I was born and raised in the LA area and went to UCSD for a year. I am super excited to be transferring to Smith College next year, but of course, I’m very underprepared for the weather there.
Where should I buy my winter clothes? Should I wait until I get to the East Coast? Jackets/boots are quite expensive, does anyone have advice on how to save money when purchasing winter clothes?
Thanks for any help you can provide!
We are also in California. I don’t know how many stores of any size are near Smith. My daughter was at Boston University in Boston. Think about how you are going to transport your things to Boston–Southwest gives you two free suitcases checked per person, so that helps. Girls tend to have a ton more stuff than boys. Still, you’ll have to get pillows, blankets, clothes, etc. to Boston. I found a lot of things online, such as winter boots. I would not wait until past about August 1 or so to buy coats, as those things just get more expensive as the cold weather approaches.
A good time to buy winter clothes is during the spring when stores are transitioning to the summer stuff.
You may want to wait until you get to campus to see what people are wearing. You can order online. With that said, insulated boots from ll bean are a good bet. Patagonia, ll bean, rei almost always have winter parkas for sale in the summer. The north face ones with detachable liners were popular with boys. This question has been answered on the prep school thread a couple of times, so you may get some good ideas there.
Take a look at Lands End, especially for winter coats. Phrases like “fleece lined” are your friend! https://www.landsend.com/products/mens-outrigger-fleece-lined-jacket/id_305930?sku_0=::O57 (sorry, I can’t tell whether you’re male or female. By around August or so, you should start to see their winter stuff coming out.
You’ll need: winter coat, hat, waterproof gloves or mittens (mittens are warmer.) and winter snow boots–https://www.landsend.com/products/womens-drift-snow-boots/id_302783?sku_0=::CLN --(Snow will KILL your Uggs!)
Beyond that, think layers… a cotton turtleneck under a fleece shirt is pretty warm. Right now, theLands End site has a discount code up: 20% off one item.
Amazon, JC PEnney, all those online retailers can help you find the things you need. And google “sale…” or “overstock…” or “discount coupon code” for the things you want.
Our daughter went from So. Calif. to Boston for school and then later transferred to Penn State. She waited to move there before buying clothes. It worked out well as that way she was able to see what everyone wore, and also her roommates took her out shopping to help her get what she needed. She found that for her it worked well to use layers to stay warm. She bought some things in local stores but got her boots on-line once she figured out what she wanted. The less you have to transport when you move there the better, and winter clothing takes up a lot of room. When she moved there the first time, I went to a thrift store and bought a cheap suitcase for me to check.Then I just used a carry-on for my things, let her pack my cheap checked bag as well as her checked bags, and then just left the cheap suitcase at a thrift store there. She was able to get all of her things there without shipping anything that way.
Other suggestions for clothes and books include Talbots, LL Bean, 6 pm, and stores in Mass. On Amazon, get Gatorade or a comparable brand. Pretty much all can be bought in the East. However, the above stores and Amazon can ship. 're Amazon, do get prime membership.
Thank you so much, all of this information is very helpful!
Hello again. Gatorade is not what I meant. All people facing snow, ice and slippery sidewalks need yaktraks or a similar product. I keep a set in my car in case the weather makes walking a hazard. They are available at Amazon n different colors and prices. Z
Hahaha! @zannah I was cracking up about the Gatorade. I live in NY and I was like “wait a minute, am I missing something? Why do I need Gatorade in NY during the winter?”
My kid goes to college in Maine and we waited until October to get her winter coat, and there was a ton of good selection. But, we ended up getting a fantastic deal on the previous season coat from LL Bean outlet. Down jacket, under $100. So I suggest looking now at the clearance racks in stores or on line for good deals. Frankly, as far as winter clothing goes, there isn’t a lot of style. It’s about staying warm. You need a good thick wooly hat, gloves (personally love Isotoner) and a very good winter coat/jacket. Not a long wool coat like people wear over suits. A parka basically. There is definitely shoe style though at some colleges. My kid has Doc Marten’s, a good pair of hiking boots, and Uggs. You don’t need three pairs of course. She wore her hiking boots the most during the winter. Good traction is helpful.
