How to Buy a Canada Goose Jacket

Last winter, my friends and I played “Punch Canada Goose.” It was a version of  punch buggy, except you would punch your unfortunate friend at the first sighting of a Canada Goose jacket.

They were easy to spot with their sometimes bright colours, extra puffy but smooth shell and the signature patch on the upper arm.

When Cy moved to Toronto, I thought that a Canada Goose jacket would be the perfect welcome-to-Toronto gift. Or, you can call it a welcome-to-real-winters-this-isn’t-Vancouver jacket.

So, what should you look for? Here is my guide on how to buy a Canada Goose jacket:

1. Go to a Sporting Life, they have the best selection of Canada Goose jackets.
2. Skip the bomber-style jackets. They are too short, so go for the jackets that at least to your hip. Trust me, your body will thank you when the miserable wind in the minus 20-something degree weather hits you like a bomb of freeze.
3. Give up on other brands when even when you balk at the price tag dangling off  a Canada Goose jacket. Yes, it’s expensive for a good reason. Just squish it, and compare it to another brand. It’s not a scientific approach, but you will notice a difference in fill quality and fill distribution.
4. Pick a cool colour, and luckily they have a good selection – reds, blues, grays, beiges etc.
5. Take a look at the coyote-rimmed hood, find one that has cool ‘ears’.

Cy ended up getting a gray Chateau jacket. And, you can’t tell in the picture, but he was sweating bullets for that minute while I took my Instagram picture.

Keep hot and warm, peace.