While the season of fall is short, there is no shortage of use with the Toad & Co. Tangerine Falls jacket ($150). It’s an urban jacket that is just at home in the hipster tap rooms of Uptown as it is on the hiking trails along the North Shore. Think L.L. Bean Barn Coat but not nearly as ugly.
What I Loved
Timeless Heritage Style
Every fall, the runways of New York, Paris, Milan and London inflict upon us the “new styles” that we’re all expected to empty our 401ks to buy. Some aren’t bad but many are just the crackpot experiments of designers that are absurd and unrealistic. Thanks to its heritage style and timeless design, the Toad & Co Tangerine Falls jacket will be relevant twenty years from now–and it only costs $150.
Functionality and Warmth
The Toad and Co Tangerine Falls jacket exudes “Trail to Tavern” from every fiber of its organic cotton and canvas blend. Thanks to its DWR finish, it repels light drizzle on the trail or while out and about shopping, running errands or commuting to work. Aside from its DWR coating, the Toad & Co Tangerine Falls jacket contains 60 grams of insulation in the body and 40 grams in the sleeves. On the inside of the jacket is a lightweight flannel lining and the two hand pockets are lined with a lovely, silky fleece. Its 30.5” length does a great job of keeping the bum warm in temperatures down to the low-forties.
Substantial
When I hold this jacket I do not feel a lightweight jacket at all. I feel a substantial jacket that has enough weight to provide warmth. I was checking out some similar looking jackets on the racks at Nordstrom’s a few weeks earlier. They were in the style of the Tangerine Falls jacket but were feather light. They had no lining, no insulation, and no weight to them. Their purpose was fashion and only fashion. They were not jackets. The Tangerine Falls is the antithesis of those jackets with its heftier weight, warmth and heavy duty zippers and snaps.
Size
It’s accurate. I’m normally a small in tops and jackets and the size small of the Tangerine Falls jacket fits correctly. While I have somewhat broad shoulders, I did not feel that it was tight in the shoulders at all. Sleeve length is about as perfect as one can get. For layering, I wore either lightweight or mid-weight long-sleeved shirts. I experimented with mid-layers and bulky wool sweaters but found that it wasn’t such a good idea. The additional bulk made the jacket too tight.
What Could be Better
Nothing. I honestly can’t think of anything that would make the Tangerine Falls jacket better. I think Toad and Co nailed it here.
Final Thoughts
There are times when a piece of clothing comes along that isn’t necessarily ground-breaking or earth-shattering in its design but I love it anyway. For $150, you can’t go wrong with the Toad & Co. Tangerine Falls jacket and its classic, timeless and beautiful heritage style.
For day hikes on cool days with moderate wind, or even wearing around town in the early spring or late fall, and the clouds unleash a drizzle, it’ll definitely do what you need it to do—without bleeding your 401k.
