Which Uniqlo Down Coat Should You Buy?

Compare Uniqlo's Seamless Long Down Coat (left) with its Ultra Light Long Down Coat (right). Guess which one I like?

When down coats 1st appeared on the market, I was committed to wool coats, soft alpaca wool to be precise. It wasn't until the launch of fitted-down coats I became interested. The warmth and lightness combined with a slender silhouette sold me ... and I haven't looked back since! 

Seamless

Initially, a goose-down coat was considered a casual coat. Nowadays people (me included) think nothing of wearing a down coat over a ball gown to attend galas or over a business suit to the office. With everybody wearing down coats, you don't look dressed down anymore. It's freed me from coat checks too. Weighing next to nothing, I just bring my down coat to my table, lay it either on the back of my chair ... or rolled up by my feet under the table. Nobody ever notices, nor do I have to worry about ruining or retrieving it from an attendant after the night ends. As opposed to searching for a ticket to go stand in line, I can simply head for the exit!

My new favorite retailer for down coats is Uniqlo. The quality, durability, understated style, and price points are unbeatable! Every fall the merchant brings out new styles such as a Seamless Down Long Coat in addition to their classic Ultra Light Down Long Coat. A Hybrid Down coat, a 3rd choice, is Uniqlo's warmest coat. 

Which coat is right for you depends on where you live. How cold does it get? The Ultra Light Down is my favorite because of its leaner, lighter, dressier look. In New York City I stay toasty warm in it all winter long. Perhaps on the coldest day of the year, I'll wear an extra layer of merino wool underneath it.

In fact, over the years, I bought 3 Ultra Light Down Long Coats. One about 10 years ago, the 2nd coat in 2020, and this year, a 3rd coat for my mother. Each year, Uniqlo brings them back, and they try to improve them based on customer feedback. The lengths have gotten about 3 inches longer, which works for winter, but note: the coat is not maxi-length, it's over the knees length. 

Sadly the 2022 version lost the pocket zippers, which isn't a dealbreaker. The pockets are not shallow, so items shouldn't fall out easily, I just like the extra security zippers provide. 

For customers who desire a maxi-length, Uniqlo usually brings out a much longer maxi-length Ultra Light Down Long Coat in the winter. But I like the versatility of the over-the-knees Ultra Light Down Long Coat. Easier to walk around New York City in it.

Uniqlo makes the ultra down outerwear into jackets, liners, coats, and relaxed coats without collars. Their down coats and jackets are their specialty and the apparel piece that got the innovative Japanese retailer 1st noticed in New York.

 

The best recommendation I can give the coat is ... I keep buying it. I like the looks, the warmth, and its durability. I still wear my 10-old-year ultra down coat, which is above the knees in length.

My mother and I like to go up one size as we prefer our down coats roomy for potential bulky sweaters if we decide to wear bulky styles. The coat is fitted, not boxy so sizing up won't swallow you up.

Since Uniqlo opened its doors, I've never spent more than $79 - $129 (on sale for the lower price) for a long down coat, and you can skip wearing a hat and scarf. All you need is a pair of gloves. 

In a single piece, customers are all bundled up without being all bundled up. Lightweight and super warm without the bulk! You can spend $600 - $2,300 for a down coat, but with Uniqlo, there's no need to do so. Like me, my mother loves her Uniqlo Ultra Light Long Down Coat!

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Winter Hats, Scarves And Gloves

Well-established retailers, including Echo, Calvin Kline and others are weaving winter, hats, scarves and gloves with manmade fibers, such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic -- which consumers seem to be accepting! Other than at innovative, well-made, and inexpensive Uniqlo, I pass on them. The exception: Uniqlo's Heattech gloves are so cheap, you won't mind replacing them after 2 years of wear. Unlike cashmere gloves (which the company also sells), you can machine wash Uniqlo's Heattech gloves of manmade materials. And too, gloves, which touch everything, wear out faster and need to be replaced oftener than hats or scarves.

As a rule of thumb, however, you can't beat merino wool, cashmere, or a  combination of the 2 materials for warmth and durability despite paying more for them. Personally, I won't even look at acrylic winterwear. A combo of polyester and nylon tends to be warmer than acrylic, but if not Uniqlo-budget-friendly ... don't buy manmade-thread hats, scarves, or gloves ever! This is where my rule of don't buy cute or pretty applies. (Oh, hat and scarf,  you're sooo pretty ... yikes, pricey and not real wool ... pass!)

Echo has launched some super adorable hats of synthetic fibers this season, which I would not be tempted to buy. For just a tad more money, you can get their Cashmere-wool blend Lux Collection of hats, scarves, and gloves. 

After you pay the piper, they'll likely keep you warmer, plus last for decades of winters. Keep your eye on natural fibers of cashmere, wool, or a combination of the two, and wait for a great sale!

Coach is running a flash sale on its merino wool beanie right now ($39), offered in 6 colors. Less than what you pay for some merchants' synthetics!

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Best Leggings Updated

Photo: LL Bean

My Best Leggings Roundup is my 6th most popular blog of all time, so for sure leggings are a staple in many wardrobes. The list I comprised then is still relevant. I continue to get my leggings from Old Navy and Express, but today I'm adding 3 new retailers to my original list. Old Navy and Express have the fantastic deals, often selling decent quality leggings for as low as $5 - $15 each. You can't beat either company's promotions, and you get at least 2 years of wear out of the leggings so if you need to replace them more often you still come out ahead in savings. At $15 or less per pair, you'll get your money's worth for a good length of wear.

