I refer of course to the ubiquitous padded coat worn by New York women of all ages. There’s the very popular long padded coat that goes to your knees and looks not dissimilar to the duvet on my bed (but black – always black). The shorter number that is nipped in at the waist and often comes with a fetching belt. And the variation on this very common theme: the furry hood. I’m thinking South Park circa 1998, Kenny?  I was strangely channelling the trend in my Rab coat, usaually only seen in deepest London winters and occasional forays into the countryside. I’ll be trading it in for something slightly more stylish and alot less padded.