Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette in our series is it worth it?
Today, we discuss Canada Goose jackets and if you've missed it, we also did one on Moncler
jackets which you can check it out right here.
In recent years, Canada Goose was transitioned from a smaller brand focusing on functional
wear to a very stylish brand that became extremely popular.
As a consequence, their flagship jacket which I'm wearing here right now costs around $1000
and so we want to know, is it really worth that money and how does it compare to other
well-known jackets such as the Moncler ones?
So before we talk about the jacket and its features, let's look at the brand Canada Goose.
Just like many others, it started out as a very functional brand for outdoor gear.
It was founded by the Polish immigrant Sam Tick in 1957.
Interestingly, it was not named Canada Goose but Metro Sportswear.
They started producing down jackets in the 1970s but they were primarily focused on jackets
for rangers and the police.
By 1985, they decided to produce jackets under their own brand which at the time was called
Snow Goose, not Canada goose.
At the time, they also manufactured private label jackets for companies like LL Bean or
Eddie Bauer.
They were growing slowly and in the early 90s, they expanded to Europe.
Unfortunately, someone else was already using the term Snow Goose so they switched their
branding to Canada goose.
Even though they were forced to change the name, it proved beneficial because of the
positive association with really cold Canadian climate.
In 2001, Dani Reiss took over as a CEO from his father at Canada Goose.
At the time, a lot of companies were still shifting production overseas but he said "no
we're gonna produce in Canada".
At the same time, he began pushing the products internationally and especially in Europe,
people didn't question the high price tag because they associated it was a luxury high-end
product.
Ironically, the brand Canada Goose flew pretty much under the radar up until about 2010.
The brand undertook an agressive product placement strategy using celebrities such as Daniel
Craig.
Of course, that was also reflected in their revenue.
The company went from 18 million a year to a multiple of that, selling a 70% share for
a quarter billion dollars in 2013.
By then, Canada Goose had become so popular that model Kate Upton wore a jacket on a Sports
Illustrated cover swimsuit edition.
Today, Canada Goose continues to focus on quality and domestic Canadian production.
Because of the relatively high price tag, it's a with higher end department stores regularly
sell out of these jackets.
The Canada Goose product lineup has steadily increased and now includes lighter weight
jackets as well as pants and other outerwear things.
Of course with the popularity of the Canada Goose brand, also a lot of counterfeit jackets
pop in the market just like with Moncler.
They also use an authentication system making sure that if you pay top dollar, you get the
real thing and not a knockoff.
Just like Moncler, Canada Goose is now a status symbol and so we really want to look into
it whether the jacket is actually functional and worth your money.
So I'm wearing here the Canada Goose Emory slim fit parka jacket with a coyote trim.
In terms of colors, they are less flashy than Moncler and I chose an olive green.
The first thing that distinguishes the jacket visually from the Moncler one is the genuine
coyote fur trim.
Canada Goose claims that it has a functional purpose in the sense that it creates more
turbulent air around your face thus preventing frostbite more than a jacket without the trim.
The company claims that the coyote fur is ethically sourced and trapped in Canada.
Now, trapping is always difficult and painful for the animals so I know a few people who
would question that claim.
The next thing that stands out is the material.
It is matte and it's a lot thicker than the Moncler jacket.
Also and I find it quite unpleasant, it makes a lot of noise when you walk, just listen!
The material is made out of 85 percent polyester and 15 percent cotton, it's water-resistant,
durable, and hard-wearing, as well as wind resistant.
It's not quite gore-tex membrane material but it's definitely thick and much stiffer
than what you get from Moncler.
That being said, nylon is typically a higher-end artificial fiber and polyester.
In my opinion, the stiffness of the fabric is directly felt to the entire jacket and
other people would have compared the jacket to wearing that x-ray vest at the dentist's
office.
The other difference to a Moncler Jackets are the ribbed cuffs which I find quite useful
because they prevent cold air from coming in.
The jacket features an abundance of pockets, has lots of Zamak metal snap buttons that
are plastic covered.
Of course, all branded.
The zipper is an injection molded plastic from YKK, ironically it's the same one used
at the Moncler Jackets.
For some reason though, I find it a lot harder to close.
