I'm a high school senior in warm, sunny California, who will be going to college in cold...rainy....Washington state. I love rain, but I have very little to shell out on a new wardrobe. I'm a poor college student here! I need a glorious warm coat and some knee-length leather boots to keep out the rain... and I need to be able to afford it all. Any suggestions? Please and thank you.
Signed,
Soon-to-be-Soggy
Dear Soggy,
Congratulations on coming to the Pacific Northwest! I'm sure you'll like it here. Yes, it can be a bit damp, but the people are super friendly, the food is super tasty, and you can't say we don't appreciate a hybrid vehicle or an Obama bumper sticker.
Let's talk about the coat: Yes, you'll need a warm coat. Not as warm as you would need, in, say, Chicago, but it definitely gets chilly here. My favorite glorious warm coat is a wool peacoat. Some people might say this is a boring choice, but I say it's a classic, and there are so many variations and unique details that can set yours apart. Try one in a rich color, or with a belt, bold buttons, pretty lining, attached bedazzled cape, whatever. A peacoat goes with everything and will keep you warm and stylish--that's a Daddy Likey guarantee!
For most of the cold/rainy months, you can get away with a fabulous, bright-colored rain coat with a warm sweater underneath, which I highly recommend. This one is adorable:
An important note for Pacific Northwest* transplants: Buying a black North Face fleece jacket in Oregon and Washington is like 3 years of national military service in Israel: required, although exceptions may be made on religious, physical, or psychological grounds. I tried getting through my freshman year of college without one, and I think I made it three months before I cleaned out my savings account and procured one for myself. Yes, this was the same year I so easily caved to the baggy OSU sweatshirt craze, in addition to carrying on a 6-month flirtation with a guy in my French class because he offered to combine shipping costs on an order of Converse All-Stars, but still, I want you to know the North Face fleece pressure is there, and it's tremendous--be ready.
As for those leather boots, I think your best bet--if it doesn't gross you out--is to hit up some thrift stores and/or ebay. Cheap, cute, new leather boots are tough to find. Cheap, cute, vintage leather boots are not. And as a bonus, secondhand (secondfoot?) boots are already worn in, so your chances of becoming known as "limping bloody blister girl" around campus are less.
If you're set on a new pair, here are a couple semi-cheap options:
These are manmade material, but they're really cute and come in wide-calf sizes:
Also, these are pretty badass.
And don't forget that if you're looking for cheap, waterproof, and eternally cheery (even on the dreariest of northwest winter days), you can't beat a pair of bright red rain boots:
RSVP, $10, here*Wasn't sure if I should include British Columbia in the North Face fanatics category--does the obsession with expensive water-repellent fleece jackets extend across the border?
