Spring calls for a coat that withstands the wet weather and still has a bit of warmth. And as effective at keeping you dry as the “I’m just about to go hiking in my gortex” look is, ideally it’s nice if you can add a soupcon of more urban rainproof style into the mix. Which is just what the newest mum-friendly (though arguably not the white version) coat on the block – the Gaby from Sunice – does.

Sunice was born in Calgary in 1976 as a skiwear producer, they then expanded into golf and they were an official supplier for both the 1988 Calgary Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.  But they’re recently added stylish active wear, like the Gaby, into the line. The Gaby is waterproof but breathable, with pockets, articulated (ie. narrow) sleeves and full hood and it comes in red, white and black, with more colours coming in early fall 2011.

We love that it keeps you dry without making you sweaty and it’s the perfect length, almost hitting the knee. The fitted style is flattering while still loose enough to allow you to wear a light sweater underneath. And it’s machine washable and hang dryable, which is key when you’ve got kids. Or when you choose the white version, which we did but which we’d probably not do again, as we love the look of the white but dirty white not so much.

The narrow sleeves are designed to give you better freedom of movement and they keep you warmer as cool wind can’t blow up them, but they are quite fitted and, in some of our tester’s cases, a bit too tight. We, and other testers, have also found the double zip a bit tetchy sometimes but we’re getting the hang of it.

And what we love best about almost knee-length coats is that it doesn’t matter what you’re wearing underneath, you’ll always look tidy and pulled together once your coat’s on. And if you paired it with a knee-high set of wellies you could probably get away with wearing your jammies underneath with no one the wiser.

Sunice Gaby Coat: www.sunice.com

Yo, mama! Need spring rain gear for your tots too? Then you might like to suit them up in the following:

• Hatley PVC-free raingear
• Puddlegear
• Lettuce Bee