a few sizes. Without pausing to think, I pulled the trigger (BTW, the jacket is only $80) and impatiently awaited my Amazon delivery. The day the coat arrived, I pulled it out of the box and was slightly dismayed that it was a smushed, wrinkled mess. But a quick steam later, I was ready to take my new piece for a spin—in the rain, no less. The high-low hem was just as cute as I hoped it would be, and I loved that the drop shoulders made my coat feel a little more stylish than it looked on the Amazon page.
The Orolay coat kept me warm and dry while running errands for an hour or so, and once I was back home, it was dry and ready to be hung in my closet in less than 30 minutes. The belt truly did whittle my waist and actually made me feel like a cute snow bunny, despite the lack of, well, actual snow. And I was happy to discover that the puffer has an interior zip pocket, ideal for an upcoming ski trip when I know I’ll have to stash a pack of tissues and a lift ticket, plus my phone and a few credit cards, in a safe place.
The only downsides I’ve noticed so far: It runs small, about a size down, and the elastic at the wrists is really tight. When I wore a sweater with long sleeves, I thought my arms were going to lose circulation. At the same time, I appreciate that the sleeves are airtight because it prevents gusts of wind from getting in. So I know it will keep ice and snow out when I’m on the slopes—I’ll just have to wear thinner layers beneath it. (Crisis averted.)
Faults aside, I’ve actually been considering picking up the black version of my new Orolay obsession, for more of a dark and mysterious nighttime option. That is, if they choose to restock my size again.
RELATED: Can I Wear the ‘Amazon Coat’ Again This Winter? Or Will I Be Silently Shamed?
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