It took two years, two winters (two very cold winters) before I finally learned my lesson.
I need a proper coat to handle the Icelandic weather!
I don’t know why it took me so long, I think in my mind these were just usually chilly winters, soon the weather would be back to what I was used to, very mild winters that only required a light coat.
Newsflash dear Kaelene, this is never happening!
And so, the search for some proper Icelandic weather attire began.
Here is a fun little story to tell you just how unprepared I was for the weather in Iceland when I moved here.
I arrived with one coat, a coat that could maybe be useful in the Icelandic summer, but any other time would be useless. This dear coat of mine, it didn’t even make it through its first fall. What happened you may be wondering? The Icelandic wind is what happened.
I am not even kidding, one particularly windy day I was doing my best to try and keep my hood on to cover me from the rain when a big gush of wind whipped past me and I heard a loud ripping sound.
My hood ripped off!
I didn’t even know this was possible, but apparently with the Icelandic wind it is. This is when I realized I had no idea what in the hell I had signed myself up for, and that I really needed to go shopping for a proper coat.
So clearly I needed a new coat, but not just any coat, I needed a coat that could handle the crazy Icelandic winds. You know how hard it is to find a coat that’s hood stays on when it is windy outside???
Nearly impossible!
After several more failed attempts at buying coats to handle Iceland I finally got this genius idea. Maybe I should check out the Icelandic brands, they probably know what they are doing!
Excellent idea right, how did I not think of this sooner! Who better to design a proper coat to handle the Icelandic weather than an Icelandic company?!
With my new plan in mind I headed straight to Cintamani, a clothing store that I have walked past dozens of times admiring their always beautiful window displays yet I had never gone in to check out their coats. How this is possible I do not know, but I will save you all from making this mistake, if you are in Iceland and are in need of some proper attire for winter (here in Iceland and back at your home) stop into the Cintamani store downtown, your body will thank you later.
Cintamani started making their amazing products in 1989, the year I was born, so clearly it is a sign that I am meant to own all their beautiful coats. The first sentence I read when I looked up their company history was this:
“In 1989 we started making the first prototypes of clothing aiming to protect Icelanders from the severe Arctic winters.”
Let’s highlight a few words here, “clothing aiming to protect Icelanders from the severe Arctic winters.” Yes! This is exactly what I needed, protection from the crazy Arctic winters, why did I wait two winters before getting Cintamani in my life?
Another reason why Cintamani is my favorite Icelandic brand, all the bright colors in their product line. In a very un-Icelandic fashion the majority of their products are bright colors, not the usually black, so when you have your Cintamani jacket on you can be sure to stand out in the crowd.
Do you notice that I broke out of my all black shell and went with a bright red coat??? Looks like I have not completed converted into the black Icelandic wardrobe just yet!
I fell in love with this coat as soon as I saw it, but my pretty red Björg jacket had one more test to pass. Could it survive against the Icelandic winds? There was only one way to find out, spend a day outside exploring the beautiful Iceland and see how it does.
The verdict?
This coat is a winner!
Not only will this coat make me a fashion icon, it is going to protect me against the wind! And my hood, I have no fear of that blowing off thanks to the handy string on the top of my hood making it nice and snug, the Icelandic wind has nothing on my Cintamani coat!
If you are looking for a souvenir in Iceland make it something you will use over and over again and check out a Cintamani store. Every time you wear your coat you will be reminded of how amazing Iceland is, as well as being warm and stylish, a win win!
And if you are not planning a trip to Iceland anytime soon check out Cintamani online shop, I already have my eye on a few items that I think will make awesome Christmas gifts!
Question of the Day?
Have you found the perfect coat? What bright color would you want for your winter coat?
