I brought the Carhartt women’s Amoret Quilted Coat with me on a recent work trip to Toronto, figuring it would come in handy as I hustled to various appointments around the city. Little did I know how handy.

Prior to me really putting it through its paces (I’ll come to that in a moment), the most appealing feature of this coat was its lightweight construction, which is quilted and lined with cozy flannel for added warmth without the bulk. It’s cut longer in the back and has an adjustable interior drawstring at the waist, so it’s flattering on a variety of body shapes, and the large front and side pockets can easily accommodate a phone, keys, sunglasses and gloves without ruining the sleek silhouette, making this a practical choice for the style-conscious urban adventurer.

The first two days of my trip were sunny and cool, but the forecast for the third day called for rain—30 to 40 millimetres, a proper autumn storm. Naturally, this was the day I had lined up an outdoor walking tour of the city’s design district, but such is the traveler’s dilemma: when you’ve only got four days in a place, you have to roll with the punches. The Amoret Quilted Coat is made of nylon with Carhartt’s proprietary Rain Defender finish, which repels light to moderate rain; I wore it through four-plus hours of steady downpour. Incredibly, when I removed the coat back at my hotel, my shirt was dry except for damp spots at the elbows and shoulders, where my extremely wet backpack had rested.

I wouldn’t recommend the Amoret Coat for this kind of prolonged wet-weather use, but when it comes to outerwear that will keep you going through the vagaries of fall and spring weather, this is a solid choice.

carhartt.com