The Ultimate Women’s Waterproof Parka

Deciding on a waterproof coat is sometimes a complicated task – how waterproof is it? am I going to get hot and flustered romping up a hill in wales or running for the last tube in Euston. We often get bombarded with technical features, some of them relevant for our daily lives and others slightly missing the point. So, we asked Jamie to review her Women’s waterproof parka as someone who knows about rainy weather, packing for travel and juggling work, family and social life. Jamie has her own lifestyle blog called angloyankophile.com. As the name suggests she lives and works in London but her native town is the very wet and wild city of Seattle in the states. Knowing she had one of our jackets, we asked her to put our women’s waterproof parka through its paces and give us an honest review of the features, fitting, fabric…well, pretty much everything…to see how it performed out in the wild.

Fit – The All-Important Cut

Jamie was taken by the fact that our waterproof wasn’t “typical outdoor gear at all”. Wearing a size 12 in our jacket, Jamie felt that the slim-line cut of this piece flattered her standard size 10 shape, whilst allowing her to layer up underneath when the temperatures dropped. The drawstring waist was seen as incredibly important to flatter her shape: “My style just doesn’t do the androgynous look that some boxy outdoor jackets have”. 

The Technology – How it performs

• Waterproof and windproof:  Not really having a chance of testing the wind resistant properties in London at the time we grilled her, but in response to the waterproof technology this was a “game changer” for Jamie. “Even my sister-in-law exclaimed, “You don’t even look like you’ve been outside!” when I walked into their Finsbury Park flat, bone dry (my bag, however, was not)”. We know what you mean about the bag Jamie and new developments are into work!

• Breathability – wet, humid and muggy conditions in London combined with a few rush hour journeys with a “trillion other people on the tube” meant that this important feature was put to the test. Unlike rubber coats which are made inherently from non-porous fabrics, every women’s lightweight waterproof jacket we produce in the collection has the technology to breathe. 

“I was afraid I would faint, somewhat embarrassingly, on the tube whilst wearing the coat but actually once sat down I cooled down quickly and didn’t end up a red faced sweating mess on the 45 minute ride on the Victoria line”

 We love to hear this –  getting in and out of your jacket to accommodate for different temperatures across your modes of transport is a faff and risks loss of belts, valuable or even your coat!  

• Crease Resistant – Designed for travel, packing and throwing in the back of a car or a backpack when not in use, we wanted our collection to keep the “smartness” we are known whatever you do with your jacket. Jamie’s verdict: 

“After serious amounts of tube journeys there were no tell-tale signs of wrinkling on my butt – which happens to every other coat (especially trench coats) that I own” 

• Lightweight – Again, packing and travel were on our mind when the idea for a highly versatile waterproof outerwear collection was in its fledgling stages. The luxurious soft, four-way stretch fabric was a real positive for Jamie with a comment that:  

“I can easily pack it up into my bag (despite its long length) or throw it in my suitcase last-minute without giving it another thought”.

• Hidden hood – A coat without a hood is like a roast dinner without gravy! One of Jamie’s biggest bug bears is carrying an umbrella, and we couldn’t agree more. An effective tool when it isn’t windy, but when the wind changes direction it turns into a “threat to life” whisking you off in a strange direction, taking unsuspecting passengers as you go!. Hopefully, leaving it on the bus with all the others is the best thing that can happen to your brother. Anyway, cut ergonomically, the hoods are designed to offer excellent coverage whilst not obscuring sight which allows our jackets to be used for cycling, playing golf or just taking in the view on a long walk across the mountain range. 

“crucially the hood was deep enough to cover my head (nothing like a hood that doesn’t quite reach your forehead) so that my face kept completely dry as well”.

• Machine washable – Big issue for people with real lives who haven’t got the time, finance or inclination to ever go to a dry cleaner, a washable garment in a must for Jamie’s lifestyle. Our jackets don’t often need to be washed as dirt, oil and water just slides off the surface of the fabric. When needed, chuck in the washing machine at 30oC (we do recommend using a re-proofer such as Nikwax or Grangers from time to time to keep the water beading away).

• No noise – An important point for us here at P.S., our coats are worn for outdoor weddings and evening meals amongst a thousand other uses and a jacket which sounds like a crisp packet being opened is not conducive to versatile wear. You might never have a tense moment at the theatre as Jamie clearly has!.. but it’s nice to know you’re armed if the situation does ever arise.

“You know that annoying swishy swish sound that most waterproof jackets make? (Hint: never, ever wear them to the theatre and try to take it off during a tense moment in the play/movie.) It is probably one of the most annoying sounds ever. This coat is silent”.

Thanks to Jamie for road testing our women’s waterproof parka out in the wild. The Protected Species collection of women’s waterproofs is designed for everyday lifestyle activities, so we had a sneaking suspicion she would be impressed with its features. The last words from Jamie…
“I loved this Protected Species parka from the moment it popped up in my Facebook newsfeed (well done, targeted Facebook advertising) and I wish I’d discovered it about 10 years ago. The upside is that, well, I’ll have this one for at least 10 years or more and I don’t think I’ll ever be buying another rain coat again – it’s that good…Now, if only they could get working on that bag …”