Brace Yourself

Caroline Murphy

In New York the weather is expected to dip down to the twenties for the next couple of days and that’s just the beginning of what I expect to be a long cold winter. I hate the feeling of being cold so when that frigid arctic air settles in I find the best defense is a made-for-the-elements down parka. I grant you it may not be the most exciting purchase to make, but when those temperatures plunge a parka can be your best friend.

In search of the perfect parka, I was pleasantly surprised to end up at a nearly two centuries old American company. Woolrich was founded in 1830 when John Rich established his first woolen mill in Pennsylvania and supplied woolen fabrics, socks and coverlets to lumber camps. The company provided blankets for soldiers in both the Civil War and World War I. How’s that for a heritage brand? In 1972 they made their first parka and today they offer everything you would need for an outdoorsy life. I’m most interested in their range of parkas, some quite chic with coyote or fox trim, the quality is impeccable and they’re known to be super warm. Below are my favorites in three different price ranges.

Woolwich military down parka
Women’s Military Down Parka – John Rich & Bros.
Woolrich
Women’s Arctic Parka – John Rich & Bros.
Woolwich parka
Woolwich Arctic Down Parka

Woolrich Parker