Growing up in Colorado and living in Maine for years, I now how to dress warmly. Did you daughter ever use plastic trash bags to keep warm and dry? Good attire for outdoor football games and such. It’s hard to be fashionable when attire makes you look like something between a yeti and the Michelin Man.
I’d buy some things online now when they are on clearance…wool socks, vest from Northface or the like, scarves, hats, long johns for tubing and snowplay, flannel PJs, maybe even winter boots and moc slippers (I like LLBean but D found both that she preferred at Kohls, go figure). Once she gets there I’d give her a budget to supplement those things by purchasing online once she finds out what everyone is wearing. Northhampton isn’t really cold like upstate NY or VT but cold enough for layers and usually enough snow for winter boots. She will certainly need several pairs of gloves and a few scarves…these I would just get on clearance online anywhere they are available right now.
Don’t buy too many scarves. Knitting clubs are really popular. My D ended up joining the knitting club at college and knitted herself a gorgeous winter scarf. Give it a try!
There are clothing stores in Northampton. Boutiques, vintage, all kinds of cool little places. Nearby - you will have a bus pass so it’s free - there’s also Target, Old Navy, Walmart, Goodwill, and higher end stores. You will find clothes. Then there’s Amazon and the rest of the internet if you need more.
It gets cold there and it snows but unless you are playing in it or doing a sport in it or walking into town, waiting for a bus or whatever, you’re basically walking from dorm to dining to class and actually dining is in dorms there I think. You may find yourself throwing on a sweatshirt a lot of the time, no matter how cold it is outside, because you’re only outside for a few minutes
I wouldn’t minimize the cold for someone coming from CA. I moved from CA to RI a number of years ago and it’s a shock to the system. And other than a ski trip, my time outside in the dead of winter was walking the dog the minimum required time and walking from a parking lot to a classroom each day.
That said, OP you will love the Fall and you will adapt to the cold with the right clothes. You are asking the right question!
I like being outside in winter. I walk with friends all winter long. If the thermometer is too close to 10 degrees though, I won’t walk in that. My nose hairs start freezing! And if you breathe through your mouth, your teeth hurt. Yes, it gets that cold. The above post is right, don’t underestimate how cold it can get.
Re gloves, you need lined gloves, no dainty leather things. I wear thick leather lined with lambs wool. Ski gloves are impractical for day to day, though they are useful if you think you will be hitting the slopes, which you may well do. I advise getting a winter coat that can do double duty on the slopes. Winter sports are popular, and ski gear is VERY expensive.
@Lindagaf Funny how knitting is coming back, my D is also in the knitting club and has made a few cute things this past year 
I like pepper skins thermal underwear. They come in different ratings. I used them for cold days at work and for skiing. I would use lighter ones for work because the internal temp of the building matters. Don’t buy cotton thermal underwear.
Get a quality fleece as well, at least Northface. Patagonia and Marmot are a step up in quality but also a big step up in price but a coat or fleece will last you four years or more. REI’s generic fleeces are OK but i don’t think in the same ballpark.
Don’t wait to get your Bean boots! They are usually backordered by several months. There’s usually a promotion with free shipping both ways, so we tend to order multiple sizes and return what doesn’t fit.
My daughters think the unlined ones are plenty warm, and comfortable enough to be warn all day. We cannot recommend them highly enough. You’ll see tons of them at Smith.
Lots of good ideas posted! Here is a well known outlet store for outdoorsy clothing, shoes, boots, and accessories: http://www.sierratradingpost.com. They get new items constantly so check often, they have some great deals. One thing I didn’t see mentioned was a good rain jacket - and I saw several good ones on the store link I included. I agree with the poster that said that you may not need to get bundled up like Randy from “A Christmas Story” very often, but I think being prepared for bad weather or snow outings is a good idea (good snow boots - hiking boots will do but need to be waterproof, wool socks, warm gloves, hats, long underwear, etc). Agree with LL Bean and Land’s End for warm winter coats that will last for years. I have actually seen great winter boot bargains at Ross - very good brands like Sorel (best snow boot made IMO). They probably have a Ross store near Smith and you have a couple of months after you get there to look for bargains. Otherwise, LLBean and Land’s End have good boots too. Get the best quality you can afford - I’m a forester and I have jackets and boots that are over a decade old that are still in fine shape and keep me very warm. Good luck to you next year!