What you need in your coat closet
Because we get around so much on public transit and bikes, outerwear is everything. You need to have the right gear to, ahem, weather an Amsterdam winter. To survive year-round, here’s what you need.
My super-warm coat!
Something super warm (but still waterproof). Most people have a puffy jacket, often something at least knee-length. It needs to keep you warm against the wind gusts off the water, which can be brutal. On a whim, I went to a boutique in my neighborhood and ended up with the most glorious coat I’ve ever owned: puffy with four big pockets and a fur-lined hood. (The brand is Embassy of Bricks & Logs, in case you’re wondering.)
Something lighter (and super waterproof). This is for when it’s rainy but not cold. Or even rainy + cold but you’re biking, so you’ve got body heat on your side. I’m an evangelist for the long trench, because it’s utterly unpleasant to arrive somewhere with your pants soaked. Unless you want to be one of those people who learns to bike one-handed while holding an umbrella, I’d recommend a layer that covers you to your shins. I invested in a trench made for biking – it unzips and unbuttons on the sides to accommodate leg movement. I can even pull the front flaps over my bike handlebars and stick my hands through vents to access the hand grips, so it's like I’m under my own little tent on my bike. And they must have had some brilliant engineers work on the hood, because no matter how windy it gets, it doesn’t fly backward or drip water in my face. I went with the Maium brand, and I give them two thumbs up for functionality AND style.
Something super light (and waterproof, still). I got a basic Patagonia shell for wearing over other layers, and it is handy for traveling as well as going around town. This is for the times when it may not rain much (or at all), and you want to be able to stuff your jacket easily into your backpack.
Optional – the wool trench. Everyone has one of these, but I haven’t invested yet. For me this is more of a luxury, to have something that looks a little nicer but isn’t the best for rainy weather (or biking).
I also have several light jackets for the summer, and a North Face fleece for dog walks when it’s not raining. I’ve seen a lot of people wear trench-length puffy vests – seems like a good option for staying warm in the fall, before the wet weather arrives.
For stores, they have North Face here, as well as Bever, which is akin to an REI. There are also boutiques everywhere (Rain Couture seems popular). Or you can try De Bijenkorf, the flagship department store of the Netherlands.