So for a jacket that retails for $1,000, I would've expected a higher-end zipper made
out of machined metal and not just an average YKK product that I can get on Amazon for about
6 bucks.
Even though the brand is called Canada Goose, the actual filling of this jacket consists
of duck down feathers which are inferior to goose down.
So what's the difference between goose down and duck down?
Well, goose down comes in larger clusters, usually traps the air better which means you
get a higher fill power and more insulating with a goose than duck.
Because this jacket uses duck down, it's not surprising that there's a fill power of 625.
Again, low end fill power would be 300, high-end fill power would
be 900.
So this jacket sits right somewhere in the middle.
It consists of 80% down and 20% feathers which is not as good as the Moncler jacket which
is 90% goose down and 10% feathers but both are not as good as other jackets in the market
that have 93% goose down.
To learn more about down quality levels, fill power, and ethical issues, please check out
the Moncler video here.
Unlike Moncler, Canada goose has warmth grading method which is called TEI or thermal experience
index.
That will help you to find a jacket that is best suited for your needs and your environment
and the level of coolness you experience.
For example, this Emory slim fit parka is rated as a four out of five and it's rated
to negative five to 15 degrees Fahrenheit which is quite cold.
Personally, I think it's not quite as warm as the Moncler jackets we had but it's a lot
heavier.
It is also much stiffer to wear, it is longer in the torso meaning, it keeps you a little
warmer making up for a bit of the inferior fill power.
Also, if you compare the jackets visually, it's a lot less puffy and you don't look like
a Michelin Man in a garbage bag, unlike with the Moncler jacket.
So now the big question, is the Canada Goose emory jacket worth $995?
Well, let's look at the pros and cons.
The construction of the Canada Goose jacket seems more rugged and sturdy.
Frankly, I don't wear these jackets enough to really figure out the difference because
when I go skiing, I layer up because that allows me to get exactly the right heat level
for the temperature outside.
This arctic tech fabric is definitely more sturdy than the nylon one from Moncler and
I think over time, it will wear better.
Unlike Moncler, Canada Goose comes with a lifetime warranty, however, that sounds better
than it actually is because it's just a warranty against manufacturing defects.
It's definitely a quality parka, it has a real fur trim, it has a fill power of 625
and it keeps you warm and is well thought through.
At the same time, the jacket also has a bunch of downsides.
One big one for me is the sound it creates and the noise it makes when I walk, I find
it simply unpleasant.
Secondly, it's heavier than the Moncler jacket which is not so great in my opinion but more
importantly it's simply too stiff for my tastes.
Also keep in mind that you can find warmer jackets with a higher fill power for about
half the price of this Canada Goose.
Overall it's pretty expensive even though it's twenty dollars less expensive than the
Moncler jacket but at the end of the day, I don't find any of those jackets really stylish
because this one is very shiny and puffy, this one is less puffy but it's so stiff and
just makes me feel like a very unstylish person.
So if you really care for style go with a heavy overcoat that will keep you just as
warm in the city at the same time you will look a lot better.
That being said, I think this jacket is overkill for most people out there unless they live
in extreme conditions and even if you live in extreme conditions, there are better jackets
out there that are better suited for you for a lower price but they don't come with a brand
cache of Canada Goose.
so it's definitely not worth the money for people who want a super warm jacket or something
that is a lightweight and puffy and stylish.
if you enjoy this is it worth it video make sure to check out the other ones in our series
I'm sure you'll like them as well want to be notified about new videos in the series?
just hit the subscribe button and then the little belt so stuff like this comes right
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in today's video I'm wearing of course a Canada Goose Emory slim fit parka and the zipper
really sucks it's hard to get it closed especially if you're in a hurry I'm pairing it with a
blue pair of jeans and brown insulated fur-lined boots from Allen Edmonds I chose those because
I'm just a very loud person that day unlike with the Moncler jacket the hood is permanently
attached on a Canada goose and it's a lot more functional you can really tell that the
hair keeps your face warmer than without the trim In terms of value one could argue that
Canada Goose is better because it has more details it's more functional and will likely
wear longer than the Moncler jacket that being said the increased weight the stiffness of
the fabric in combination with a pain in the ass zipper I don't think $995 are a good value
for this parka.
So what are good alternative brands?
please check out our in-depth guide on the west side here
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