This is a nice, lightweight jacket that I would classify as a "windbreaker."  Lack of a hood means it won't hold up as a rain jacket (at least not in rainy Seattle) but good for windy days when you need some kind of shell. My wife got this a little bigger than she would normally wear so it would go over a sweater, as the jacket doesn't provide much warmth on its own. But she likes the look and fit, and will get a lot of use out of this.