Moose Knuckles is a Canadian brand that started in 2009 with a passion to "make the leanest, toughest and most luxurious sportswear in the world." They've made waves internationally since then and are now available world-wide. The Moose Knuckles brand is without a doubt a luxury brand and can be found in high-end retailers such as Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. When it comes to most luxury brands, consumers are often shelling out the big bucks for the name and prestige. Such isn't the case with Moose Knuckles. Their brand is a perfect ménage-à- trois between style, functionality, and quality.

About The Topland

The Topland, at $1950 USD, is one of the most expensive men's parka Moose Knuckles has available at the moment on their website, and for good reasons. Seeing photos of the Topland might not do it justice. During our review, taking the parka out of the box for the first time was quite an experience at the office. The raccoon fur is absolutely astonishing in person and it's hard not to notice. The combination of tough poly-twill materials used for the shell, soft rex rabbit fur for the lining, and raccoon fur for on the hood makes for a unique and undeniably exquisite look that's unlike anything we've ever seen.

First Impression

Standing out is something Moose Knuckles as a company happens to excel in. We've reviewed another parka from them previously and had similar first impression. Although in many parts of the US East coast, the brand isn't as recognizable as other Canadian brands, it still stands out from the crowd. At first glace, it looks sturdy, well made, and can probably take a beating from wear and tear. The material is flexible and surprisingly soft given how stiff the texture looks. Although we haven't tested it, Moose Knuckles claims it's water and weather resistant.The interior rex rabbit fur feels silky soft against your skin and also looks nice when worn unzipped. The raccoon striped fur around the hood is hard to miss. It's significantly bigger, fluffier, and more "luxurious" looking than most other comparable parkas.

Functional Features

We appreciate it when brands pay attention to the little details that make their product easy to use and functional. And the Topland comes standard with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a parka that's setting you back almost $2K USD.YKK Zippers: The Topland comes equipped with large metal YKK zippers on the front to ensure it'll hold up for years to come. Surprisingly, the side pockets also have heavy duty  YKK zippers.Water and wind resistant shell: You'll always have the peace of mind that you'll be fine rain or shine.Rib knit cuffs: The elastic rib knit cuffs are unique on the Topland. Most rib cuffs are simply sewed on at the end. Here, it's connected to a separate sleeve that's attached somewhere halfway up the arm. The sleeve that's attached to the cuff has it's own insulation, in addition to the insulation on the arm. We've never seen anything like it, hopefully the pictures will explain it better. It may sound bulky, but it actually gives you a lot of mobility and flexibility while wearing it. All the while preventing cold air from entering the wrists.Expandable wrist zipper: In case you have enormous forearm or need extra mobility, there's a zipper that gives your arm a bit more real estate.Adjustable tail: The parka can sit quite low, so Moose Knuckles added buttons on the tail wings so you can fold them up.Fur where it matters: This isn't much of a feature, but something we appreciate. The rex rabbit fur goes all the way up to your neck. So when you fully zip up the parka, your face is nicely insulated with luxurious soft rabbit fur. We're glad they went the extra mile and thought of their user's comfort.Adjustable hood: The hood is quite massive. And will likely sit over your eyes if it weren't for the adjustable straps on the back.Badge of authenticity: Not a useful feature, but definitely a unique feature. Inside, there's a "trippy" tag that verifies what you have, is the authentic Topland and not a cheap Chinese knockoffs.

The Fit And Feel

Usually when buying coats or jackets, you're inclined to buy something slightly larger so you can layer up. The Topland is slightly larger than your normal size. So we recommend buying the exact size you'd buy if it were a t-shirt. Our model normally wears a large, and he fit perfectly into the Medium.The Topland is by no means a light jacket. It definitely has a bit of weight to it, and that's to be expected given what it's made of. But the weight was hardly noticeable. Despite wearing only a thin t-shirt underneath, I felt toasty walking around the streets of Philadelphia in 18 degrees weather. We don't have very extreme weather around here, but given how comfortable and warm it kept me, I'm confident it can handle harsh Canadian winters and worse.

