The Perfect Parka: Parajumpers Angie Review

I’m always on the hunt for the perfect parka. I currently live in Ottawa, Canada for school, and one of the students at the legal clinic is an international student. I remember one morning, we all warned her about the winters and the necessity of a heavy-duty down coat. I’ve had many parkas over the years, and unlike my sister, I don’t foresee myself moving to a warmer climate soon! I think I’ve finally found the perfect parka, the “Angie” from Parajumpers.

Parajumpers Angie Review

This style is equal parts elegant and functional. The Parajumpers Angie is from their Next Generation line. The outer shell is a glossy poly that is coated for weather resistance. This for me, is a must in wet, slushy Ottawa. The coat is down-filled but still incredibly slim, with 90% down, 10% feathers. The coat’s cut is very smart, and has a double closure. You zip up the inner part, like a vest, and then snap it closed.

One of the best features about this coat is its ingenious hood. It can be worn several ways. The hood actually zips out so you can pack it away for a streamlined look. It took me a while to figure out where to unzip the hood, but I love the convertible feature! It turns the fur into an elegant collar, so this parka can go from practical to a party with one zip!

You can wear it with the fur or without too since the velcro makes it easy to detach. The fur is sourced from Finland, and is farmed. This is hugely important to me – to have a more ethical fur source. This of course, is a personal choice for many people, so I won’t go any further on that note… But Parajumpers offers many other styles without fur trim as well, my favourites includes the Irene style.

Of course, the brand’s eponymous patch is on the side. I kind of like how this style doesn’t have the yellow pull tag and clip like other Parajumpers coats. For me, the parka has a professional, stylish vibe, and is one I intend to wear for years to come, and in professional settings. It also has plush-lined pockets, which is perfect, since I’m always forgetting my gloves!

One thing remarkable about this coat is how light it is! Other down coats can be very large and make you look like a Bibendum. Thinking about Bibendum, the Michelin man brings back horrible memories of my coats through high school… and the classic Intellectual Property case, which was on an exam equally as horrifying!

Parajumpers Brand

The Parajumpers brand is based in Italy and the concept was inspired by a meeting between the designer and a serving member of the 210th Rescue Squadron in a bar in Anchorage, Alaska. This sparked the line, which incorporates nods to the Parajumpers with the patches, and parachute hooks.

Parajumpers is carried in Toronto by Sporting Life, Harry Rosen (for men), and Room 31. In Ottawa, it is carried at Sporting Life, Nordstrom, Harry Rosen and Le Spot.

How I wore the perfect parka

Underneath, I styled the perfect parka from Parajumpers with a pair of skinny J. Brand Jeans, brown leather Tory Burch riding boots, a striped sweater from Winners, and a Mackage Rubie bag.

We took these photos at Gatineau Park. It was one of the first incredibly cold day, so I was glad to layer up with a warm parka! The colours are always incredible and it’s such a treat to see.

I’m looking forward to staying warm and stylish all winter long with this elegant Parajumpers Angie parka.

Thank you to Parajumpers for partnering with me on this post. 

Photos by Chloe Gordon.