This is me soliciting advice on clothing

[cthulhie]

I've lived here for 2.5 years. In winter terms, that's something like 5 winters. In this time, I have not purchased a warm winter coat. Today is the day.

Comments

[travisezell]

[cthulhie]

That is exactly the hat I was looking to buy to compliment whatever coat I choose.

[travisezell]

Just trying to help.

[cthulhie]

Do you think L.L. Bean sells bison coats?

[sydzg]

My mom has a [women's] down coat from Land's End, and she loves it! She has a hard time keeping warm, so I was impressed she liked it so much. It feels thin to me but I guess it has special down power.

Um, you should get it before tomorrow, based on the forecast I just saw and texted Laura about. Better yet, just stay inside tomorrow!

[cthulhie]

I can't put my finger on why, but something about the phrase "life-threatening winds" makes me think you're right.

[entscheidung]

Jos. A. Bank is having a sale, and I just bought myself a polo coat for Afghanistan, where it will also be very cold.

http://www.josbank.com/IWCatSectionView.process?IWAction=Load&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=2100

They have decent coats in natural materials at reasonabl prices.

[cthulhie]

It's nice to see a place that sells more than one full-length coat. The problem I'm running into is that even the outerwear companies sell jackets, warm jackets, jacket-length "coats", long jackets, and exactly one full-length option.

Sadly, I already have three different wool coats for most cold days. "Perfectly nice," "slightly hip," and "warm but not professional"--the last being that rapidly deteriorating knock-off military coat you saw me in a couple of years ago. I've actually grown to like that coat more as I've had it longer, which I think is a sign that my standards have lowered since I've moved out here. I digress.

Right now I need the "-12 degrees plus 20 mph wind" option. It doesn't happen a ton, but I'm sick of being unable to cope when it does. (I spend a lot of time walking to and waiting for buses.) Basically, all the best options at the moment seem to be down with a waterproof synthetic shell. Not nice looking, but it generally doesn't matter how one looks in whiteout conditions.

[g_the_curious]

I'm glad to hear that you're making this investment. I think all of us were collectively shielded from extremes living in Oregon. I can tell you that my life in TX improved considerably once I learned how to dress (and deal) with the hot and humid weather. Which wasn't that long ago actually.

It must be extremely cold up there right now. I'm jealous of everyone back home. That's an awesome snowstorm they are having.

[cthulhie]

I still can't deal with the humidity in Chicago. It doesn't get as hot as I'm sure it does down there, but you've always dealt better with heat than I. But yeah--depths of winter and extremes of summer I'm just miserable.

I talked to Duncan about an hour ago, and he reported that they have 12" of snow. He was out while his neighbors were measuring with a ruler.

[zahgurim]

I've got something like this.

Which I've actually gotten to wear over the last week. Awesome!

[cthulhie]

That's totally cute!

But I fear I would die of exposure within seconds if I went for something like that. I keep buying jackets that I like a lot that are good down to about 0 degrees. Throw a wind chill on top of that and I'm fucked.

[entscheidung]

But don't forget that God also made hats and scarves and gloves and muffs and brandy and things to keep us warm.

[cthulhie]

Last night, Laura and I walked home from our friends' apartment around 2am. It was an epic and painful trek of about 20 minutes. We had to duck into the shelter of a parking garage to reposition our various layers. On me, the layers were as follows (inside-to-outside):
-long underwear
-undershirt
-polyester-blend pants (I note this because they block the wind well)
-long-sleeve shirt
-tie (not very useful for warming the neck, I find)
-sweater
-my current warmest coat
-scarf
-knit hat
-gloves

The only exposed portions of skin were basically around my glasses (I had to keep blinking to keep that "eyeballs are freezing" feeling back). It was just awful and we admittedly should have taken a cab. I'm now going to order the coat I linked to above.

And maybe Travis's bison-skin suggestion.

This is from today's National Weather wind-chill advisory:

WHICH WHEN COMBINED WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING BELOW
ZERO MUCH OF THE DAY WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILLS OF 25 TO 40
DEGREES BELOW ZERO

My favorite part is at the end:

A WIND CHILL WARNING