Growing up in Canada, thermal shirts and long-johns were more a habit of necessity than style, when it came to dressing for the frigid winters. One of the bigger brands for that was Penfield, and it seemed like all the kids in school owned a Penfield tee or thermal. While the clothes weren’t exactly stylish, they were functional and comfortable, and when you’re 9 years old and just want to stay warm while sledding down the local snow hill, well, that’s all you can ask for.

Penfield later seem to fall of the radar, but the brand re-launched last year as a fashion-forward line of colorful basics and tailored outerwear (We loved one of their sold-out buffalo-plaid jackets so much, we’ve been bugging our fashion PR friend Aileen to work her connections to get us one!) Now Penfield has upped the ante by partnering with New York label Rag & Bone for a new down jacket, complete with zip-off sleeves and a special water-resistant wool first showcased in Rag & Bone’s fall 2009 collection last month. The puffer jacket is cozy without being constricting, and pits Penfield’s tradition of high-quality winter wear with Rag & Bone’s refined downtown aesthetic. The jacket comes in black and gray and will be available in stores in a few months. We can’t wait to take it for a spin down the slopes.

- TC