On my last hot springs trip, my latest Goodwill find worked just right! It was in the low 20s the whole morning, and pretty chilly. After hiking up to these hot springs through a couple inches of snow, I was feeling pretty warmed up! The coat is really cozy, and has the faux sherpa lining going through the sleeves, which I like. A lot of similar coats only line the chest, and have quilted sleeve interiors which isn't quite as warm, if you ask me.

The outer material is a kind of faux suede, which was great for keeping out the snow and cold breezes. (Until I slipped a couple times and got snow inside the coat sleeves... and my camera lens. Yikes. I got it out and it's still functional, thank goodness!)

My friend Jordan vlogged our hot springs trip, and includes a quick interview with me while I eat fries. I added it below!

The big pockets were a great spot to put lens caps, gloves, and whatnot, and also have a sherpa lining on the inside. This is a pretty solid find that I'm proud of, though it is a little more challenging to fit in an outfit. I like the dark brown color, and don't mind breaking the rules and mixing brown and black (cause hey - I think it can be done!) but it's still a tough piece!

I really hope mixing close shades of brown and black, or close shades of navy and black becomes a trend. That'd be nice.

Photos & Vlog by Jordan Finfrock

This jacket has some stories. (And not just cause it's from the 70s.)

I found a jacket just like this one in my local goodwill, and loved it. Problem was, it was $30, which--for Goodwill--is crazy expensive. I decided to try and wait it out, hoping that it would still be there by Goodwill's 50% off everything Black Friday Sale. No such luck. Well, the thought of that coat haunted me for too long, so I found a similar one on eBay (for 2$ cheaper including shipping!) and got it.

Wore it on a recent hot-springing adventure and it was perfect. A big heavy insulating outer layer that kept the wind off of me, and started keeping me noticably warm the second I put it on. The sherpa lining is around the chest back, and collar, and the sleeves are quilted. The collar isn't quite as timeless as Levi's gorgeous sherpa jackets, but when popped, does a great job of keeping my neck warm. :)

It's about peacoat length rather than denim jacket length, which I like. I'd very confidently take on below-freezing temperatures in this jacket, and easily with thermal/sweater/flannel layers.

It's definitely vintage-looking, but I think the goofy-big lapels might come back. :)

This coat caught my eye due to the mention of the Dolomites, an area of mountains in Northern Italy above Venice that I was able to visit in June of this year. I pulled it off the rack and admired all the cool patches, pockets, and the "Karakorum Dolomite" lettering on the back. I tried it on, and... it fit like it was made for me. (Probably helps that it's supposed to make you look like a marshmallow.)

In another size further down the rack was an Abercrombie and Fitch down coat, much like this one, even with an "A&F" patch on the shoulder. (It didn't look quite as cool, IMO.) It was priced at $39.99! This is another example of hitting the best deals when consignment stores don't know the brand. This coat of an unidentifiable brand (new with tags!) was priced at $19.99. So I got this one, super excited about it.

Took it home, looked it over, and did some research. One of the tags had a price tag in yen, which converted to over $600USD! Now, I'm fairly certain that was one of those fake price tags that make you feel like you're saving money when you buy a coat for $200 instead of the $600 on the tag, but I really don't know. It's got a lot of pockets, supposedly used real down, and an extra sew-on patch featuring the Dolomite Mountains that I sewed onto a denim jacket of mine.

Oh! And when I tried it on at home, I noticed it had a balaclava mask attached in the hood! I feel like I could go hike Mount Everest (or the Dolomites themselves) when I wear this thing. It actually made me excited for snow and cold.