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Coffee Break: Babaton Coat

Babaton coat from Aritzia

I've heard about this coat for years, but I don't think we've ever featured it — the Babaton coat from Aritzia is often cited as a great option if you want something woolly, warm, and affordable(ish).

Babaton is Aritzia's house brand, and the coat comes in a bunch of different shapes, from slouchy options (like this bestselling coat, pictured) to more classic topcoats and lady jackets, mostly around $350.

The slouch coat comes in short, regular, and tall sizes (2XS-2XL), and options including virgin wool cashmere, double faced recycled wool, virgin wool, and wool cashmere. Nice!

The coats are $298-$450, with most priced around $350.

Sales of note for 12.5

88 Comments

  1. Let’s have a thread of things people told you you’d change your mind about or grow out of.

    I’ll start, listening to metal has been a 30 year ‘phase’, I listen to modern metal and keep up with the times!

    1. Being a Democrat. Yes, I see how much of my paycheck is taken out in taxes. Yes, I am still a “lib.”

      1. Haha a guy I used to work with said as I got older and less idealistic I’d move out of the city to the burbs and become conservative. I’m 59, still waiting for the magical transformation.

        He’s on his third wife since then, so I’m not taking his advice on anything. (All of them started as well known affairs)

      2. I’m 60 and keep eyeballing listings for condos in the hippest, grungiest, and most diverse part of my city. If anything I get more liberal with each passing year.

    2. Being a feminist (nope), being a liberal (big nope), setting strict boundaries with family members (sticking to that one even more post-election), and having kids (did change my mind here but only because I met a partner who would be a good and equitable dad).

    3. ha, most major things people told me I’d change my mind about, I *did* change my mind:
      – people said I’d change my mind about not wanting to get married (I did, married at 22),
      – people said I’d change my mind about not wanting kids (I did, have 4 kids),
      – people said I’d grow out of being vegan (I did, now omnivore).
      – people said I’d be sorry I put my kids in daycare (and I was, we have had a nanny or stay-at-home parent for the past 10 years and it’s so much better for us).

      but here are some things I didn’t change my mind about:
      – people told me getting married young was a mistake and when I “grew up” I’d realize it (married 16 years and not a mistake so far!)
      – people told me I’d relax my ideas about giving my kids a screen-free, analog, free-range childhood when I actually had kids (nope, no screens, no photos of them online, all 4 are independent free-range people).

        1. Or for the kids? One of my friends did when she gave her newborn baby B12 deficiency.

        2. no, he became vegan at home for me for 7 years! I had complicated pregnancies and a lot of nutritional limitations and basically couldn’t get enough nutrients for successful pregnancy and breastfeeding without animal products. Prior to that my ideological commitments were already shifting so was open to adding back in animal products when my healthcare team suggested it (before that I would have said “that’s never necessary/never happens”).

          1. I’m guessing the veganism was never for the planet given the 4 kids. What was initially your reasoning?

          2. mainly (1) health and (2) animal welfare. also (3) didn’t like the way the ag industry relied on easily-exploitable undocumented labor in dangerous working conditions that caused moral injury to the workers, and (4) I want to preserve the planet so my kids can live here. I was vegan for 15 years and am still vegan “outside” but buy all our meat and milk at home from specific farms and keep our own chickens.

      2. Why is a commenter being so “challenging” on a former vegan? Anon at 2:49, you do not need to explain yourself or defend your choices. I applaud you for being a vegan and then for not being a vegan when health care providers advised that you shouldn’t be.

    5. Oh, I think when I went vegetarian, I got a lot of “let’s see how long this lasts”, but it’s been 25 years and for what it’s worth, my sister is also a (high school onward) lifelong vegetarian.

      1. Oh, I think when I went vegetarian, I got a lot of “let’s see how long this lasts”, but it’s been 25 years and for what it’s worth, my sister is also a (high school onward) lifelong vegetarian.

        1. My daughter decided she was vegan in high school. I was as supportive as I could possibly have been, learned to cook a lot of new to me things to accommodate her veganism. But it turned out to be an eating disorder. I feel so bad that I didn’t recognize the signs sooner. She is an omnivore now and a young adult. We try to be more aware of her tendency toward orthorexy.

      2. My daughter went vegetarian “for a month” on her 9th birthday and I didn’t think it would last but so far it’s lasted 6ish months! I was a vegetarian for 15 years and am happy to remain an omnivore in theory, but I only eat meat a few times a month, usually when we are eating out and my husband wants me to try his dish. Or if he cooks and makes meat which is.. rare.

