very nice mid length down jacket, lightweight, fits just great, I recomended

purchased as gift for best friend
Living in DC, you come to learn that the winters aren't the worst around... but they can come pretty close when it's 20 degrees with 40 mph winds (and you're not used to that). My best friend had never owned a down coat before and for a few years was trying to get away with layering to fight the winter blasts. Finally, for her birthday this year, we bought her this coat. She couldn't be more happy with it! It keeps her warm, and keeps the water out (FYI repellant/not waterproof). The small size still has some room to spare for sweaters, scarves, and other layers. It's slightly tailored in the hips, so you don't look like a walking puffy box. The color is great too. For the price, it was definitely worth it. Would definitely recommend to others.

Great winter coat
Extremely warm and fits well in xs. However, the zipper is a little hard to get started.

More style than substance
I have been searching for a WARM coat for winter in NE Ohio and really wanted this to be "the one." I love the beautiful silvery-gray color of the Oyster shade, and the cut and quilting is figure-flattering, not too bulky or marshmallow-ish like many down coats. The price is very reasonable for overall good quality. I am 5'8" with medium build, usually a size 4/6, and ordered a medium. I could have also fit the small but liked the way the medium fit with room to layer. However I decided to return this coat because it didn't seem very warm or cozy enough (I naturally run pretty cold though). For people who are more warm-blooded, this coat would do the job. Another problem was the zipper was on the skimpy side and got caught easily - it wasn't a smooth zip up like you want. I also didn't really care for the velcro closures around the zipper. I ended up going with the North Face Metropolis parka for almost $100 more, but I feel I will get my money's worth from this warmer coat that seems to be a bit better quality. The Melange Maven isn't a bad coat at all, just not quite as well-made or warm as I wanted it to be for my always-freezing winter needs.

Decent down jacket for an affordable price
I am from a tropical-climate country and this is my first winter ever. Eager to shield myself from the cold, I started to look for online deals for warm down jacket. I viewed Northface, but it costs double compared to this brand, for down jacket. After looking for description for this columbia jacket, I decided to give it a try because of its much affordable price. I tried them on recently for about a week. The jacket is very warm and I need not to layer up, even with temperature as low as -5 degree Celsius. With this jacket, I can survive the coming winter. However, this jacket has a drawback- it does not have a hood. This means I have to wear thick scarf and beanies, which is quite inconvenient. Also, the zip can sometimes be frustrating because it gets stuck easily. Overall, this is a tolerable flaw considering its pros and price.