CREDIT: STARKOVPHOTO
There are many factors to consider when buying a good winter coat in Canada.

As an international student who comes from a year-round warm country, it took me some time to find the perfect winter jacket. Canadian winters are not always friendly and between the wind, snow, hail, and other elements, it can be pretty intimidating for students who aren’t accustomed to it. Finding a winter coat that kept me warm, and wasn’t thousands of dollars, was like finding my best friend (not to be dramatic or anything). This article highlights the features I look for when buying a winter coat after living in Canada for over two years.

1. The materials

If you’ve already talked to a few people in Canada about buying a winter coat, they’ve probably told you that a coat that contains goose down is what will keep you the warmest. This material usually provides insulation to keep the cold air from coming in. In my experience, any of the jackets that I’ve bought that mainly consist of polyester or acrylic usually only keep me warm enough for the fall and spring weather. Any down-filled jacket should properly prepare you for a Canadian winter. In addition to the core materials of the jacket, I always like to choose a staple colour that is dark for the super cold and icy days. Black is usually my go to. Can you tell how basic I am? No, but really, having a neutral and practical-coloured winter jacket is the way to go between January to March and keep the more trendy and fun jackets for the fall and spring months. I also like to make sure that the material I choose has some form of water resistance. This is necessary for those days where the snow is falling heavily on you.


2. The store

Obviously in Canada there are a large variety of stores to choose a winter jacket from. Almost every store in CF Masonville that sells clothes is sure to have some form of winter coat. Finding the right store is a key factor in purchasing your winter coat. Don’t just buy a winter coat from the first store you see. Firstly, they can be expensive and it’s always good to compare before you make a purchase. For example, Canada Goose is a popular winter coat brand but can be very pricey with most of their coats selling in the high hundreds to thousands. On the other hand, Aritzia sells coats that can still be considered slightly pricey but not at the price point that Canada Goose sells for and has winter coats that will keep you very warm. Personally, it took me a minute to realize the importance of investing in a warm winter coat, and once I was in the financial position to do so, Aritzia was my first stop.

Aritzia has a segment of their store called The Super Puff with a variety of differently styled winter coats for men and women that are made from goose down and geared towards Canadian winters. The Classic Supers are branded to keep you warm in a -40 degrees Celsius climate. I’ve seen coats that sell for $250 and some that sell for $500.

I think it’s important for students to remember that not only can they get sick from not keeping warm but also that if they’re in a program that lasts a few years having a warm winter jacket should be a priority. If you are in a position where you can splurge a little on your winter coat, I would recommend it being Aritzia. Another store that I’ve heard my friends shopping for winter coats at is Uniqlo. While there isn’t one in London, they do have online shipping and the price point is a bit cheaper than Aritzia, especially with the great deals they often have to offer!

3. Reviews

It’s easy to get a variety of reviews with us living in this technology-based world. It’s as simple as a Google or TikTok search to find out what other people’s experiences are with a product. Again, going into a mall where every single clothing store is selling winter coats can be extremely intimidating when you don’t know what you’re looking for and essentially haven’t done your research. Start researching what other people think of brands that you’re looking at before you make the decision to purchase. Trust me, I learned from experience and ended up with a closet full of coats that only kept me warm in the fall and spring weathers, until I did my own research on where I should be shopping.

4. Price

How much is too much? This is a question that I’ve seen many international students ask themselves when it comes to the first time they buy a winter coat, especially if they’ve moved to Canada in the dead of winter and are just eager to get their hands on a jacket. The answer to this question will vary for everyone. Things you should consider are: How much can you afford to spend on a jacket? Is your budget lower than how much you anticipated a warm jacket would cost? Lastly, how important is it to get a brand-new jacket from the mall? Once you have answered those questions you can move forward with this process.

5. Thrifting

This is a great option if you’re on a budget but still on the hunt for a warm jacket or if you simply prefer the thrifting process and the ethics behind it. There are a few places in the city where I always end up when it comes to thrifting. My go-to is 100 per cent Plato’s Closet near the Fanshawe South Campus. They have great finds year-round but some of my best coats have come from there. I think my best coat find at Plato’s Closet so far has been my Banana Republic coat which retailed for over $400 at the time, and I bought it for just under $80. I also have an entire article dedicated to thrifting in London on the Interrobang website that you can read more about.

These five tips are critical in my opinion to getting your hands on that “perfect” winter coat that will indeed become your best friend during these winters. The biggest takeaway that I hope comes from this article is that students should do their research before purchasing their winter coats.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.