25 of the Best Parkas From Nordstrom, H&M, and Shopbop

The bread-and-butter of a winter wardrobe is outerwear. After all, it's the item you simply can't leave your apartment without when temperatures are low. Depending on where you live, outerwear may remain a long-time seasonal staple being almost as important as your morning coffee. That being said, choosing a piece that you'll love is even more important.

When outerwear comes to mind, the body-hugging peacoat or bulky duffle coat may be considered the go-to choice. Though these two keep us warm to a certain degree, what option do we have when the temperatures get extreme? 

Enter the parka, the supreme of outerwear. This utilitarian layer has undergone a transformation over the last several decades. Though it was invented in Canada to insulate hunters and kayakers, it's now a full-on fashion staple—one that also happens to keep you nice and toasty. Though it's still meant to endure the great outdoors, the well-insulated garment has evolved into something greater. Ahead, discover the different parka jacket trends happening right now.

Classic Cargo Green

A cargo-green parka is the essential neutral that says a lot without doing too much. It's a timeless color that can be effortlessly modernized with subtle design details. 

Clean Khaki

Who said the colder months have to be gloomy? A light khaki color feels fresh and versatile, which makes it a chic route if you're in the market for a new parka.

Dark Neutrals

If you need something that will literally go with everything in your closet, a neutral-colored parka in a dark hue is a smart choice.

Powdery Pastels

A milky pastel feels right for winter's most frigid months. Consider one of these pale-pink or baby-blue options for your cold-weather wardrobe.

Bold and Playful

Whether color-blocked, patterned, or perhaps textured, if you're looking to jazz up your winter wardrobe, reach for one of these playful parkas.

Up next, 11 fresh ways to wear a trench coat right now.

This post was published previously and has since been updated by Isiah Magsino.

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Nicole Kliest
Freelance Contributor

Nicole Kliest is a freelance writer and editor based in New York City who focuses on fashion, travel, food, wine, and pretty much anything else that's amusing to write about. After graduating from Pepperdine University with a bachelor's in journalism and creative writing, she started her career back in 2010 as Who What Wear's photo editor and throughout the last decade has contributed to publications including Fashionista, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, The Zoe Report, PopSugar, Fodor's Travel, and several others. She also copywrites and has worked with clients such as Frame, Sea, 3x1, Intelligentsia, and others to develop brand voices through storytelling and creative marketing. She's very passionate about the ways we can improve our sustainability efforts in the fashion industry as well as cultivating content that's diverse and inclusive of all people. When she's not checking out the latest restaurant opening in her West Village neighborhood or riding her bicycle along the West Side Highway, she can be found scheming her next trip somewhere around the world. (Up next is Vienna.)