<p>Can any CMU students tell me the best places to go for winter coats and boots? Any recommendations on the what to look for? We're a little clueless about such things in California.</p>
<p>mmmm, I worry about this too, I’m from TX</p>
<p>ll bean, ? Lands End</p>
<p>Lots of sales will start in fall…don’t worry about it yet…you can layer until November and be perfectly fine.</p>
<p>BOOTS however…you need those!</p>
<p>I definitely need advice on this too…what kind of boots, exactly? I have literally never seen snow in my life, so I am totally clueless about this kind of thing. I have rainboots, but that’s obviously just for rain. Is there such thing as snow boots?
I’m sorry; I’m totally clueless, so all you cold weather people will have to be patient with me ;)</p>
<p>I live near Laguna Beach, so my first winter at CMU was pretty much one huge “wow it’s freaking cold outside” moment. Late November through early March will make you re-think what you thought was freezing weather before moving to Pittsburgh. Here’s what I recommend:</p>
<p>1) GO TO HOBIE/PAC SUN/BILLABONG/URBAN OUTFITTERS/FOREVER 21 IMMEDIATELY. They are having epic sales on warm winter coats. I just nabbed a nice winter coat for $20 at Forever. Get something that’s got a nice lining on the inside, like cloth or fleece or faux-fur, but is semi waterproof on the outside. If you’re a boy, a big zip up skiing jacket seems to be considered the norm. For girls generally peacoats are the most stylish option on campus. For the love of god make sure it has a hood because sometimes the wind is freezing, and a hood will help a lot. Especially if it rains. </p>
<p>1b) Layer, layer, layer. Buy some fleece to put on under your jacket if it is especially cold. Scarves and hats and gloves too. If you’re feeling nerdy, grab one of those neck gator things that you’d wear skiing - those are warm, despite making you look like a terrorist/ninja. </p>
<p>2) If you’re looking to spend a bit more, get some under armor from North Face. It is genius stuff. You can slip it on under anything and it’ll keep you warm forever.</p>
<p>3) As for boots - get a pair of rainboots/galoshes for sure. Sometimes it rains so hard that there’s several inches of water on the ground. As I discovered too late, it is a really really bad idea to look at the gray sky and go, “Oh, it won’t be that bad of a storm” and put on some cute flats, only to have them absolutely thrashed by water a few hours later.</p>
<p>It seems like guys don’t wear rainboots on campus though. So maybe a good pair of backup sneakers for boys that are ok with getting waterlogged?</p>
<p>As for snow boots… I just had a pair of Uggs that seemed to do the trick throughout this year’s Snowmageddon. They’re nice and light with good traction and they are water durable. Again, boys seem to not care what the hell is happening outside so they just throw on hiking shoes/boots.</p>
<p>Thanks! that was really helpful
oh, and are there a lot of people that freak over the snow? I think I’ll build a snow buddy first, take pictures, and text everybody “SNOOOOOW”.</p>
<p>North face! Seattle natives need not fear rain =p</p>
<p>Thanks completelykate, that was so helpful! I have some Uggs that have already been through rain a bunch of times, and they’ve held up really well, so maybe I’ll just waterproof them again and see how that works. I will definitely start looking for winter coats ASAP!</p>
<p>lucky2010 - I completely plan to freak out like that!</p>
<p>Smiles - you will all be just fine. Wait till you get to campus, then find some sales, or order online from REI/LandsEnd/LLBean. Gloves and hats are your new best friends. Hiking boots can be good for slushy conditions.</p>
<p>Thanks Kate for the tips on current sales!</p>
<p>One of the nice things about some stores is that winter coats are temperature rated…don’t plan on 30, plan on 0 with wind chill on campus…so waterproof is absolutely essential as the hood. Thinsulate is a great fabric-- better than down – b/c you can throw the coat into the washing machine- down is dry-clean only!</p>
<p>Buy waterproof gloves too</p>
<p>Boots-- make sure the tongue is a part of the shoe so that no water can get into the boot through the tongue or holes of the laces…a one piece deal.</p>
<p>Removable liners are ESSENTIAL for a good winter boot…you take them out to dry so that no smell builds up… </p>
<p>I am partial to Timberlands…stylish and functional …hard to find this time of year…maybe ebay?
