Last night when I spoke with my son, he told me that someone stole his winter coat when he was at a campus party this weekend. Unfortunately, he lives in New Haven where the weather requires a winter coat and this was his only winter coat. Fortunately, one of his fellow members of the Fence Club, where the party was held, has loaned him a winter coat. He and I are both disappointed as this was a very nice wool pea coat that he received as a Christmas present. I cannot afford to buy him an expensive winter coat. Any ideas on a warm, stylish, inexpensive winter coat?
Do they still have Army/Navy surplus stores where you can get an actual Pea coat for cheap?
I would look at local thrift stores - there is usually plenty of selection and should be able to find something relatively cheaply. My kid does all her shopping at the thrift store and finds stylish stuff for great prices.
This thread reminds me that a woman at work who has kids in college said her kids wanted to go to the thrift store over Christmas break to buy a couple cheap jackets - apparently they wear these “party jacket” coats to fraternity parties, so if they get stolen its not a big loss. I thought it was a clever idea, and will try to remember to send mine off with an extra jacket or two that she won’t mind losing!
Outlets/last year’s fashions?
I am a frequent shopper at stores like Goodwill. You never know what you’ll find. He can look in New Haven, and you can look where you are and mail it to him for less than the price of a new coat.
Was there an extra coat left over at the party? I had a coat accidentally taken in college, and was able to swap it back with the coat left behind. I imagine there are lots of pea coats and it might have been taken inadvertently.
What’s your budget?
Also - if he can get transportation, there are a ton of shopping options locally. There’s a Burlington Coat Factory and LL Bean outlet store in Orange. Uniqlo just opened in the Milford mall - they have down coats for around $80, and give 10% off to students. And there are Goodwiill stores in Milford and Hamden.
I second Burlington Coat Factory, large selection of quality coats for less.
Could you please tell us a bit more: price cap, style, fabric, etc.?
What I learned form my D is that anyone attending a frat party might want to “invest” in a “fracket” - a cheap coat from Goodwill that is only worn to said parties.
Preferably made from a material that can be hosed off.
Suggest to your son that he put on Facebook that he lost his coat–perhaps on the Fence Club’s page, if it has one. It might have been a mistake.
How terrible that students stealing from each other is so commonplace.
sadly shaking head…
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I sincerely doubt anyone was out steal a coat at the party. At a large party,coats get lost. It is fairly common to grab a coat that looks similar to yours by mistake.
Wasn’t there a Seinfeld episode with that plot line?
So many jackets look the same, and after a few beers I expect that even if there was unrecognizable stuff in pockets they wouldn’t really notice.
Was there an extra jacket at end of the night? Has he checked lost & found?
Don’t know how large a campus party. Any way to hit a “someone got my coat by mistake?” e-mail? If a frat or other club party that shouldn’t be very hard. Happens often.
Don’t label it “someone stole my coat”.
@college_query There weren’t any extra coats left behind. He sent out a Facebook message to all the members of Fence about his coat on Saturday after it went missing Friday night. He did ask if anyone picked up his coat by mistake. As of last night, he hadn’t received any responses. This was an open party at the Fence house off fraternity/sorority row and it is possible that the person who grabbed his coat just hasn’t had time to return it. What a pleasant surprise it would be to have the coat returned.
@CIEE83. My budget this month for a new coat was $0. However, I recognize that is completely unrealistic. 
Realistically, I am going to say no more than $30 to 40 on my side. Between my son and me, I think we can come up with $80 for a coat. Having said that, if we could find something much cheaper, it would be great. I would prefer not to have to cut my grocery budget by $40 this month. My son will just have to try and pick up a couple of extra hours at work. If a bus goes to Milford from New Haven, the Uniqlo jacket might work. I am going to go to Goodwill after work today and see if I can find anything. That would give me time to get it cleaned and shipped off to him before the end of the week.
At this juncture, I think we are going for warm and cheap first. Stylish would be great, but not necessary. I like the idea of a “fracket”. LOL re the hosing off comment.
I don’t know about about a lost and found on campus. I will text my son about that. Given that the party was at the Fence house during rush, I don’t think that someone would put it in a lost and found, but you never know.
Looking on the bright side, at least his wallet wasn’t in his coat pocket!
There is a Burlington Coat Factory in Orange.
Wow, when Fence Club used to exist, it was hyper-preppy and not welcoming. I gather it was revived as something much friendlier.
Would he take a coat donation ? Or a gift card from one of the stores suggested nearby ?
Try Lands End online, which is having a sale right now. Free shipping over $50. Seems to be having a deal on regularly priced items as well–25% off one item if you give them your email. (It doesn’t apply to sale items.)
J Crew Factory may have some too.
There are several stores near campus that would have winter coats. He should see if any of them are having sales.
I would try Goodwill first. I recently got D a down jacket by Eddie Bauer at our Goodwill for $10. I wear an REI anorak from there that I think cost even less. There is likely no need to spend $80. Don’t forget to look in both the men’s and women’s sections. People get them mixed up when doing the pricing sometimes. Mine is definitely a women’s coat but I found in it the men’s section. Good luck.
See if Eddie Bauer has any sales
Harvard has a financial aid for winter coats. Ask Yale for a temporary help. Worst case scenario would allow for a loan to buy winter items. No need to agonize over the loss.