<p>Reading here about Boston and winter suddenly reminded me about the Nova Scotia Christmas tree on the Commons. Do they still do that? My grandfather was one of the many thousands injured in the 1917 Halifax Explosion and was helped and probably survived because of the medical aid sent by the City of Boston. If Halifax still sends a tree to Boston I'd like my son to see it as no one from our family ever has, but grandpa never forgot what Boston did for Halifax, and him. Sorry for the thread hijack, I did some searching but can't locate info on the tree this year, so maybe it doesn't happen anymore?
Any Boston folks out there who can help?</p>
<p>A wool coat with a layer under will be fine. There hasn't been much discussion here about leather jackets. DS had one in Boston and said it did a far better job of cutting the wind than ANY other jacket he owned...ever. The leather jacket, a scarf, hat and gloves were what he used on the coldest Boston days...with wind. He says that more guys had leather jackets than girls.</p>
<p>Thumper, thanks. I've been talking down, my daughter's been talking wool. I asked her to ask her roommate and dorm neighbors who are from the northeast, but I'm glad to have a parent's perspective.</p>
<p>4trees (funny name in this context!), yes they still do the tree. Here are some articles on it, I found alot just searching on "boston christmas tree"</p>
<p>The</a> Boston Christmas Tree
Oh</a>! Christmas tree - The Boston Globe</p>
<p>Yes, Halifax still sends the tree, and every year on the news, the days prior to the lighting, they explain why.</p>
<p>Regarding wool - yes, wool could keep you warm enough on days when it doesn't rain or snow. The problem with wool, however, is two-fold. First, it gets wet and smells in snow & rain; I will never wear my wool coat in inclement weather. Second, it needs to be dry cleaned, and it will get messy from slush, ice, etc.</p>
<p>Regarding down - I don't believe it's necessary. Most of the kids who grew up around here don't like down - it's too bulky. They just get good quality ski jackets with Thinsulate and other high-tech wicking materials. They breathe, they don't get nearly as hot indoors, and they've got a slim profile.</p>
<p>Down can get too warm too. I have a full-length wool coat and raincoat which I used to wear in more business settings a long time ago. But engineering is more relaxed. I have one down jacket. I seldom wear it due to the bulk. I prefer high-tech stuff for flexibility, ease of cleaning and because it's cheap (we bought our coats at LL Bean in the Spring).</p>
<p>We live in the Boston area (15 miles out where it is a little colder) and I have an 18 year old boy who is still wearing shorts (no flip-flops though) and is largely stylistically indifferent (shorts or pants need to drop several inches below the waist but he could care less if the jacket were North Face or South Pole or LLBean) and a 15 year old daughter who wouldn't wear a down jacket if she were in a blizzard. For my son, I bought a Weatherproof jacket at Costco that isn't too thick but works when the weather is really bad. However, his normal attire is a fleece hoodie (hoody?) or my 300 weight polarfleece when it gets relatively cold. He's 6'4" 225 lbs and I think he really does not get that cold. My daughter is tougher. Every year we buy her a warm jacket that she doesn't wear and she kluges together something that is more stylish -- she's trying to find last year's wool pea coat. She's 5'8" and 110 lbs so there is no body fat and I'd think she'd want to be warm but style trumps comfort. But, Saturday she found a pair of gloves before going up to New Hampshire to canvass for Obama.</p>
<p>Great stuff can be found (for girls at least) at good prices at TJ Maxx and, if you get to the NY area, at Century 21. I think the optimal attire would be a windblocker 200 weight fleece for most days and a shell and maybe fleece vest for when it gets really cold. However, as someone pointed out, none of that will be good enough if you have to walk across a bridge over the Charles. I used to have to cross the Charles every day for several years to Harvard Business School and I bought a giant Eddie Bauer down parka with a down hood and fur fringe. Not high style, but it transformed agony into only mild discomfort.</p>
<p>Keep the layering process in mind when considering a coat. Layers of clothing will add plenty of extra warmth with a solid jacket!</p>
<p>Calreader, go with wool. Here is my experience: when my DD went to New Haven four years ago, I was a woman on a mission. I bought her a down jacket that could have taken her to the Arctic for four years. Well, maybe this would work for a boy, but down jackets are apparently not what girls in the Northeast actually wear AND they make you look puffy and apparently, even if you are freezing, it matters how you look. So DD ended up in wool coats -- she bought herself a few at thrift shops over the years, and was quite content to layer, wear the wool coat and wear thick warm scarves. Gloves are important as they do need their hands out to carry things when walking. She loved the look of wool coats and, with layering, felt warm enough. I think I also bought her some very thin, silk-type long undershirts because some people who lived in cold climates said that is one of the secrets to staying warm -- not sure how much use they got.</p>
<p>The problem with peacoats as true cold-weather wear:</p>
<p>1) they usually do not work very well as windbreakers, and the outer layer in Boston (the second windiest city in the US after Amarillo) ought to do that.</p>
<p>2) they usually do not come up around the neck or gather at the wrist, so cold air gets in easily. A scarf will probably be required.</p>
<p>3) they usually are quite fitted, making it difficult to layer unless the layers are silk and microfleece.</p>
<p>As Shawbridge said, crossing those bridges can quite literally be agony if one is not adequately protected. It really will depend on where she goes in the city, whether she waits for buses, and so forth.</p>
