Hunting down some down

Another improvement to the life of my Mister recently came about (at least partly) thanks to my gentle persistence. You see, he was fed up with rushing from store to store trying to find a coat warm enough to keep him comfortable in the coldest of weathers but nice enough to wear anywhere, not just for leisure. All the coats we could find were either sportswear, disappointingly bulky and heavy, or the wrong kind of design or colour. That’s what generally happens when you are hunting down something very late in the season.

I’ve had a domestic Joutsen down coat for years so I knew it would be ideal for him, too. A goose down coat is not only light to wear and warm in frosty temperatures but also an extremely good thermal regulator in practically all kinds of wintry conditions. So I suggested we should drive to Riihimäki, a small town some 70 km north of Helsinki, to visit Joutsen Finland’s factory outlet.

There were rows of down coats hanging in the shop. It’s no surprise most of them were ladieswear but my choosy Mister did find a coat exactly to his liking. The correct size in his preferred design and colour wasn’t on display so the saleswoman just called the warehouse for someone to bring a few units of the right item for him to handpick from. Most of the designs, including the chosen one, weren’t on sale but the outlet discount was 10%.

A hood is essential for a coat to be ideal in our arctic conditions. He chose one with a detachable hood fringed with Finn raccoon fur. Judged from the selection in the shop fur seems to be very much à la mode. Many of the new Joutsen designs had a hood garnished with natural or died raccoon and I immediately started to contemplate about an upgrade for my coat if I should find a fitting second-hand fur to rim the hood with. Other than that my coat is completely up-to-date and in perfect condition after several winters of heavy wear and a few machine-washes. Quality does stand time.

I simply couldn’t manage our winters without the down coat. Highly recommendable to everyone with problems in standing the cold not only in the Nordic region but further south as well, and so are the Joutsen down bedding quilts and pillows. Do check the outlet out if you ever are in the neighbourhood and need to update your winterwear. They even had a very light jacket-type of a design that can be squeezed inside a small bag you could carry in your handbag anywhere. A clever and handy item for anyone (except for me because it was black, I’m afraid).

PS. For those unfamiliar with my mother tongue, joutsen is the Finnish word for swan.