I’m new here in Southern Ohio (grad. school at OU-Athens). And I have been told that it gets cold here and that I should probably buy a new coat (I normally wear a leather coat or a seude coat depending on dress). I don’t know much about coats–I come from VA where is gets cold, but the humidity keeps ya warm :).
I’m thinking of this coat:
it is yellow
But I’m not sure if it is warm enough for OH. Help!
–Clueless Coat Buyer
Hmm. I’m not too far from you in Gallipolis. It’s not so cold in Southern Ohio that you need a massive parka. I tend to dress in layers, though, so I can cool off or warm up if needed. That coat will be more than warm enough for you, I think.
They are expensive, but The North Face makes the best winter coats around imo, and they last forever.
I have a thin gortex shell that can have either a fleece or a down jacket zipped into. I never would have survived the Syracuse winters without it.
That coat should be more than warm enough. I myself usually buy one heavier coat and if it isn’t enough I wear layers underneath (adding in a hoody and/or sweater if I need to).
Depending on your tolerance to cold that really should be perfect. I’ve worn jackets that were often termed to be fall jackets but with a hoody were more than warm enough for winter. Go and try it on and even ask some of the employees, they might recommend a heavier one if they think you would need it. But with layers it actually keeps you warmer, three in ones can be great for going from fall to winter without too much fuss depending on the ones you buy.
Fleece lining is really good, I have a three in one that I never wear the inside for anymore because it’s both too small, and the inner is this material (I think nylon) that, though it has something to make it heavier the cloth itself is cool against the skin.
Another really good jacket brand is Board Dokter, they can be a little more expensive but they wear and tear really well, often lasting for a long time. Actually does Board Dokter even make stuff anymore? I can’t think of seeing the brand around much anymore…
Thanks for all the advice. It’s good to know that Athens doesn’t become the artic (like people are telling me). I’ll try out my leather coat for a couple of weeks and then see if I need to upgrade. And, maybe by that time they will have the yellow color back in stock. Thank you all again.
I’m in southern Indiana (where it gets pretty darn cold). Last year I wore my highschool letter jacket until it got really cold, and then I bought a long wool trenchcoat. It’s nice and warm and dressy, and not all that many people have one. Just another option to consider.
Style and warmth can rarely be used in the same sentence when buying a good cold-weather coat.
Me? I opt for style because I don’t do much in the way of outside ANYTHING in the winter. Walking from the car to a store is about as bad as it gets.
I’m down with down, but it’s uglier than all get-out. Go for leather unless you plan on doing outside stuff.
I’ve lived in Virginia, and now I live in Michigan.
If you are typical of Virginians in your tolerance to cold, that shell jacket will not be NEARLY warm enough when the first snow falls.
Don’t take advice from people native to Ohio or Michigan… they’re used to it.
When I lived in Virginia I rarely wore more than a flannel shirt and Jeans. My winter jacket for Michigan winters (southern Michigan) is a down-filled Gore-tex North Face parka.
A waterproof shell with fleece liner is my “fall jacket” which works fine Sept-Nov and March-April-May (you heard me, May). For the heavy duty winter months Dec, Jan, Feb, I need something much much warmer.
YMMV, of course.
Credentials: I have lived in OH my entire life, except for a short stint in Indiana. I once helped a girl from Jamaica buy an appropriate winter coat. 
Especially because you are a grad student and will likely be tromping all over campus at times, PLEASE buy a coat that covers your butt. Do not get one that stops at your waist. I made this mistake my first year on campus, and the next year bought a nice long coat that hit me mid-thigh. A coat that covers your butt will make you happier than a pig in poop (for the non-agriwise among us, that’s pretty stinkin’ happy).
If you are deciding between an attractive, sleek, lined coat and one that makes you look like a marshmallow, pick the marshmallow. However, I will say that if you buy a sleeker, lined coat, make sure that you buy it large enough that you can layer a large wool sweater under it.
I think it’s a good idea to see how your leather jacket serves you in the next few weeks, but, um … it gets A LOT colder than this in Ohio. This is nice, chilly fall weather. February gets extremely cold, very snowy, and in some places, very windy. Especially because you are not used to it, you would be MISERABLE in a leather jacket.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
NE Ohioan here:
Its all about layers, because the temperature will vary dramatically during the day. “Wait 15 minutes, the weather will change” is reality. I once got through an Ohio winter with my topmost layer being a corderouy shirt. But THIS winter is supposed to be especially nasty.
Also, really make sure you like the style of the coat because you’ll be wearing it everyday from October to May.
I’m frightened. I was cold all day today in my office b/c my cow-orker had the window open (menopause and hot flashes is the conclusion some of us drew at lunch in the warm Ruby Tuesday).
All of this is helpful; I really like the cover you bum info. I’m leaning towards layers now, mainly b/c my wardrobe is great for layering!
I have a J. Crew peacoat with Thinsulate lining, and it seems to work well enough to keep me warm through the winter. (Incidentally, it does cover the bum.) Granted, I’ve lived in Michigan my entire life, but I’m also quite a bit north of you, and it does get colder here. So if you’re looking for a non-parka option, that might be the way to go.
Well I was giving advice from a native Edmontonian… but I also have to admit that I hate the cold.
Personally I don’t like down jackets because it may be cold when you go out but if it warms up enough to be too hot with it zipped up, you may not be layered beneath. Meaning you sweat like mad because you can’t unzip your jacket or if you do the chill worms its way in…
Long coats are a good idea too. I should’ve thought of that… if you are going to be out in the cold fairly often (even if just on campus all the time) you don’t want your jacket to ride up and chill your kidneys (bad idea). If your wardrobe works for it then layers are definately a good idea for wandering campus in the winter, as well as for waiting for the bus.
Tip: For hands mitts are much better than gloves unless the gloves are really good quality ones and even then they can be colder than mitts. If you can’t live without gloves then wear mitts, but those cheap thin gloves you can buy fit really well under mitts and if you have to fumble for stuff while outside your hands don’t get as cold. It’s also doubly warmer to have the gloves under the mitts. I have a pair of flip top mitts but because of the cut outs on the fingers I still wear the thin gloves beneath. Nice and toasty for winter.
Invest in a good scarf as well. Something that’s somewhat think and won’t itch your neck. Helps to keep your neck warmer, and if it gets really cold of course you can put over your face.
I know, I’m not the height of fashion but it’s definately warm.
I second (or third or fourth) the layers thing. Dressing in layers really will keep you warmer than a single piece of protective gear. However, they are somewhat more inconvenient. Some people like to be able to remove all their protection at once (say, if you have to work in a specific outfit).
For what it’s worth, I usually just wear a trench coat–it’s sufficient to break the wind and, more importantly, keeps me from getting snow on my butt when I sit down in my truck. Nothing worse than sitting at work all day long with a wet and cold rear end…
If it’s really cold out ( < 10 degrees), I’ll wear a sweatshirt underneath, with thermal underwear and a hat. If it’s really, really, cold and I’m going to spend a lot of time in it, I double up on the thermal underwear, wear a sweat shirt, thick gloves, wool socks, cotton socks and a goretex hood under my hat along with my boots and boot liners. Of course, the outer shell still winds up being sweatshirt, trenchcoat and jeans so people give me weird looks, like I’m underdressed, but that getup has gotten me through -30 degree weather while still feeling quite toasty…and once I get to work or wherever else I’m going to be spending a bit of time, it’s not too hard to wander off to a bathroom and remove the inner layers. 