I bought this because I hoped it would be versatile and it has NOT disappointed me. I basically get three garments out of it. They are...
(1) The bathrobe. I live in an old house that is difficult to keep heated, and I was hoping this could serve as a sort of bathrobe/wearable blanket that I could get away with wearing to Zoom work meetings (a criterion that would not be met by an actual bathrobe or actual wearable blanket). It is performing admirably in this regard (and my colleagues have even complemented me on it).
(2) The raincoat insulating liner. This is fitted enough that it layers perfectly under my mid-thigh-length Patagonia raincoat, solving the PNW warm-or-dry tradeoff that has vexed me in winters past (i.e., a down coat or wool coat isn't waterproof, but a raincoat isn't insulated, and just layering under it leaves me with cold thighs).
(3) While this hasn't happened yet (remember: PNW), I can imagine that there will be cold days this winter when it is not raining when I will wear this outside as a coat, with no waterproof shell. I was afraid it would look too shapeless for that, and while some angles are definitely better than others, I have no compunction about wearing it on its own outside of my house. It's actually a perfect alternative to a more professional wool coat (since those tend to look unacceptably weird with more casual outfits), and the high collar does some of the work of a scarf, too.
The lux in the pockets is a nicer touch than I had anticipated, and the top and bottom zippers provide some styling flexibility. It's really warm, but I don't cook in it. Not sure how that's working out so well, but I'm not complaining! I'm 5'7", 125 lbs, and typically take a small in Oiselle stuff, so I ordered that size initially, but I ended up going with an XS instead, and I'm glad I went through the trouble (and temporary double-charge) of ordering both and doing a comparison. The small was definitely too boxy and the XS looks more fitted and sporty without being too short on the wrists. Still plenty of room for long sleeved tops underneath. I feel like this really defied my expectations and saved me some serious money. Recommend!
