Can anyone from MIT (or the east) make suggestions on how to dress for a visit to MIT in winter. Are there certain brands/styles that are popular for students? Is there a store you recommend incase we wait to buy until we get there or online? My idea of cold weather is below 60 degrees so I need some advice.
MIT students are pretty utilitarian -- a popular style in the winter is "warm."
A real winter coat like North Face or one from EMS would be great (and I noticed a big difference in my winter happiness when my boyfriend/now husband bought me a real ski jacket for my birthday one year), but if you're only going to be in Boston a few days, any warm coat is fine.
Think like a skier or snowboarder and dress in layers. While the connected buildings help a lot, you'll still be going inside and outside, from one extreme to the other. Dressing in layers helps with this. And when they tell you wear a warm hat because more heat escapes through your body via your head, it's true.
My S suffers from Reynaud's, a circulatory problem that results in painfully cold extremities (fingers/toes) in the cold. We discovered there are battery powered ski gloves with wires down to each finger tip to warm them. A god send, now he can ski again. Warning: they aren't cheap, +$200 but they do the trick.
I have Reynaud's too! My family has taken to buying Costco-sized boxes of hand-warmers, which have come in really handy here as well.
Also, it just occurred to me that my opinion is very biased; I almost never have to go outside at all, since I live in East Campus. No painful Dorm Row treks for me! =P
lol. You're in for a surprise eternallysleepy (i'm already in the northeast, so the climate will be no different). but any recommendations on footwear for the winter in boston? Sneakers probably won't cut it but I don't know about hardcore snow boots either.
Hey, I'm stylish and self-respecting, and I own a cute, fashionable, exceedingly warm ski jacket. I love my pea coat too, but it just won't cut it in the ~12 inches of snow we're supposed to get tomorrow.
ham, I have a pair of boots from Target -- nothing serious or heavy-duty. Any boots would cut it, because MIT salts the heck out of the sidewalks, so usually it's more wet than snowy or icy. The snowiest month is also IAP, and depending on your personal proclivities, you may or may not leave the warm cocoon of your room much during that month.
I have a pair of combat boots, and they are my best friends on rainy days. Note: not SNOWY days, RAINY days. The campus floods like no other, and everyone know how much wet socks ruin your day. Invest in a pair of solid, waterproof shoes (whatever style appeals to you).
LAYERS. Even if you don't have a righteous winter coat, if you have enough layers, you'll be fine. Other good things to have: long underwear, scarves, gloves, hats. It does get cold. Very cold.
Oh, and the campus does flood. Rainboots or something similar are a godsend. Though if you have big feet (10+), they can be difficult to find.
Boston has 4 seasons. A winter that's far too cold, a summer that's far too hot, a spring that is far too rainy, and a really lovely autumn. I loved my time at MIT, and for those from places without 4 such distinct, almost storybook, seasons, that very clear sense of the progression of the year is something I miss.
