(AD) Will I be going skiing this year? Nope. Will you find me in ski wear? Yep. I discovered many years ago that despite never actually going skiing, ski clothes (especially jackets) are the perfect way to keep warm and so I am very happy with my latest one from Protest. It is perfect for the school run, standing around in cold playgrounds and all those other adventures that involve me spending a lot of time outside and barely moving in the freezing cold while my children investigate a leaf, stick, puddle or invisible speck of dust.

Hiding away in a warm jacket, the next best thing to hibernating

I don’t like being cold, it makes me grumpy and miserable. Unfortunately I am not allowed to hibernate for half the year and I have no interest in emigrating anywhere so I look for other ways to keep warm. I know that layers are great for trapping heat, but then you wander into a shop or get in a warm car and suddenly you are sweating. So I don't like layers.

Having spent many years commuting into London for work I know as soon as you go underground the temperature increases by about 30 degrees so you want to start stripping your clothes off, but that isn’t really an option at rush hour. Whether on the train or a bus it’s never ideal to elbow a stranger in the nose as you strip off layer after layer when you have to be squished up close to him for the next 20 minutes. Fortunately overcrowded tube trains aren’t part of my daily life at the moment, but given how long my last winter coat lasted I can never be too sure they wont again in the future and I want my coat to be suitable for the eventuality.

Whether it is for shopping, tubes or just speed having one item that can take me from inside wear to “yikes my fingers are freezing off” temperatures is absolutely perfect. Ski jackets for women are designed for properly cold weather so they are easily able to manage the average British winter. 

It’s obviously not just the temperature that is the issue either, it rains a lot here too. Ever noticed how often it starts raining just in time for the school run? Our drop off and pick ups now take longer because the times are staggered for each year group meaning the absolute minimum time I can be out of the car for is 15 minutes. A person can get very wet in that time. Good ski jackets are both waterproof and breathable making the rain less of an issue. By the way I watched a programme on TV recently which explained how that is possible, they said it is all to do with the holes being really really small and water molecules being quite big. But given it keeps the cold out too I’m inclined to believe it involves some sort of magic.

Ski jackets, being designed for skiing and all that, are generally waist length because they are expected to be worn with their super warm partners: women’s ski trousers. I’m not quite there yet which is why I got excited to spot a longer length jacket. No more cold wet bottom for me! It even means I can sit down on a damp bench and stay dry. Perfect. I just need someone to bring me a cup of hot coffee now (dairy free latte please).

Of course men don’t need to miss out of the warmth and coziness and there are some great men’s ski jackets available, but the men in my life have never really felt the cold as much as me. I can be wearing a coat, scarf and gloves and they are happily wandering around in an unzipped men’s fleece and not remotely concerned it is starting to snow. Weird. I’m not surprised that men have been accused of coming from the freezing planet Mars while women from the sweltering hot Venus. 

Cozy

Washable

Practical

Review of the Jessica Ski and Snowboarding Jacket from Protest

As part of this collaboration with Protest I got to choose some clothes from the website. While I was very tempted by the leopard print ski jacket (genuinely I think it is very cool) I decided I would probably be more comfortable in a plain black design. I choose the Jessica Ski Jacket in black, but it also comes in a dark green and red. I am currently a size 14/ 16 and I decided to go for the XL. I have plenty of room in it which will be great when it’s colder and I want to wear a jumper underneath it. There is nothing worse than a too small coat where you can barely bend your arms. I would probably have been fine with the next size down, but with the waist gaiter and velcro cuffs I can keep all the cold wind out. It also has a tightening cords for around the waist (if you want a bit of a figure) and to tighten the hood.

If you are actually going to wear it for skiing or snowboarding you will be glad to know that it has a goggle pocket and lift pass holder as well as easy headphone access, but for the rest of us you’ll be more interested that it has lots of pockets (I've counted 8), 10K water resistance (that is very high) and 10g breathability. The hood is deep so you can wear your hair up in a mum bun and still keep your glasses dry while keeping your neck and head snuggly with the soft teddy fur. I believe no actual teddies were harmed in the making of these jackets and they are 100% polyester so no animals were either. In fact the jacket is PFC free and uses an environmentally friendly waterproofing method so Protest are trying to limit the impact they have on the environment. Oh and it gets further bonus points because it is machine washable (wash it alone in your machine, inside out at 30 degrees C). 

I think the only negative I would say about the jacket is the sleeves are a bit too long, but due to the velcro cuff I am just folding them inwards. It will be handy if I forget my gloves though because I can just hide my hands inside.

I love a coat with lots of pockets, this one has 8 (that I have found, there might be more)

The Jessica Ski Jacket from Protest is well designed for skiing or everyday wear

The sleeves are a little long on me, but I have folded the cuff in

I also bought this Bronte long sleeve top from Protest’s Nxg streetwear range. It is really soft and good quality so I am loving wearing it. 

Protest have a range of cozy, comfy streetwear too

The details make a difference