When it comes to trendy fashion the winter parka doesn’t typically spring to mind.
But Canada Goose has become the exception.
The American-owned, Canadian-based company is known for making high-quality - and high-priced - winter wear. Parkas range from $700 to $1,200.
Those who wear them swear by how warm they are. And the distinctive round Canada Goose patch has become something of a fashion trend, sported by celebrities like Jimmy Fallon, Hugh Jackman and Emma Stone. The parkas, jackets and vests are so popular around the globe that sometimes they can be hard to find back home in Canada.
Greg Boyce is the manager of the Expedition Shoppe in downtown Ottawa. He says he doesn’t have much Canada Goose stock left, and is sold out of the more popular parka styles and colours. “We’re looking at mostly bombers and jackets without fur and just a couple of odd sizes and lighter colours,” he says.
Chris White at Ottawa’s Trailhead Paddle Shack says they deal with the same problem “Certain models become popular during the year,” he says. “It can be hard to get if everyone wants the same thing.”
Whether it’s for fashion or warmth, if you can’t find the Canada Goose parka you wanted this winter you have options.
The first is to buy your toasty warm winter coat in the middle of summer. That’s when they are most available. “It will start in July,” says White. “Those people who missed it the previous year, we tell them to come in in July so that you don’t miss it.”
Secondly, you can buy one of a few other Canadian brands that rival Canada Goose in quality, if not notoriety. Greg Boyce recommends Quartz Nature, a brand made in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. “I would say the quality is on par with Canada Goose.”
Or you can wait for Canada Goose to boost production to try to keep up with demand. The company recently announced the purchase of a 45,000 square foot factory in Toronto.
