Made in Canada: The Canada Goose

I knew these coats were expensive, but wow. Just wow. I didn’t know they were that over-priced. The new student coat-craze to which I am referring is none other than […]


I knew these coats were expensive, but wow. Just wow. I didn’t know they were that over-priced. The new student coat-craze to which I am referring is none other than Canada Goose. I’ve only started to notice just how many students have been rockin’ these fluffy-hood-rimmed parkers ‘round campus.

Tweak my nipples and call me Belinda! Talk about a price tag. When compulsion to write this article struck, and research of garment pricing pursued, I nearly fell off my chair in Zest. The range starts at €585 (in the sale, of course), which had been reduced from €650! Best get in there quick before the deal runs out! These coats may be nice, and they may be warm, but golly, they certainly are rather dear. What amazes me is the speed at which the craze has spread.

On average, every 17th person I see walking along our three main streets is sporting one. What’s so special about them? I may employ the unoriginal choice of a Barbour jacket, but my choice of outerwear was nowhere near as expensive as these fluffy Canadian geese. My Barbour has done just fine, thank you very much – it’s functional and rather presentable. I am no candidate for the Standtorialist, but these goosey coats are lost on me. In addition, if I were to spend such an inordinate amount of money on a garment, I would not want such a large proportion of my peers to be caught wearing the same item.

I know that I am dangerously close to flirting with a tedious post-modern criticism of conformity and commercialised uniformity. I am not necessarily suggesting that we all wear the same clothes in our efforts to make friends. I am not sufficiently boring and behind the times to pick up on something of such an intellectual nature. This is a mere observation. For me, something of such a high monetary cost is slightly devalued when it is so common. The sense of occasion is lost.

Canada Goose prides them self as a ‘survival tool by scientists, explorers and outdoor enthusiasts’. How many of the above do we have within our much loved university who actually need such a survival tool? I could afford 7 weeks worth of rent for the price of one of these jackets, and that’s just in St Andrews! Imagine how long you could live in Dundee! For that much cash, I would expect it to do a lot more than keep me warm…

image courtesy of highsnobiety.com