Karakorum Dolomite Down Coat

Unknown Brand / $19.99 / $150-$600 New

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.