Let’s face it, the weather throughout this country has been a wild rollercoaster of storms, record snows, mudslides, fires….and on and on and on.  Winter has settled in pretty rough in many parts of the country.

While there is very little we can do to fight the elements, we can stay warm and deal with mother nature in our own way.  With that in mind, clothing yourself adequately to meet the weather head on is a necessity that is on all of our minds. My suggestion to everyone, men and women, boys and girls is to make sure you have a parka in your closet.

Nothing says warm and cozy like pulling that hood up, zipping it up and getting maximum protection from the cold and the snow.  According to Wikipedia, a parka is defined as a type of coat with a hood, often lined with fur or faux fur.  It was invented by the Caribou Inuit, centuries ago,  who originally made it from caribou or seal skin, for hunting and kayaking in the frigid Arctic.

So when did it become a fashion item?  Well the military started using the parka during WWII and it became an item with men in the 1960’s and later being picked up by women and children as a popular item.  And in today’s fashion it still stands the test of time and is quite popular for all age groups and genders.

Faux fur parkas are quite affordable and readily available from most clothing vendors.  If real fur is used, of course the cost reflects the type of fur and can be quite costly.

While parkas remain more of a casual wear item, more people are going with comfort and function over style and are wearing them to dressier functions.

Bottom line is, when it is cold outside bundling up, zipping up and using that hood beats freezing and just trying to look cool.