    6. I think being liberal is the big thing for me. And ironically the person who most told me I’d grow out of being a Democrat was my father, who is now a Never Trumper who only votes for Democrats in national elections, so basically a conservative Democrat.

    7. I’m glad the adults in my life were never this patronizing about anything. But like a lot of other people, I imagine my parents thought being vegetarian was a teenage phase, though they were supportive. Thirty plus years later, I still don’t eat meat and am mostly vegan, though I eat dairy and eggs occasionally.

      2. yeah same. I spent most of my late teens/early 20s as a Phish loving, music festival attending, tie dye wearing hippie wannabe. My parents never belittled or mocked me. They just let me be and figure stuff out. I’m now a corporate attorney in BigLaw, and sit on several boards/commissions in my town. I have three kids, and regret nothing from my very fun, very different childhood. I also think I had far less anxiety than the other straight A kids who were all competing to the very best in our affluent Midwest suburb. Whenever I hear parents belittling their kids for their choices (especially when they are very normal adolescent choices), it just seems like misplaced shame that the parents will be judged for their kids’ decisions or appearances.

        1. you and my husband would be BFF, except he ended up in finance rather than Big Law. His Phish loving musical festival attending self was not mocked by his parents bc they were too busy dealing with his younger sister who had a lot of serious issues and his “surprise” brother who is 12 years younger. Though he still did not escape the anxiety of of the straight A student. I will say that this is something I might struggle with as a parent depending on my kids’ choices because I was such a goody two shoes and not very social (much to my parents dismay) that it will be hard for me to relate, but I plan on trying to keep an open mind.

          1. I give you a lot of credit for being self-aware! Honestly, my parents were great about meeting me where I was, and trying to learn about what I was into – they actually would come to concerts sometimes, and would enjoy themselves (or seemingly would enjoy themselves). A core memory is when they met me at a city that was between my college and my hometown, and they came with me to listen to the concert. We left like halfway through to eat at a really fancy restaurant they had been wanting to try. It was a really, really fun evening for all of us. I’m sure if they just looked at what I was wearing or listening to through the lens of being an adult, it was silly looking, but they genuinely tried to participate with me. They were/are good parents.

    9. I politely rejected a good-on-paper guy after a couple dates because I didn’t feel any chemistry. He told me I’m way too picky, I’m expecting something that doesn’t exist, and I’ll regret breaking it off with him. A few weeks later I started dating DH (who checks all the boxes and then some)

      1. I have NEVER regretted breaking up with a man when I’m being told that I’m “too picky.”

          1. Even if it’s not him saying it, I have never regretted it.

            I’m not avoiding commitment by being picky. Anyone who knows me knows damn well that I’m accepting, collaborative, and too willing to power through situations that other people would leave. My mistake is always staying too long or trying to make something work that cannot ever work.

            So you think this is the ONE TIME I’m leaving too soon? Keep that opinion to yourself because you’re probably wrong and it isn’t your life anyway.

    10. Having a “save the world” kind of job – 12 years in and still loving it even with a chaotic work-life balance and a smaller paycheck. And still very proud of the work I do.

    11. My friends and I joke “it’s not a phase mom” when we still listen to our favorite pop punk, but I don’t think any of us were told it was a phase. We all have impressive jobs, we’re starting to get married and buy houses and have babies but still have a lot of fun outside of work (we’re early 30s but can still party like we’re in college).

      I love sitting at my very serious government job listening to the angsty music from my youth about not growing up, conforming, givinginto the man, etc. Though, I think that despite having a good job on paper, I have not conformed. I could have an easier and more lucrative job in the corporate world, but I’ve stayed true to my passions and my goal of helping people so even though I work for the government (who is very much the man), I havent sold out

    13. Dressing up — I still love it! I’ve been told literally countless times that once I hit X age or have spent Y time at a new job I won’t want to wear A, B, or C anymore. Not me!

  2. Would you get an item monogrammed if your monogram was WMD? (Weapons of Mass Destruction)

    1. Yes, it would probably be a plus and make me more likely to want monogrammed things. But I’m personally one who likes ruffling feathers.

    4. Absolutely, I would lean into the humor of it. But if it bothers you, do WD instead.

    5. pretending the name is Wilma Mary Darling? You could always do the wDm style of monograph to avoid…

    6. Yes, because I love monograms and who cares. But is the M your middle or last name? If it’s your last name, instead of the traditional monogram (first, last, middle) you could do WDM.

    7. Ha! That’s hilarious! I’d monogram everything!

      My initials used to be the same as Major League Baseball and that was kind of fun.