The Swag

We don't normally have a section for "swag", but this is an exception. I'm a ordinary looking white Caucasian male. And I don't normally get compliments or looks when I'm walking around Center City Philly. In order to review the Topland, I had to do a mandatory walk-of-fame around Center City and I recorded all the reactions and comments. They are some of my favorites:"Hey I'm sorry to bother, do you mind if I ask where you got the jacket?""Yo, what the F$%^ is he wearing?" (this one can be either good or bad)"Oh my god is that raccoon fur?!"And my favorite..."My Ni**a, that's different fam. I like it."I think it goes without saying that wearing the Topland (or any Moose Knuckles product for that matter) will get you a lot of attention. I don't know that will hold true in other cities, but in Philadelphia (one of the top 10 largest city in U.S.A) I can't cross the street without someone eyeing me.

The Verdict

It's fairly reserved compared to some of the other Moose Knuckles' items, but even then it still stands out. We believe this is an absolute buy and a rare luxury item that's well worth the price. You're not just buying an expensive parka for the sake of the brand. You're getting a highly functional and well made parka that both looks good and can stand up to harsh winters of Michigan and Canada. Not to mention Moose Knuckles product tends to retain their value fairly well. Overall, we believe the Topland men's parka is a unique luxury item that exceeds your expectation and worth every penny.

The internet has done a lot to disrupt culture.  Once upon a time, styles, techniques, communities and information were only as transmutable as cable TV and word of mouth.  When compared to the rate of change we see today, the evolution of content has moved from a slow creep to nearing light speed.  Ten years ago the lifetime of any trend in humor could last months, and before that years.  These days, you see a popular meme "break the internet" but one week later a new one is there to take it's place.Imagine if Charlie Chaplin had risen to fame in this day and age through the vehicle of The Meme.  Would he still be as iconic?  As immortal?I spoke with Steven Lee... also known as "I'm Fat Let's Party" Guy.  Steven's meme has been sported on the front page of reddit twice and has garnered over 400k in likes and shares on social media within the first hours of being posted.  As it happens, Steven and I actually went to the same schools growing up.  However I am jealous because I cannot say that I grew up to be a world-class meme.  I got the chance to speak with him about Memeology.  Here's what he had to say:

Ken Butler is your quintessential Williamsburg creative.  What exactly makes art, art?  What makes music, music? With a studio in Brooklyn and an artistic sense that is difficult to categorize, he blurs the lines between the two.  Ken creates functional instruments from found objects.  Some pieces are as large, if not larger, than a grand piano, and others are as small as a key. In a manner that pays homage to Frankenstein, Ken takes old and forgotten items, repurposes them, and gives them voice.  He was kind enough to welcome me into his badass studio. Being a person with deep respect for both art and music, I found myself profoundly fascinated while surrounded by his creations.  Here's some things I learned while we hung out:

Do you consider yourself more of an artist or a musician?

I am an artist first.  I used to mainly be a painter.  Back then I was slightly OCD.  As I experimented with the sculpture of instruments, I fell in love not with my creation's ability to make music, but from its transformation from trash into functional poetic art.

Do you ever create instruments for musicians?

I often get requests but I don't really do it.  My pieces are meant more to be shown, not played.  Often times when a real musician will try one of my pieces, they'll complain about how it's difficult to keep tuned.  And I always tell them that's not the point! The beauty is in the poetry of it's transformation, not in its utility as an instrument.  When it comes to playability, expectations should be fairly low for found instruments.

How did you come up with this concept?

I found an old axe one day and thought it would make a cool string instrument!  I am a total "noodle-head".  As a classic "Jack of all trades, master of none" I always found myself drawn to creative stuff but never really being an expert in any of it.  I think creating hybrid instruments was the byproduct of having this kind of mind.

Do you prefer playing your hybrid instruments to classic instruments?

Hell no! Classic instruments are beautiful, refined, time-tested things.  They are popular for a reason.  If I were stranded on a desert island and someone told me I could only bring one instrument, I would bring a classic guitar.

Are you working on any cool new hybrids now?

To be honest I don't create many hybrid instruments anymore.  There once was a time when all I did was churn out work like crazy, but I don't do that so much anymore.

Why?

Well, in 2007 I had liver cancer.  I underwent a transplant and realized that like most of my creations, I was a hybrid as well.  Almost dying hit me like a brick wall and honestly it lessened my desire for validation as an artist.  I realized that the true value was in the "making"... not in the expectation of selling the pieces that I have done.

Want to see one of of his badass creations?  Check out this Hybrid Piano:

This piano plucks a string under the keyboard using a spinning bicycle wheel.  When a key is pressed it changes the pitch of the plucking sound.