When I was a kid in middle school, my mom bought me a "Snorkel" coat. It had a hood with fur around the edges, a great zipper and straps that could be tightened to keep the cold out.

I remember many of days some of my friends would laugh a little about that coat, saying I looked like an Eskimo. There was one particularly cold winter day however, where my friends teasing quickly turned to envy when we had to walk home with a bitter wind coming out of the north. Two of my friends suffered minor frostbite on their ears that day, and never forgot their hats again after that.

The coat was heavy, but I never had to worry about losing a hat. To this day, I have trouble purchasing any kind of winter coat that doesn't have a hood.

I'm rather fond of Carharrt/Dickies winter wear. (No affiliation, just a fan) Both my kids have the "active jacket" type of winter coats, and although my daughter wasn't thrilled with the "style", she's thanked me several times when she's had to walk home this winter so far.

Rod