Jacket for a beginner

[Woodswalker]

Pick one that seems reasonable, try it out, see what happens, and adjust accordingly.
It shouldn't be that complicated.

[nartreb]

I'm a big fan of real down. It's more expensive, but it's light and it compresses easily. (The one drawback is that it doesn't perform when wet, and doesn't dry quickly.) Don't skimp on warmth when you're climbing. There will be times when you are forced to stop moving, and you need to be able to throw on something extra warm, quickly.

Expect the climate in the Alps to be cooler than in the southern Carpathians, even at equal altitudes.