Does anyone have experience with the Outdoor Research Women's 'Envy' raincoat? I did a search of the boards but found no recent comments. My well-loved lightweight hooded raincoat finally had to be given its last rites, and I'm on the hunt for a suitable replacement. I need a raincoat that is fully functional for English country walking and general inclement conditions in the city, while also having some stylish good looks. In addition to a lot of country walking and typical site-seeing in casual dress, my upcoming trip includes a film premiere and other evening events that I have to dress up for a bit, so I want one raincoat that will do double duty. The 'Envy' style in black seems like it would fit the bill. I saw one in person yesterday and it's got the needed features, but the shop didn't have my size or color preference. I'm open to suggestions for British brands I could perhaps buy in London, if anyone has any. The Barbour 'Durham' jacket could do, but it has a more sporty country look, and the Barbour 'Hampshire' style is suitable for both town and country but doesn't have a hood.
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3095 posts
OR is a Seattle company and generally very good. There are recent reviews of that jacket on Amazon.
Posted by
Land of La
8645 posts
TravelSmith has an online sale for their women's raincoats at the moment.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
I have a "drizabone" raincoat that I bought in Australia about 20 years ago. It has a certain never-out-of-style flair and has been to Europe more often than most people, always looking right for the circumstances. No hood, though.
Posted by
Fontainebleau, France
893 posts
No experience with the Envy raincoat, but I have an Eddie Bauer WeatherEdge Nisqually rain coat that I've used for over 3 years and it's held up well. It's currently 50% off online, which I think makes it a good value. IMO, the two downsides are the white lining of the black coat (stands out a bit more than I'd like) and the jacket doesn't really insulate in the cold, but also doesn't breathe enough to be worn in heat. You need to put something on underneath it when it's cold out, and you'd sweat too much wearing it in a summer rain. It can be folded quite small and put in a little day pack easily.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
Well, since the JPeterman company came up recently, there is a very fashionable "Artist's Raincoat" that they have right now. Red or navy, lined, $200. Don't know how small it would pack for travel, no hood, but cute.
Posted by
OP
NYC
922 posts
Thanks, everyone. I was just thinking yesterday 'where the heck is my JPeterman catalog that I requested weeks ago?!'