My experience is these are fine but are not super warm.
If you live in a warm weather climate, your Costco probably carries winter gear for yours type of winter. Check the temps the clothes are rated for.
But really, I’d wait. Let your kid see what others in his Chicago school are using.
My wife (who tends to feel cold) wears her Uniqlo down jacket all the time. It’s one of her favorite items of clothing, in large part because it’s trim, not bulky. But it would not be her only winter coat in Chicago. When it gets really cold in the winter, she wears it as a layer under a warmer coat. (Usually also a stylish coat, but she’s an adult who likes to dress well, not a college kid.)
My daughter, who abhors the look of down, has worn the same half-length washed-wool coat as her main winter coat from high school in Philadelphia to college at Chicago to a decade in NYC. What varies is how many layers she wears under it. Similarly with my son, who has lived in Chicago for 12 years now – he wears a substantial leather jacket he thinks makes him look cool, with layers underneath. Some kind of knit hat is important for when it gets cold enough, even for someone who hates hats, and warm gloves. (But kids really like the finger-free kind so they can continue to use their phones.)
If you are looking at brands, I would think more about Underarmor or Icebreaker than Canada Goose. And anything with Gore-Tex is your friend. I wear hiking boots with Gore-Tex in the winter. My kids don’t, though. I don’t think my son owns any boots per se. My daughter has a couple pairs of boots she wears for looks more than for snow protection. Again, it’s the layers underneath that matter – in her case I think some REI boot-liners.
I’ve seen Ugg boots on campus and my daughter has a pair. They can really take a beating from all the salt, however, assuming that Chicago is still salting roads and walkways in the winter time.
@JBStillFlying The City may not spray salt on the road at Washington Park or Englewood but they do it in Hyde Park. And University for sure does that on campus.
Chicago actually does a great job at salting. Uggs are not great as a winter boot even though tons of people wear them. Great advice about layering @jhs. That is actually the Chicago trick and what is it with boys and not wearing boots. My son finally wore his timberland hiking boots during the polar vortex and after that. Otherwise it’s just gym shoes mostly.
We live in the Midwest and my kids and their friends are fairly anti CG due to the use of coyote fur. We have coyotes in our area and wouldn’t think of wearing them. Wealthy Asian students seem to be a big CG demographic.
Sorel boots are good…and warm…and come in a variety of styles.
Sorel boots are good. I know people like the LL Bean boots but others say they are not good on ice.
Sorel boots are very well made and are very warm. I’ve had a pair forever…they just don’t wear out. Lots of nice choices of styles now (which wasn’t the case when I bought mine back in the Stone Age). They are great in the snow.
^ A pair of waterproof boots might come in handy for the occasional excursion out onto the Midway for Winter fun, but do keep in mind that Hyde Park isn’t Vail or Park City. It’s cold and ice more than snow that will prompt a student to want a pair of boots. Most walkways will be kept clear so no one will be navigating through several feet of snow to get to class. Ice, on the other hand, can cause severe injuries and isn’t always visible. You want the boots to be able to handle ice.
Top brands will last forever, but there are perfectly decent options at the big box stores that won’t be as expensive and will last awhile as well. During our seven years in Hyde Park, we never needed heavy winter boots, except for maybe one time when we decided to walk to the Med during a major blizzard. Place was open, too. Nowadays most restaurants and retail establishments will close in anticipation of Snowmageddon.
For under the boots or just to keep the feet warm (if that’s a challenge in cold temps), you can usually purchase a set of socks that will be some sort of wool blend - I’ve found them at both Costco and Sam’s for not very much. Wool is a great winter material. SmartWool is a higher-end, lighter version for winter athletes and can be found at REI.
The most important thing to know is that if you cover your head and hands in severe cold, you will be a lot warmer than if you don’t. Those who don’t like hats might consider ear muffs or a fleece headband of some sort. Both work pretty well.
I remember the first request my DD had after getting to UChicago was for a pair of rain boots.
^ My D also asked if she could purchase a pair of rain boots.
“My daughter thinks that CG is simply too problematic for a university campus. The probability of it getting stolen whenever you take it off in a public place is not small.”
D1 had her Canada Goose jacket stolen. She bought a less expensive very similar jacket and has had it for years now.
D2 actually went to Canada for undergrad. They had a good selection of appropriate winter gear for sale in stores relatively near campus. I am sure that there will be lots of stores in Chicago that will have a good selection. They are likely to have a better selection than you will get in a warmer part of the US.
For the really cold days, I like light silk gloves to wear under my warm mittens. I don’t wear the silk gloves very often, and because of this have had them for years.
I tend to buy my winter coats in Texas because I can buy them very inexpensively! It cracks me up how department stores down there order a ton of them and then have to put all of them on sale.
As I’ve been reading through this thread, I’ve realized S already has basics from his ski gear, ie boots, gloves, hats etc. He does need a coat, everyday long pants, layering sweaters etc. but that can wait until we get there.
Thanks for all of the suggestions - keep 'em coming!
If he has a ski jacket he is probably OK… BTW… Can use sweaters, sweat shirts under that if needed. In my area of Chicago I see college kids running in shorts and t-shirts in the winter.
Canada Goose, like most “luxury” brands, is something of a scam - you can get a coat that’s just as good for $200 (way less if you have the time/energy/inclination to hunt for bargains), and a coat that’s marginally less warm but perfectly adequate in Chicago for $50. I’ve gotten through three winters (including this year’s polar vortex on steroids) with an old ski jacket that cost about $70. At the height of the polar vortex I layered it with a free jacket from my dojo, which was free for members and cost them maybe $20.
Buying a CG means paying $200 for the coat and $500+ for the logo, and plenty of students will judge people for spending $500 on a logo (setting aside the animal rights and theft angles).
Jeans will be fine as everyday long pants for about 10 months a year. I’ve made them work for 12, but that comes down to how OK people are with feeling cool for a few minutes as they cross the quad. Having two legs and ten toes is overrated anyway.
"Having two legs and ten toes is overrated anyway. "
Any fewer than ten toes and he won’t be able to count properly!
Be nice, he is your son! ?
@momo2x2018 - sounds like getting frostbite could compromise his learning. Make sure he gets a set of those wool-blend socks I posted about upthread.