<p>My D will most probably be going to Williams. I'm in the south and my D has been here all her life. Where do you go to get reasonably priced cold weather clothes? Do I just shop on-line at LL Bean and REI? Do we wait for her to get to Williams and are there affordable places to shop there? All we have are tank tops in the stores now.</p>
<p>My D is at the “other” purple school down the road, and from your screen name I am assuming we might be in the same vicinity? When my D went there freshman year, we waited till she got there so she could see what the fashion was, and what was needed. She did get alot of her things online, but I also watched for sales here in Atlanta and sent the stuff up to her. Her best bet is to ask her new roommate/friends for guidance on shopping matters.</p>
<p>Good advise. I’m actually in NC. Then I won’t worry about it till she gets there. Her best friend will be going to that “other” school as well. Maybe they can get together and shop.</p>
<p>As far as Wiliamstown is concerned, there aren’t too many reasonably priced places. We have a great tag sale every September, and a lot of people get coats and fleeces in really good condition from there. If you want to spend more, there’s a free college shuttle to the Berkshire Mall which has Macy’s, JC Penney, Target, Jones NY, and a few other places.</p>
<p>I’d recommend against the standard black Northface fleece because people pick up the wrong ones all the time. If she feels more comfortable having what is most common, that would be it though. My daughter operates in the other direction so it depends on the kid.</p>
<p>It’s a good time to shop online sales for winter gear. Check out the overstock section at Lands End. Again it depends on the kid but it seems like a college students barely feel the cold.</p>
<p>A few basic things she will need.</p>
<p>Cute rubber rain boots, my D likes the fleece lined ones. They are a must have for not ruining other shoes/boots during rain/slushy snow. She will need some Under Armour garments, although my D has found Nike to be just as good and cheaper. For socks, get some Under Armour type for warmth as well as they are thin and quick drying. Coats, she will need a variety for all ofthe different weather. My D loves her pea coat for winter cold as it comes down over the hips. Of course, fleece of any kind (Northface, etc.) are always great. My D has a nylon shell jacket with a removable fleece lining that does double duty for rain and colder weather. Hoodies are pretty much a staple in wardrobes it seems. Add hats, scarves and gloves and she is set for the cold. The money outlay was pretty substantial Freshman year, but only had to add a few pieces this year.</p>
<p>S likes pea coat too.</p>
<p>Those are great suggestion. I’ll start looking at the overstock stuff on-line. The red tag sale looks like a great option too. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>We got the pea coat on line on a tremendous sale. S said he didn’t want it (had an ugly, ratty nylon thing and a nice leather jacket) but I bought it anyway, and in the winter months I rarely see him out of it.</p>
<p>Smartbargains.com works too, and I think I got the pea coat from a big Macy’s on line sale.</p>
<p>Warm gloves, socks, and hats are a must. Sweaters, of course, and for most kids, I think that’s enough.</p>
<p>Sweaters that are easy to care for are popular for layering. They will be doing their own laundry so we kept the dry clean only stuff at home. There is a Dick’s Sporting Goods store near the Berkshire Mall and we got some fleece items there during one visit - [Dick’s</a> Sporting Goods - Every Season Starts At Dick’s - Official Site.](<a href=“http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/]Dick’s”>http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/) You might find some clearance buys. Sturdy footwear that is waterproofed is important. I sprayed a few items with waterproofing before our son left, out of habit from years of his camping ‘adventures’ in the rain. Gloves that can be shoved into coat pockets and long scarves are fashionable and nice when walking on a windy day. And as others have mentioned, Land’s End and LL Bean websites might be helpful. There is a relatively new store on Spring Street that sells some items; I saw some North Face in the window last time we were there.</p>
<p>I would strongly recommend against shopping for <em>anything</em> in Williamstown, especially on Spring Street. It’s ridiculously expensive. Drive a few miles and you’ll probably find the same thing at a significantly lower price.</p>