Author Topic: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here  (Read 6282 times)

Poopsio

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Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« on: November 28, 2014, 09:02:55 PM »
Was wondering if anyone could recommend attire for a northeast winter for someone new to the area. E.g. are peacoats a waste? Down parka or shell and down layers? All in mustachian ethos of course.

Goldielocks

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2014, 12:06:16 AM »
Wind proof.  Good wool peacoat will work fine if it is dense, which costs a lot new.

Hold it up, take a deep breath, and try to breathe/ blow through it.wind cutting through make you ten times colder.  You need a dense wool that is nearly impossible to breathe through.

There are many fashion costs that look like winter pea coats, but I think of them as spring/fall fashion pieces.

Layered sporty style with wind/snow shell, ( down is no good if wet and it is wet there!) With deep hood and very warm liner- synthetic-  insert is good.  Works multiseason.  Also for professional look,  leather winter coat with good heavy (wool?) Liner. Leather is wind proof, but can get damaged by rain, if not the right type.  Watch out for salt spray on leather too, salt will ruin it, so don't use a good coat to push your car out of a snowbank.

All coats should be to hips or longer!

Nice adult scarf for inside coat, medium weight and a heavier/ cashmere one to vary with temps, and hat you like, preferably covering your ears, if you get cold fast.  Your scarf works in a pinch, too, and lined leather gloves.  You will be set with this gear for 10 years.

Oh, do you have boots, even for occasional blizzard or weekend wear?  They can be cheap (unfashionable)and kept in car for emergencies .  Usually you just need solid walking shoes with good tread on ice or in 2" slush for most days.  Comes to ankle is good.

Thrift stores!  Maybe buy when you get there if CA has nothing. 

I don't know where in NE you will go.  The above will handle biting wind off the coast or lakeshore, with ice, snow or slush, but not at -25F regularly. 


Miss Prim

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2014, 03:03:22 AM »
If you don't need a dress coat, just one to keep you really warm, I recommend a ski coat. 

I strictly buy only Columbia systems coats.  I am a skier, but they are the warmest and most versatile coats out there.  I wear it everyday in the winter and only have one winter dress coat to wear to church or with dressy clothes.

I am never cold in it and if you buy the ones that have the inset coat, you can use it for spring and fall.  Very mustachian!  And you just throw it in the washer and dryer when it is dirty and they last forever. 

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2014, 06:08:14 AM »
I wouldn't ever buy a winter coat. Instead, get a rain/windproof shell. I like the Marmot PreCip. Use that as the outer layer and then add thin fleece or sweater-like layers underneath. If you're going to be active, make sure the skin layer is either synthetic or wool to wick sweat away.

Winter jackets are too bulky and expensive, and honestly a pain in the ass to modify the layers with, even the zip out liner types.

hdatontodo

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2014, 06:24:32 AM »
I used an REI parka for 15 years and just replaced it with the L.L. Bean $349 Maine Warden's 3-in-1 Parka with Gore-Tex. My favorite part is the hood which keeps its shape and is easy to put on without fumbling.

NestEggChick (formerly PFgal)

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2014, 07:32:31 AM »
Goldielocks is right. You need to account for wind as well as cold, and make sure you have good hat, scarf, gloves, and boots. These days I always buy from LL Bean, because their lifetime guarantee is so great. For just a bit more money, I have coats and boots that last forever. A couple other companies have similar offers.

I bought two coats a few years back: a down coat from LL Bean for below-freezing temps and a wool coat for "warmer" weather (35-50 or so) from a department store. The wool coat has bitten the dust, but the down coat is still going strong. I love that thing. It isn't the most fashionable, but it sure keeps me warm! With the hood up and my hands in my pockets, and with warm waterproof boots, I can face just about any weather here.

Make sure you have waterproof boots. Don't underestimate the ability of snow and slush to soak through sneakers in a matter of seconds.

And while you're purchasing your winter weather equipment, make sure you have an ice scraper and a shovel to keep in your car if you drive, and a down comforter (or equivalent) for your bed.

Welcome to the Northeast! I hope you enjoy it here!

Cwadda

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2014, 09:50:31 AM »
If you don't need a dress coat, just one to keep you really warm, I recommend a ski coat. 

I strictly buy only Columbia systems coats.  I am a skier, but they are the warmest and most versatile coats out there.  I wear it everyday in the winter and only have one winter dress coat to wear to church or with dressy clothes.

I am never cold in it and if you buy the ones that have the inset coat, you can use it for spring and fall.  Very mustachian!  And you just throw it in the washer and dryer when it is dirty and they last forever.

+1

I have a Colombia ski coat. I don't ski but it keeps me very warm and it's not too heavy. They do last forever, seeing as I've had mine going on 6 years and there's not much sign of wear. The cost of the coat was $100 on sale so that averages to around $20/year. Mustachian IMO.

LouisPritchard

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2014, 10:31:47 AM »
I've haven't spent much time in the NE in winter but it gets plenty cold here in CO, I work in the oil field so spend plenty of time outside in the winter.

Even the heaviest coat will leave you cold if you don't layer, so I tend to spend the most on my base layers. Good wool or sythetic. I like icebreaker, stoic, smartwool, underarmor 3.0 etc.. It doesnt show up in thrift shops much (kinda like underwear who wants to buy that used) but steepandcheap.com has them on clearance, especially in summer for cheap.

