High-priced jacket, short-term trend
D’LORAINE MIRANDA
Stepping out of your house on a sunny winter morning and being welcomed by a strong gust of the harsh Northern winds isn’t exactly a pleasant feeling. But would it make a difference if you were wearing a different jacket?
Photo by D'Loraine Miranda
Once a staple for experts involved in arctic exploration, the Canada Goose jacket has evolved into a highly-coveted fashion piece over the past few years. It has made its way onto the backs of Guelph-Humber students as well as celebrities.
“Canada Goose has really blown up this year,” says Robert Carbonell, a customer service associate at Harry Rosen’s Bloor St. flagship store. “It’s now not a rare thing to see one when you’re walking downtown.”
Ben Gardner, manager of The Vault, a Vaughan sports store, recalls the first time they began selling the brand’s merchandise back in 2007.
“Back then, I could count all the calls I got for Canada Goose on one hand,” says Gardner. “In 2008, it got busy and I just thought: ‘Wow! This must be a good brand,’ and by 2009, it just kept getting bigger and bigger.”
The coat may be trendy, but as broke college students, the hefty price tag is not very pleasing.
“In terms of outerwear, the cheapest you’ll get is $500,” says Gardner. “The jackets can go up to $1300 depending on which style you want.”
With possessing a highly coveted and expensive fashion piece come consequences. Stories of people being robbed of their jackets or losing their parkas in a sea of others at coat checks aren’t rare.
So why are people going crazy to get their hands on this jacket?
“It’s an expensive and stylish coat,” says Micah Leslie, a Seneca Fashion Management student. “If you’re wearing one, it automatically screams wealth.”
Photo by Antony Creary
While walking through Guelph-Humber, a Goose jacket could be spotted on almost every other student. With its lifelong warranty, unique coyote fur-trimmed hood and insulated down feathers, it’s difficult not to want one.
Kevin Ngo, third year Guelph-Humber business student, and his close friends have been sporting their Goose parkas for a few years now. He feels that because the trend is catching on, the coat has lost its allure.
“I got mine two years ago, and now that everyone’s wearing it, it’s played out,” he says. “Everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon.”
Natasha Szpunar, Humber Fashion Arts student, says the price for a Canada Goose jacket is too expensive, and that there are alternatives to staying warm.
“My TNA coat is warm enough and very durable. It’s not like it’s cheap either, but I’d rather have something like this which is maybe half price of what Canada Goose jackets are,” Szpunar explains.
Fashion trends come and go. So where does this leave Canada Goose?
“As far as fashion and trends go, the new jacket trend will be Moncler, although they’ve been on the market for a while,” says Leslie. “It will be interesting to see if anyone catches onto it next winter.”
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