The 3 new leggings I'm adding today to my original list cost more and are a tad more durable ... a financial wash to a Savvy Shopper. If you buy and wear new leggings without paying more money, the money you spend is a wash:

1) Uniqlo leggings - Since I comprised my Best Leggings List, the innovative Japanese retailer has stepped up its leggings game now offering a variety of legging styles designed for different climates and purposes. Moreover, the exciting development is the company's sizes now fit tall women over 5'5"! (The retailer's petite sizing kept it off my original roundup.) Best price point for lasting leggings bar none!

The next two are more expensive retailers. Recently each of them has expanded its legging styles + offers better sales:

2) LL Bean leggings - (top image👆) - The merchant has launched what it calls perfect fit leggings for every type of body, and there are styles galore this season. My favorite fabric is jersey smooth cotton with a touch of spandex, but you can also get fleece-lined leggings if you live in an arctic climate. There are 4 fits (or cuts): 1) original (relaxed); 2) straight-leg; 3) slim; and 4) legging. They won't cling, fade or stretch out.

3) Landsend Starfish leggings - The link leads to all of Landsends' styles of leggings for women, but the only one I'm familiar with is its Starfish leggings which are soft jersey cotton with lycra. Excellent quality leggings, but usually more expensive than I think consumers need to pay. However, when you catch them at their rock bottom sale price of $22, grab them as they are then a fantastic value!🎉

LL Bean's and Landsends' apparel is comparable. From season to season, one retailer will have a better selection, so before buying, I always look at both. 

Uniqlo is usually the better-priced retailer for good (or good enough) and unfailingly innovative clothing -- including its pants and leggings. Toss Old Navy and Express into the mix and one of the 5 retailers will offer you a perfect pair of leggings at a steal of a price!🎯

You are set for the fall, winter, and early spring!

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How To Layer In Winter

All images courtesy of LL Bean - usually I must hunt for photos, but LL Bean did the work for me for this blog.

Due to global warming, Manhattanites haven't had long, frigid winters in about a decade. Oddly enough, sometimes we have a 22 degree F day followed by a 52 degree F day in the same week. In the 1980s Upper East Side women wore mink coats from December through April. (I used to shiver as I walked by in my wool coat and scarf! Stylish as it was, I was cold!) The mink has been replaced with goose down coats ... yet more often than not, with wool or goose down jackets! But in places still experiencing polar winds and arctic temperatures, people need to master the art of layering to stay warm and comfortable ... and it's good information for all of us who live in a winter climate.

In researching the topic I learned an interesting fact: Your biggest problem isn't getting cold, it's staying dry ... i.e., not getting too hot and sweaty, which in extreme cold can be a symptom of hypothermia, a life-threatening condition that can strike in 5 minutes as your body temperature falls too low. If you start sweating in extreme cold, you need to quickly shed layers to survive. I didn't know this!😳

So let's learn from the experts the correct way to layer to keep hypothermia at bay. According to LL Bean (and confirmed by other sources), when temperatures hit subzero wear a: 

1) Base layer - made of silk, wool or polyester - The 1st layer is designed to keep your skin dry, which helps keep you warm. The base layer wicks (or moves) moisture (sweat) away from your skin as you engage in activity (i.e., move, walk, climb).

2) Middle layer - This is your insulating layer to hold in the heat generated by your body. Select wool, midweight fleece or synthetic fabrics like polyester.

3) Outer Layer - Keeps wind and water out and body heat in. A nylon shell or jacket to fit over your base and middle layers will do the job. Nowadays people tend to wear a puffer coat of goose down feathers with a nylon or polyester shell -- as it works.

LL Bean is headquartered in Maine, and I'm featuring them for this topic because winter wear is their business. Likewise for competitors, Landsend and newer budget-friendly Uniqlo. I think you should always buy products from merchants who specialize the product area, not designers who branched into the market, unless they take the time to truly learn it.

Fortunately, I live in relatively mild winters, or I would have died by now since I have never before researched the right way to layer for winter. Now I realize years ago I didn't wear a nylon 3rd layer ... and that's why I froze! Knowing what each layer does makes keeping warm and comfortable a certainty!⛄

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Uniqlo U Is Here

WOMEN U 3D MERINO RIBBED MOCK NECK LONG-SLEEVE DRESS

In the 1980s lots of women walked the streets of Manhattan in mink coats. Rarely do I see mink coats anymore. It's not the status symbol it once was; and now we can buy stylish alternatives to keep us as warm as mink for much less.

Next week Uniqlo will launch Uniqlo U, their HEATTECH Ultra collection. This winter collection is designed to be their warmest HEATTECH clothing yet, providing strong protection against extreme cold. The men's and women's wear will include coats, jackets, hoodies, dresses, skirts, t-shirts, tights, leggings and trousers.

WOMEN U A-LINE LONG-SLEEVE DRESS

Uniqlo U was created by (the Paris Atelier) artistic director, Christophe Lamaire, who worked with a team of international designers. The goal was to make basics functional, stylish and ultra warm. The designers used advanced fabrics and cutting edge techniques, plus threw in a contemporary eye.

MEN U MERINO-BLEND BOAT NECK LONG-SLEEVE SWEATER

The Uniqlo U collection reinvents basics, making them fashion-forward and more practical. The pieces are meant to comfort and flatter the body. You get supportive textile with smart details; everyday basics with softness, simplicity and (did I mention) warmth.

WOMEN U WOOL-BLEND SWEATSHIRT 3/4 SLEEVE DRESS

Clothing that is right up THE SAVVY SHOPPER'S alley -- a way to stay warm in ultra cold temperatures, which is kinder to both your wallet and little-fur-ball critters. I can't wait to see and feel the new Uniqlo U line! Preview it here October 5th.

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