A bummer about really cold weather is the limitations it puts on what you can wear. When it’s hovering around freezing outside, I look at all my coats and think “Ugh but I’ll be so cold,” and reach for a puffa jacket. Again.
But that gets so terribly boring – and what if you’re not just a slobby mum like me, but an actual person with an actual job and you need to look smart without also freezing to death?
The answer to this – and to a lot of questions, I find – is Uniqlo. You probably already own one of their Ultra Light down jackets (if not, why not) in black or navy and stamp around in it in a mood all winter.
But a really clever trick with the Ultra Light Down jacket came to me last year via The Times’s Fashion Editor Anna Murphy and the Romilly Weeks, the Political Correspondent for ITV news, (who lives round the corner). They both have collarless Uniqlo jackets in colours that match various smart jackets they have and they layer the Ultra Light Down beneath their jackets, to invisibly turbo-boost the heat-giving properties of their smart, but thinner coats or jackets.
“Being cold is a real problem for me,” Romilly told me, “When I’m reporting from outside Parliament in winter my face can get so cold my mouth seizes up and I can’t talk.” Remember, you heard it on The Spike first.
There are other uses for the Ultra Light Down jacket, too – they do a kids version which is very good for all children, but particularly for any toddler who is a bit fussy about putting its coat on.
Large puffa jackets (Boden, I’m looking at you) tend to hamper the poor kid a bit, they can’t run about and feel light and free, they sort of plonk about, walking like He-Man, hampered by all the puffa. The Ultra Light Down is genuinely spookily weightless and thin, yet very warm. I wrestled Sam into a massive Boden puffa all last year and it was a low point. He now has this jacket and it’s terrific.
I like the kids’ coat a lot (Landsend do one similar but they only start at age 4 so Not Useful for the girl). One thing though – it says they are hand wash only, do you actually do this? Or just shove it in the washer on 30?
hello? washing machine on 30 for EVERYTHING. except cashmere. which is why I don’t own any
Ha! Feeling very clever that I also used to do this, back when I had a fancy proper job. Essential for my important meetings through in Edinburgh, as Edinburgh is always at least 5 degrees colder than everywhere else in the world with a terrifying wind chill factor. The sleeveless ones are good too for under a coat with slim fitting sleeves, or maybe I just have particularly chubby arms. I now stomp about the park with my pram in a full length hooded black one, feeling like a proper mum. Elaine x
YES Boy had one from Jojomamanbebe one year and it was so puffy he didn’t fit in the pram. Bit of an issue! Needless to say, it has NOT come back out this time round for Baby!
We all have Uniqlo ones, like a family of colourful Michelin men on the Atkins diet 🙂
Just looked this jacket up having read your advice and ITS IN THE SALE!! Hurrah!
Really?? Are the Ultra Light jackets really that warm? We’re in Australia, but heading over the the UK after Christmas and I bought one of these beauties (with hood) for the trip. It’s great for our winter here, but I’ve been worrying that I’ll freeze my way through January.
But have I, in fact, been terribly clever???!
MrsB on the VERY coldest days in the UK you will probably need a warm layer under this coat or a windproof layer over it, plus something on your hands and over your ears. But unless you plan on spending long periods out of doors (are you an itinerant outdoor poet?) that will see you right.
Just reporting back after my trip to England. My Ultra Light and beanie were absolutely perfect – I was warm and dry and very happy indeed. It only started becoming very cold during the last couple of days so I didn’t need any extra layers. Woohoo!
So thank you Esther and Kristy – your advice was spot on. And thanks Esther for your fantastic blog – I so look forward to the daily updates, especially when I am missing England. Which I am now …
I’m an Aussie living in the UK and I’ve just ordered one to go under my wax jacket for wintry mornings (with a long sleeved t-shirt under the ultra-light) out dog walking. You’ll need some warm gloves, a cute beanie and a lovely scarf (but not a super thick one or your neck will DIE with heat), and you’ll be right as rain in winter. You can buy it all here if you need – hit up Primark if you’re on a budget – you’ll be amazed at how cheap things are compared to Australia, especially in the sales.
Thanks Esther and Kristy. It may surprise you to know that I am not an itinerant outdoor poet, so this is very good news indeed. Next purchase will have to be the beanie …
Ha! Just ordered one of these on the advice of my lovely friend Serena (who knows everything about everything worth knowing) today, and now have read your review. Planning to do it ala Serena, layered under wax jacket for dog walking on bleak mornings in Leamington. Got the lurid pink on on spesh in the online sale. Happy days indeed.
It’s a shame they don’t do a men’s version of the collarless but I have ordered him the sleeveless as part of his Xmas present and it will do very well indeed. Also ordered the children’s one, so cheap!
and SO effective