    9. Yes, because I’d think it’s funny – while I work in a different part of the field (global health), my degrees are in international relations

    10. Yessss because I think it’s hilarious but two things:

      1) Maybe not on items I’m bringing to Junior League or the office or similar places

      2) Consider the old-school style of monogram where the last name is in the middle–unless you’re already doing that, it would then be “WDM” which is less of “tee hee” moment risk.

  3. Missed the holiday gifts threads this morning — but young 20 me wants to give a huge shout out to the vendors/outside counsel who sent a separate box to clients specifically labeled “For Staff. Thanks for all you do! From [Client, Vendor, etc.]” Doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but when I was a clerk in a law firm, I couldn’t afford the extra luxuries around the holidays, so it was noticed and really appreciated when staff got thanked and a treat for us specifically. Also, usually staff is the one putting in the extra hours at the holidays for way less pay (and not looking at year-end bonuses), and so we always noticed which clients remembered the staff specifically.

    Some attorneys did put gifts out for staff to enjoy, but most did not (and usually it was the ones who could most easily afford to buy their own goodies who kept the boxes!).

    1. One actual conversation with one of my fellow managers, pre-pandemic.

      Her: I told Adam over at XYZ that if he sends us one more box of candy this year, I will be terminating our relationship!

      Me: but don’t your staff enjoy it? (Note: they were all hourly)

      Her: yeah but no one needs those empty calories

      It really made me think differently of her. Obviously, as it has stuck with me all this time.

    2. I love when people do this! If I’m ever sending stuff to anywhere that has staff I make sure to make it for them.

    3. I am apparently alone in this, but one of my guilty pleasures is those awful packaged popcorn tins. Specifically the cheese one. Stale popcorn has never tasted so good.

  4. I missed the Met card sale :(

    Next best place to buy good greeting cards in larger quantities? Any other flash sales from museum store or similar?

  5. Reposting for shopping help. I saw a picture of myself in my 12 year old black Michael Kors wear-all-the-time cardigan and it look faded and too small. Looking for a new good quality timeless not frump black cardigan for another ten years! Not too warm as I live in Florida, please. I am a large petite.

    1. What’s your style like generally? Are you looking for something thicker or more sleek?

        1. I think a sweater blazer would be good then. I know the JCrew ones listed below are good and there’s also a few at Macy’s.

    5. Does it have to be a basic cardigan or are you open to a sweater blazer? J. Crew Factory’s cotton sweater jackets are the MVPs of my wardrobe.

  6. Is it acceptable to wear brighter/lighter colors for a winter black tie wedding? For context, I am attending a day time black tie wedding in Portugal in January. If possible, I’d like to reuse an old bridesmaid dress (floor length, satin, carnation pink) since I paid a lot of money to get it tailored. There’s no conflict with the color of the bridal party, but the color itself is giving me pause. TIA!

    1. Is this a destination wedding for a group of people from a certain region in the US, where US cultural norms would still be in play, or are you going to a Portuguese wedding, and it’s important to know what black-tie norms would be in Portugal?

      1. If it’s a Portuguese wedding, I’d wear it. The Portuguese really dress up for weddings, or at least the people in my parents’ area do.

  7. If you tint your car for UV protection is it something you need to redo periodically? It’s been 10 years since I had mine done and am wondering if I should have it reapplied.

  8. Should I be getting microneedling? My Gen Z coworker got it done and I thought she was just wrapped up in the skincare and anti-aging hype that Gen Z is obsessed with right now, but I guess it is recommended for 20-somethings and can prevent aging to a degree? I am approaching 40 and now am thinking of trying it.

    1. I would suggest a consultation with a reputable cosmetic dermatologist who can assess your skin and needs and recommend treatments best for you.

  9. Looking for a bread monthly “subscription” gift for a family member. Is Zingermann’s what I want?

    It’s hard for me to imagine how bread stays fresh, but they must overnight it I suppose.

    1. A gift certificate to a local bakery will be a lot fresher than anything you can send

      1. Yeah, it does seem wasteful, doesn’t it?

        Some family members are hard to buy for. He doesn’t really need/appreciate a gift certificate (would probably loose it), but he is lazy so sending him something directly seemed a safe bet.

      2. If you or anyone else is looking for a subcription gift for baked goods Bucks County Biscotti does gift boxes and subscription boxes. They ship well and have all been yummy from personal experience. Would be good if your looking for a PA themed or local gift this year

    2. Don’t know if they do subscriptions, but The Brot Box is delicious. We place bulk order and freeze what we don’t use immediately.

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