Item: Topshop Faux Fur Trimmed Parka
Appearance: Last Christmas
Combined with: Charlotte & Co Cashmere Dressing Gown, un-IDed Nightgown, UGG Scuffette II Espresso Slippers
Original Retail Price: Unknown
Materials: Shell: 82% cotton, 17% nylon, 1% elastane; Lining & Filling: 100% polyester; Faux Fur: 50% acrylic, 32% modacrylic, 18% polyester
At the beginning of the episode, we only see Clara in her nightgown and dressing gown, but once they travel to the Arctic, Clara makes the reasonable decision to wear something a bit warmer and that something is a parka made by Topshop.
Even though this item had been on my list for a while, I only received it two years into collecting Clara items and roughly a year after putting together the alt set of Clara’s nightgown and dressing robe. It’s not exactly a rare item, but it still takes a while to find, especially if you don’t want to spend too much money. Topshop made a lot of different khaki parkas which are pretty similar looking (I’m assuming they would also do as an alt). You can recognize the SA by the alignment of the pockets, the brown fur and the strings at the waist. During the past few months, I’ve seen about 5 of those being sold online, so with a bit of patience, I’m sure you’ll be able to find one – and another cosplayer eventually found one for me. The original plan was to find one in Germany so I wouldn’t have to pay for international shipping, but that plan changed.
Pricing
When it comes to the price range, I’ve seen them sell for between £9 and £70. I couldn’t find an original retail price, but since the majority of coats I saw were sold above £40, you can take a guess and assume it wasn’t exactly cheap to begin with. But several cosplayers got lucky already, so if you don’t go for the first one you find, you can probably find a cheaper alternative. I paid roughly £9 for mine, but I also had to pay for shipping within the UK and shipping to Germany, so I ended up paying over £20 – still a good deal for an SA item and a practical winter jacket that will surely come in handy. Just not during summer. Since the fur hood makes the coat quite heavy, you’ll probably have to pay a little more for the shipping, especially if it’s international, so take that into account when you’re buying it.
The Topshop Faux Fur Trimmed Parka
The parka itself is really comfy. I wore it even outside of cosplay multiple times while walking my dog in the depths of winter and it kept me warm all the way through. However, another dog we encountered was scared of the fur-lined hood and barked at me, which made me sad.
A big part of the fur collar is attached to the parka with buttons and can be taken off when it needs a wash. I washed it today and it survived the machine. The shell is made from 82% cotton, 17% nylon and 1% elastane. The lining and the filling are both 100% polyester and the faux fur is made from 50% acrylic, 32% modacrylic and 18% polyester.
Sizing
I would say that the parka runs true to size, but if you buy a size up or a size down, it will most likely work for you as well. I usually wear a size XS in coats, but I got the parka in a size S and there’s enough space for some additional layers and I’m pretty sure it would also fit a size M and maybe even a size L if you’re not planning on wearing a lot of layers underneath. I wouldn’t go too big or too small, but one or two sizes should be fine. The pockets are quite big and fit a smartphone (also treats, poop bags, and other various items if you’re a regular dog walker). Other than that, there’s not much I can say about it. It’s furry, it’s comfy, it keeps you warm – and Clara wore it on screen. Those are some solid reasons to buy one.
The colour can sometimes look a little strange in photos, but the real parka is a khaki colour that is somewhere between green and brown, which is something to bear in mind while looking for it online.
