In the battle to beat the cold Canadian winter, we often turn to the Parka as our secret weapon. It's warm, dependable, but not always stylish.

That changed in the late 1950's, when the humble parka made it into the pages of Vogue Magazine. And now the once homely parka is a regular on fall/winter runways of the world - becoming a fashionable cold weather staple.

The high quality outerwear market in Canada has exploded over the past few years - initially dominated by over 50-year-old company Canada Goose and more recently joined by Toronto-based company Moose Knuckles.

"Now there's a new entry in the race to become the next "It" parka -- the Company of Adventurers." But this "new" company actually has some very deep roots.  The COA line of extreme weather wear is created by Caulfield Apparel Group, a Canadian company that was founded in Toronto in 1886. And Company of Adventurers appears on the original charter of the Hudson's Bay Company.

This new line of sportswear meets fashion, is inspired by the legends and stories of the original Canadian explorers.  COA held a media launch in Toronto recently, with Canadian, contemporary artist Charles Pachter in attendance. Set in a rustic, cozy, natural-wood walled, loft space, with skates, snow boards and skis... these warm, fur-lined parkas, sweaters, and jackets seemed right at home.  

Beautiful rosy-cheeked models looked like they just stepped off a ski hill, about to head into the Chalet.  I wanted to wrap myself in a scarf and fur-lined jacket, and hit the hills, even though I haven't skied since I suffered a concussion at Blue Mountain when I was 14-years-old.  So if the point of the launch was to get us excited about winter again, mission accomplished.

The quest for the perfect parka is not entirely a Canadian one, but when you live in a country where you spend several months of the year trying to look cool when you are, well, cold, it's a question of survival AND style.

Now there's another choice - and options are a fashionista's best friend.