You don’t need them until possibly thanksgiving…so you can likely buy them at the HUGE shoe outlet place at the waterfront fall break weekend…don’t stress over it.</p>
<p>YOu can survive winter and even cold weather with layers. a polatec jacket, sweater and hooded wind breaker with armor-all …you’re toasty…</p>
<p>I just checked my favorite store for outerwear…
AMAZING SALE at landsend.com (some of these are hideous…but all very toasty)
Use drop down menu for women/men- outwear
They will take everything back - no questions asked…great customer service
[Women’s</a> Outerwear at Lands’ End](<a href=“Lands' End | Swimwear, Outerwear, Casual Clothing and more”>Lands' End | Swimwear, Outerwear, Casual Clothing and more)</p>
<p>DD did not wear a true winter coat until after semester break, so you do have some time.</p>
<p>Thank you, all … great info!</p>
<p>Lands’ End stuff is uniformly good. You can return things at most Sears too which makes life easier. They often heavily discount old stuff too. Also there is a ‘temperature rating’ option in their search engine.</p>
<p>-uggs are a best bet to buy. I wouldn’t recommend those plastic boots that people buy for rain b/c they don’t really keep you warm in a really cold weather.
-stylish sweaters (you don’t have to buy like really thick ones).
-leather gloves are great to buy if you are playing snowball fight or just wanna stay away from getting a cold.
-jeans are fine and normal pajamas are ok too. (it’s not really really cold but yes the winters are prolonged in Penn)
-ooh another thing are hats. Buy those ones that have like extended flaps from the sides to cover your ears.
-2-3 long coats (you know the professional black ones that are so fancied in eastern area?)</p>
<p>sounds like a chick thread so far, but for my part I didn’t have any boots or anything. yes, even in the worst blizzard in years tennis/skating shoes work. also i’m a fan of sandals in the rain just because your feet dry quickest afterwards… but maybe that’s just me being oblivious to normal logic.</p>
<p>I think the most important thing in Pittsburgh is to dress in layers. Be sure to wear something that will cut wind (fleece does not do this). Have stuff that’s easy to take on/off, since most buildings on campus are warmed pretty heavily, and heat in the dorm can be anywhere from minimal to extreme.</p>
<p>If you decide not to get boots for the winter, be sure to have a pair of shoes/sneakers that aren’t mesh on the sides. You’ll feel the wind whipping in there pretty quick, and they also tend to let in a lot more moisture when you get snow on them. I agree with bco09 about wearing sandals during the rain. Nothing sucks more than soaking wet socks, and if you’ve got a comfy pair of sandals they’ll dry off in a matter of minutes.</p>
<p>im starting to pack now because I leave pretty soon on vacation and the day after I come back, I go directly to Carnegie.</p>
<p>Before winter break, what kinds of clothes do people normally wear? Is it hot enough for tanks/shorts and tees/jeans or is it generally cold/rainy?
I’m from California and I have never been over to the East Coast so i have NO idea what to pack… and I’m afraid that I’ll pack too much for cold weather.</p>
<p>Tanks are done by mid/late September
You can stick with shorts and a sweatshirt/polatec through October with a few colder days for an in-between jacket.
The real heavy-duty winter coat will be needed December - early March
Layer in November-- but you can get an early taste of winter.
Rains alot…all seasons.</p>
<p>[Climate</a> in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania](<a href=“http://www.rssweather.com/climate/Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh/]Climate”>http://www.rssweather.com/climate/Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh/)</p>
<p>Good points, mom2012and14. A thing for the CA crowd to know - winter in the NE is mostly AFTER Christmas, not before.
Also, LandsEnd stuff can be bought at Sears - and returned there too.</p>
<p>Another good thing for the CA crowd to know is Pennsylvania doesn’t tax clothing, so if you’re living in LA you can save an automatic 10% right there.</p>
<p>Also, it’s not unusual for Pittsburgh to get snow before Christmas, so be sure to at least have some sort of warm clothes before November rolls around. Otherwise you’re going to be hitting up the campus store to buy a CMU sweatshirt, they’re going to be $50 and already all sold out.</p>