2nd buy good socks. I like Smartwool the extra heavy trekking kind for wearing in boots, for thinner sneakers and stuff I go merino in Stoic or Teko. Once again not cheap you wont find used (not that you would want to) but ebay and the site I mentioned before they can be found at a discount.

Boots: get waterproof. If you need safety toe (or not) The Arctic Sport by Muck is awesome also the LL bean duck boots are popular for a reason.

For coats I usually wear a heavy carhartt parka and insulated bibs when working. With a good base, then jeans/workshirt, then parka/bibs and a good beanie I'm alright working outside down to -30F.

Beanies, the shoremans fleece by Duluth is the warmest I've found, cant wear it indoors more than 10-15 mins makes my head sweat.

Good scarfs are also very handy. It'll keep the wind from blowing down your collar, and you can cover your nose/ears if needed. I never understood this, and thought it was just a woman's fashion accessory until I was gifted a plain black fleece one.

I also like columbia coats they're one of the few that make big and tall sizes. I have a omni heat that is almost too warm for most days. That said I usually just wear the waterproof outer shell part most days with a few layer and do fine.

If you're hell bent on wool coats check out bemidji woolen mills http://www.bemidjiwoolenmills.com/bemidjiwool.php I have 1 coat by them, great quality and way cheaper than the usual go to Filson.


Also your first winter will be the coldest, after you acclimate it won't seem as bad.

 
« Last Edit: November 29, 2014, 11:43:56 AM by LouisPritchard »

Mrs. Frugalwoods

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2014, 08:13:56 PM »
Goldielocks is right. You need to account for wind as well as cold, and make sure you have good hat, scarf, gloves, and boots. These days I always buy from LL Bean, because their lifetime guarantee is so great. For just a bit more money, I have coats and boots that last forever. A couple other companies have similar offers.

I bought two coats a few years back: a down coat from LL Bean for below-freezing temps and a wool coat for "warmer" weather (35-50 or so) from a department store. The wool coat has bitten the dust, but the down coat is still going strong. I love that thing. It isn't the most fashionable, but it sure keeps me warm! With the hood up and my hands in my pockets, and with warm waterproof boots, I can face just about any weather here.

Make sure you have waterproof boots. Don't underestimate the ability of snow and slush to soak through sneakers in a matter of seconds.

And while you're purchasing your winter weather equipment, make sure you have an ice scraper and a shovel to keep in your car if you drive, and a down comforter (or equivalent) for your bed.

Welcome to the Northeast! I hope you enjoy it here!

I'm in your greater boston-ish area. Boy it was cold last night! This is what I have:

Boots-30 dollar costco waterproof boots (rated -20-0 degrees), boat shoes
Layers: several collegiate sweaters as layers (they're heavy but work), wool sweater
Underlayers: shirts, 5 pairs of long underwear, jeans, one pair of snow pants
Socks: 5 pairs of thick socks

Jacket: a 200$ eddie bauer down parka. I might return this because it was so expensive (kept receipt). I just bought a 40 dollar down jacket layer from Uniqlo and I have an outer waterproof jacket layer (with a synthetic insulation) that I can put over it from costco that cost 40 that keeps me warm at 32 degrees on its own. I'm still torn because the parka definitely is warm, it seems like it will last forever, and it has a nice hood as well.

I'm not going to live here forever, I'll probably move within the next few years back to CA, but I do go skiing a lot so maybe I'll want to get something that will serve me well on the ski slopes for life. Not sure if the eddie bauer down parka allows the freedom of movement for the ski slopes, I'm thinking it's more of an urban jacket for the cold/snow. Any recommendations for a good down ski jacket that is good for a lifetime?

For my bed (it was 17 degrees last night and I slept without a heater on) I have two fleece sheets and a synthetic down comforter that I double layered. I was plenty warm last night.
Hello fellow Boston-ish peeps!

Poopsio--make sure your socks are wool or a wool blend. Type of fabric starts to matter a lot as the temps drop. Cotton won't cut it.

$200 sounds like a lot for a coat--you might be able to get one cheaper either used or at Burlington Coat Factory or Kohl's. I have a down Land's End coat (which I actually found in the trash...) but I can attest that down is amazing. It's by far the warmest option.

Layering is good--again with the right fabrics: wool, fleece, or a silk/poly blend. Welcome to the NE!

Poopsio

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2014, 08:46:31 PM »
Thanks for the bit about the socks.

Returned the coat, waiting to splurge on one for the ski slopes I can keep for a lifetime.

Just picked up 3 pairs of sweats from target for 15 dollars total...

I'm done buying these clothes, ugh...

Thank you everyone!

NestEggChick (formerly PFgal)

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2014, 07:59:32 AM »
I'm in your greater boston-ish area. Boy it was cold last night! This is what I have:

For my bed (it was 17 degrees last night and I slept without a heater on) I have two fleece sheets and a synthetic down comforter that I double layered. I was plenty warm last night.

Make sure you always have at least some heat on in the winter so your pipes don't freeze and burst. And/or you can leave the water running slightly. This is a real concern and trust me, you don't want that to happen!

It sounds like you're really all set now. Welcome to Boston(ish)! It's a great area and I hope you'll love it. Maybe you can come to our next meetup:
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/meetups-and-social-events/boston/

MoneyCat

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Re: Good mens coats for northeast winters-CA guy here
« Reply #11 on: December 06, 2014, 08:06:19 AM »
I got a cheap Champion winter coat at Target with a gift card and I just wear a sweater under it.  Works perfectly fine.