<p>My S who is native and does not mind the cold is still going around in shorts. For winter, he prefers a parka (covers his bum--very important) with hood, because he is likely to lose hats; but that is a matter of preference. No down, it's too bulky. He got a waterproof jacket. Rain is actually worse than snow and a water-logged jacket is really the pits. His jacket has a thinsulate inner layer. For him, that's enough. The truly chilly types might want the 3-in-i parkas that are available through catalogs such as Land's End, LL.Bean, the NorthFace, Eddie Bauer, Patagonia. There's quite a choice.</p>
<p>I guess my D must be odd.. Our family skis (downhill), so their ski jacket is usually their winter coat as well. So I would suggest looking at ski shops for something on sale. Last year, D1 (HS Junior) needed a new ski jacket. She settled for one which was heavily discounted, last year's model, so she could also get a north face down jacket which she wears to school. Many of her friends both girls and boys have down jackets. Yes they are puffier, but they are pretty light weight. They also do a lot of hanging around outside when layers don't work (xc ski races, just have time to take off the jacket before the race) and the coat of choice seems to be a down jacket and a hat, with some hooded parkas worn by the parents..</p>
<p>You can't get just one jacket and expect it to cover all types of weather and events, especially for a girl. I live in Chicago and, like most here, have a wardrobe of coats. For a college student, a fall-weather coat like a pea coat needs a companion for the worst weather in January and February. A down parka or ski coat is really needed for cold, wet weather, or at least a good quality fleece plus waterproof combination.</p>
<p>The bulkier coats are not fashion-friendly, but they are convenient - one zip and they're off, nice for overheated lecture halls. Start your child off with a fall coat, and add the winter coat over Christmas break, after reality has made your argument. Also, get two pair of gloves - they always get lost at the most inconvenient times.</p>
<p>For those uncooperative shoppers, I've ordered multiple coats or boots and had them waiting at home over break. All the kid has to do is try them on until he finds one that works. Zappos.com is great for this - shipping is free both ways. Don't send expensive gear to college unless you are sure it's what they want. I've seen several seasonal things brought home unopened, eight months after they were sent.</p>
<p>midwesterner, yeah we have several fleece, leather coats as well as shells (including polartec with windblock) but I don't consider them to be "winter" coats.</p>
<p>I do agree-actually both my girls have several jackets and coats- fleece, down, pea coat, wool coat and all are used at various times. Bought both of them long down coats freshman year. In h.s. in NY both had short down jackets and pea coats. Still occasionally use the short down jacket for any ski trips that come up. Also one of mine has a long fall coat that works well instead of fleece.</p>
<p>As you can tell, there are all sorts of ways to dress for Boston weather and fashion sense. Because of that, I suggest that you not buy anything without your d's approval. While many in her class may not wear, say, pea coats or down jackets or [insert type here], she may hang with a group that does. She may decide that it's fun to look like the Michelin man, or to pretend she's on the ski team.</p>
<p>Same goes for guys - they may say they don't care, but deep down they do. They need to see what everyone else is wearing.</p>
<p>People in Boston do dress in a variety of ways. I am a middle school teacher and even as the weather gets colder, my students are coming in shorts, flip-flops, UGGS, winter coats, you name it, they are wearing it. I would never buy something for my own children. There are plenty of options so just send the money and let them get what they want:)</p>
<p>Seriously? If a child is old enough to go to college they are old enough to know what they want, what they need and how to get it for themselves. If a parent has to research what type of jackets to buy for their kids then they have done something seriously wrong. If they want to wear shorts then good for them! They won't get frostbite. If they want to be a fashionista then let them! They will figure out how to stay warm one way or another and they will learn through their own mistakes and make their own adjustments. If they are smart enough to get into college then they are smart enough to figure out how to stay warm. Yikes, if my mom had this much of a hand in my life I would go nuts.</p>
<p>Our son hates to go clothes shopping so I frequently just buy stuff for him - he doesn't really care what he wears - as long as it is comfortable. I have to buy stuff for him - if I don't, he just takes my stuff.</p>
<p>I recently bought a very nice pair of running shoes from New Balance and he decided that he likes them so he's wearing them daily. I offered them to him for running. At any rate, we go to the factory outlet from time to time and I just try to get a few pairs of running, tennis and cross-trainers to last us for a year or two.</p>
<p>There all kinds of kids in college and sometimes having someone help them out with essentials is a blessing.</p>
<p>The weather in New England is all over the place. I read that there was snow nearby in New York yesterday. There was hail in MA along with heavy rain. It's overcast, a bit rainy and dark right now but it's supposed to be sunny this afternoon.</p>
<p>I had a big treat this morning. A hawk decided to perch on a lamppost ten feet away from my desk. He's lucky in that he doesn't have to worry about coats.</p>
<p>BCEagle--I worry about birds when it's cold and snowy for days on end. However do they survive all winter and not freeze their little feet? Amazing, aren't they? :)</p>
<p>My boys wear whatever parka type coat I bring home for them. Basic blue works just fine! As one S said when I was debating colors, "Mom, it's just a coat." They HATE shopping.</p>