<p>I want to get my son a really nice, warm jacket for Christmas that he can use when he goes to college next year. We're in Texas so he'll be lucky if he wears it maybe 4 or 5 times the whole winter here, but I want to get something that he could wear here but would be warm enough should he go to Washington state or Iowa or Colorado (not likely but a possibility). Price range is under $300.</p>
<p>I'm looking at Columbia Titanium and North Face Triclimate. Spyder jackets are really, really cool but probably out of my price range.</p>
<p>My question is: are these jackets popular with college students? My son is into cool stuff but not necessarily designer brands. But I do want to get something that will be, ya know, warm but cool. What are the popular brands on campus among the 'normal middle class' people (not counting the kids who get the most expensive everything).</p>
<p>Also, these jackets seem to come in some odd combinations of colors. I think he'd probably be happy with red or black. Are there some colors considered trendy cool, and others I should avoid?</p>
<p>Normally I would never buy any clothes for him so I could use some tips.</p>
<p>North Face, but then again you are from Texas, so the cold may not be his thing. If it is snowing out those huge puffy jackets are awesome, extremely warm too.</p>
<p>Oh wow, there are fake North Face jackets? Yikes!</p>
<p>Yes, we don't know much about cold here in Texas. It used to get down in the teens a few times every winter, but now we're lucky if it gets into the upper 20s a couple of times, thanks to global warming. The rest of the time it's maybe cool in the mornings and warm the rest of the day, usually. Still, even the 30s is cold to us, so IF he stays in Austin, on those rare occasions it might get below freezing, I want him to have a good jacket. He gets by with just a light leather jacket now, but that's not practical riding a bike on campus (in the wind and possibly rain).</p>
<p>He doesn't like those big puffy jackets, and I don't think he will going anywhere THAT cold. Maybe Washington, where it may get in the 20's or teens sometimes (so they told me). Snow sometimes, but not blizzards, I think.</p>
<p>"Yes, we don't know much about cold here in Texas. It used to get down in the teens a few times every winter, but now we're lucky if it gets into the upper 20s a couple of times, thanks to global warming. The rest of the time it's maybe cool in the mornings and warm the rest of the day, usually. Still, even the 30s is cold to us..."</p>
<p>Holy cow! Up here in Toronto tonight it's about three below zero, and should reach seven or eight below zero later on overnight. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak -- winter has barely begun. You would die in Canada.</p>
<p>Anything over thirty degrees, which we reach in the summer, is absolutely tropical to me. I sweat buckets.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone! I know he really likes Spyder cuz they look so cool, but they are out of my price range. North Face it is! And I will get one from a local retailer. I've never heard of Patagonia but I'll check it out.</p>
<p>Yeah, we're wimps down here when it comes to cold. Last week we got the only coldfront (so far) and it dipped just under freezing, and everyone was huddled in their scarves and jackets...if it ever snowed again the city would come to a halt. We might get some ice about once ever winter, and the roads shut down and everyone is advised to stay home unless absolutely necessary. Our last good snow was in 1984. It used to snow every 6 years, but no more (again, thanks to global warming, I think).</p>
<p>My son wants to go someplace where it snows. I told him some snow, yes, but he might get tired of it really quick if it's a lot.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Holy cow! Up here in Toronto tonight it's about three below zero, and should reach seven or eight below zero later on overnight. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak -- winter has barely begun. You would die in Canada.</p>
<p>Anything over thirty degrees, which we reach in the summer, is absolutely tropical to me. I sweat buckets.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Wow. It got up to 65 today (it's about 50 now). Anything below 40 is almost unheard of here (though, there is that once in a blue moon snow day every year).</p>
<p>And, if there is a mere sight of flurries we go crazy.</p>
<p>North face fleece jackets are the bomb!!! I wish they were cheaper though, and i didn't know that ebay sells fake north fleece, wowzers! i learn something new every day.</p>