Keep Warm and Carry On: Island’s best coats for the coast

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Green Room employees Travis Myers and Lauren Bedford wear, respectively, a North Face Apex Elevation and a Patagonia Prow Jacket. — Photo by Gwyn McAllister

No one says you have to sacrifice style for practicality this winter. Least of all these local shops where cozy coats come in a variety of eye-catching styles. We asked local store owners, managers, and employees to show off their favorites. One of these might just turn out to be your favorite too.

Brickman’s

Loki Mountain Meta Snowsport Jacket (on manager/buyer Vasska Fondren)

Loki Mountain specializes in skiing/snowboarding gear but this ingenious jacket will also prove perfect for stepping out in unpredictable weather. The jacket has quick change convertible features, like mitts tucked up into the sleeves (no losing these) and a pull-down breathable face guard – making this sort of the Swiss Army knife of outerwear. “In anything short of a deluge, you’ll be fine,” said Mr. Fondren, speaking perfectly coherently through the face guard. Brickman’s also carries the same convenient design in a hoodie.

Columbia Mighty Light hooded jacket (on employee Jugoslava Slavkovic)

This coat has a flattering silhouette for women and a longer line for maximizing warmth. The two-way zipper allows you to loosen up the lower half when getting into a car or maybe hopping onto a sled. This coat is lightweight but features a patented Omni-Heat reflective lining for heat retention.

Stina Sayre

Ice Cocoon Coat

This three-quarter length update of Ms. Sayre’s bestselling Cocoon coat is both warm and elegant, lined with Malden Mills Polar fleece on the inside, and a protective waterproof parachute nylon on the outside. A two-sided zipper and adjustable waist wrap keep wind away from your core and provide a contoured fit. The jacket, available in grey/burgundy, black, and dark grey, keeps you warm down to about 20 degrees F. “I wear this all winter long, I go to Sweden in it, and I’m warm,” said Ms. Sayre. “It’s an amazing styling, the fold is very versatile, you can wear it high, scrunch it as a cowl neck, or open it up as a V neck.”

Ice Wrap Jacket

The shorter version of the “Ice” jacket follows the same idea of parachute fabric on the outside, fleece on the inside, and an adjustable wrap-around waist. The fabric, Ms. Sayre says, is a thinner, tougher, water resistant puffer polyester nylon shell. There’s no zipper, but a decorative button high on the breast is all it needs to stay on. Don’t let the sleekness of this jacket fool you – it’s super insulated. Comes in black with black shell as well as white shell with navy.

Bond Cardigan

This super soft lofty wool “cardigan” falls somewhere between a heavy duty sweater and a light winter jacket. “It’s great right now in early winter weather,” Ms. Sayre says. “It’s not windproof, but it’s a coat that goes inside and outside.” The Bond is available in several wools, including this berry and fuschia combo, a heather grey, black, and a mohair fashion boucle with leather cuffs. With Ms. Sayre’s signature asymmetry, a diagonal zipper adds interest, and can be dressed up or down. “It’s very wearable with jeans or you can dress it up with a cool pair of boots, and a nice shirt,” Ms. Sayre said. “I love the versatility of it: it has a lot of style, but I can still wear it everyday.”

Green Room

North Face Apex Elevation (on employee Travis Myers)

Add a little color and style to your winter wardrobe with this waterproof, windproof lightweight jacket.

Patented PrimaLoft insulation will keep you almost as warm as down and the sleeves have slightly less insulation for maximum mobility. Detachable hood allows for multi-season wear.

Patagonia Prow Jacket (on employee Lauren Bedford)

Asymmetrical zip motorcycle jacket styling gives this coat a chic, edgy look, while 600 fill power duck down and durable water repellant nylon finish will shield you from the harshest weather. Collar can be snapped all the way up for increased protection from wind and cold.

Midnight Farm

Happy Goat Lucky Adeline Coat (on employee Dana Nachbar)

“I love the color,” says owner Tamara Weiss. “I’m a kale green girl.” Like all of the clothing in Midnight Farm, this 650-fill down coat is super stylish. Along with the emerald green color (richer than it looks in the photo) this hooded coat has super soft raccoon fur trim. “I love how light, yet warm it is,” says Ms. Weiss.

Try it on. You won’t want to take it off.

Basics

Columbia Flash Forward (on mannequin)

This quilted 650-fill down coat features heat seal technology. The baffling is sealed rather than stitched which prevents the down from escaping or migrating — that keeps you warm without that overly “puffy” look.

Columbia Carson Jacket (on mannequin)

For the stylish woman who wants a sleek, tailored look that will keep her toasty warm, this jacket fits the bill. Lots of sophisticated style details combine to make this trench style coat street-worthy, while reflective lining and water-proofing will keep you cozy on those chilly, damp winter days.