Examined sizing a bit more closely. Compared to other North Face jackets/parkas, sleeve lengths here accelerate more noticeably than internal roominess as you go up each size. (Remember that it's designed for snow sports, where a long sleeve/glove overlap helps keep out the white stuff.)

If you'll be wearing this mostly with a light underlayer (like 200 fleece), go for your own size.

For bulkier underlayers (like a North Face Denali fleece, or a down vest), go one size larger. The sleeves will be long, but their Velcro cuffs help control them.

I normally wear M, and the Decagon M fit perfectly over a 200 fleece. But with a Denali (M or L), zip-up and movement both felt tight.

A Decagon L feels ample, looks better, and provides a couple of extra inches of rain protection. UnVelcro'ed, the sleeves fall down to my fingertips, but their material has enough heft that the cuffs stay out of my way while biking.

WARM! Like a serious wool sweater of similar heft. (Polartec 300 means heavier and bulkier fabric than your normal fleece jacket.) Includes four zippered pockets in convenient places; hem drawstring; and pit zips.

Consider the hooded version, which costs the same (both marked down from $160), and adds warmth with negligible weight. Hood fits snugly (not oversized/floppy), so looks good up or down.

Sizes fit as expected. Go one size up if you want room for a thick inner layer: the sleeves will be a bit long, but the cuffs have enough elastic to keep them off your hands.

To wear this to work/etc. without looking "technical," choose a color with low contrast between the nylon-shell apron and the fleece. "Deep Water Blue," Black, and "Anchorage Green" looked best in store try-on's. Brown-on-brown looks like a scout's uniform. (I bought *hooded* brown, which has a black shell and looks great.) Gray and other high-contrast colors scream "outdoorsman," if that's what you want.

Backcountry had the lowest price on this. Checkout was painless, and free shipping to CA was trackable and fast.

WARM! Like a serious wool sweater of similar heft. (Polartec 300 means heavier and bulkier fabric than your normal fleece jacket.) Includes four zippered pockets in convenient places; drawstrings for hem and hood; and pit zips.

Hooded version costs same as hoodless (both marked down from $160), adding warmth with negligible weight. Fits snugly (not oversized/floppy), so looks good up or down.

Sizes fit as expected. Go one size up if you want room for a thick inner layer: the sleeves will be a bit long, but the cuffs have enough elastic to keep them off your hands.

Dark colors (black, brown, blue) are most versatile if you want to wear this to work/etc. without looking highly technical. The nylon-shell apron is black, which looks high-contrast against gray fleece.

Backcountry had the lowest price on this. Checkout was painless, and free shipping to CA was fast.

First impressions (about features -- will post later about how it holds up):

Mid-weight (~1.5 lbs.?) parka, designed for snowboarding and downhill skiing. Or so North Face thinks. I bought it to back up my best parka purchase ever, a 10+-year-old REI Gore-Tex parka that's no longer made (and irreplaceable).

Unlike that lighter REI parka, I wouldn't use this as a raincoat for warm-weather biking or hiking. But it seems fine as an all-purpose rain/wind parka for cool-weather use. On 20-degree (F) and colder days, my REI parka keeps me warm with just a sweater and scarf underneath. This should be at least as toasty.

Reasons for choosing the Decagon:
1) Sturdy 3-layer construction. Has a durable woven-nylon outer shell, and a full liner. The liner should delay the middle, waterproof HyVent layer from delaminating. (We have four unlined, ultra-light, low-cost "HyVent 2.5-layer" shells from The North Face Outlet. Two have started to delaminate, after giving good service: The inner layer is flaking right off. Although interestingly, they still keep out the rain. The other two are in reserve.)

2) Pockets -- lots of 'em, outside and inside. These days, you can either get Gore-Tex or you can get pockets. Here's what the Decagon offers: Side handwarmer pockets with fleece lining, zippers, and Velcro'ed flaps. Two breast pockets, with Velcro'ed top flaps. Diagonal pocket on left sleeve, with similar flap. Vertical-zip pocket behind left breast pocket, designed for an MP3 player (has headphone port), but also handy for phone, camera, or subway/bus pass. Padded pocket on inside right, clearly designed for phone or camera. Kangaroo-pouch pocket on inside left, designed for goggles, but large enough to keep a book or newspaper out of rain.

These parkas are sized generously -- in both length and shoulder/chest width. I wear M, but normally upsize rainwear to L to get extra length and to accommodate inner layers. But the Decagon's M and L both seemed to fit me equally well.

About the mystery "thermal" lining: There's a very thin layer of fleece around your upper torso -- chest, neck, and back, but not underarms (where there are pit zips). This seems designed more for smooth/cushy feel, and durability, than for extreme warmth.

The snow skirt is a minor nuisance if you're not using this for downhill snowsports: It includes a serious elastic, so it adds a bit of weight and bulk.