So, first, sizing: ordering 1 size up, the jacket will fit (almost) perfectly - the arms are a little too long, but the Velcro sleeves easily solve that problem. I own another Helly parka, which is a medium and which is pretty big in the middle. I can wear big heavy sweaters and have plenty of room. With the Dubliner, I followed other reviewers' advice and ordered a large. I can fit a bulky sweater under the large, but there isn't a ton of room, which is fine by me. However, if you want the jacket to fit loosely (like all the people I see walking around in over-sized Canada Goose jackets), then order 2 sizes up, but account for the sleeves being longer. Second, warmth: it feels thin, it doesn't look/feel like it should be as warm as it is, it's not a down jacket, so it's not puffy, but it's also not bulky. I'm currently in buried in frigid, snow-covered Boston (14 degrees Fahrenheit at the moment) and with a good base and middle layer, this jacket is plenty warm. While I wouldn't recommend staying outside for extended periods of time with just a t-shirt underneath, it's not bad for short periods. Third, construction: Fantastic, I've really only ever owned Columbia parkas like this, but this is much nicer. From the zippers and the soft zipper cover thingy at the top of the zipper (no there are no zippers/pockets inside the jacket, not a big deal for me), to the make and detach-ability of the fur and the hood (although I, personally don't like the look of the hood without the fur), no, the fur isn't as nice as the $500 Canada Goose coats, or even some of the Alpha Industries Air Force parkas, but it blocks the wind. Because the coat is longer than I'd expect, which is a fantastically useful feature and helps to keep the rear warm, I do agree with other reviewers that I wish there were a double zipper, but that's minor, in my opinion. Now the big draw for me was that at the time of purchase, Amazon was selling the coat for $90, I think it's back up to $180 now. In all honesty, if I had to pay $180, I may have gone with the Alpha Industries n-3b parka, which I've tried on else where and is a fantastic coat that fit true to size. Amazon did their best with shipping, I happened to order before one of the major blizzards that hit Boston this month, so the USPS delivery was delayed and the USPS wasn't updating their site's status. I got impatient and Amazon was even good enough to create a duplicate order to be overnighted, but once I got home, I saw that the jacket had been delivered, so I'm about to receive a second one tomorrow, for which Amazon is already supplying me a return label. Which is, I believe the very definition of a first-world problem. I don't review everything I purchase on Amazon, but to go on a minor tangent: I do just want to say that Prime has been a fantastic investment. Free shipping is a nice perk, but the TV, movies and most importantly the prime music make it worth the annual fee. And then some.
