<p>I want to buy a gift for my daughter for Christmas. Right now I am looking at The North Face Triple C, a gigantic Patagonia at REI, and a Lands End’s Commuter Coat. The latter is the cheapest - by like HALF, but is Lands End cool? She is in college. It is an awesome coat (the only waterproof one of the three). I bet The North Face would be preferred by young people (magnetically attracted as they are to high-priced things), but it the zipper doesn’t go all the way down and cold air gets in. Is a super long coat something a young person would wear? Why don’t I know this? I am so old - I have lost my perspective. Please help if you can. I don’t want to buy something that will never be worn.</p>
<p>Ask your daughter. </p>
<p>Seriously --a surprise is nice, but your daughter will appreciate the gift even if it is not a surprise. Or – you could tell your daughter that you are thinking of buying her a nice coat and ask her to look at the catalogs to tell you what style she likes. </p>
<p>My daughter wanted a bathrobe one year and I asked her a lot of questions along the way about what type she wanted. I don’t think she saw the exact bathrobe I bought before I sent it to her, but certainly I had clear guidelines before I went shopping.</p>
<p>I live in Chicago and I see a lot of the North Face Metropolis jackets on college age and
young 20 year old girls in the city.</p>
<p>I think that the Triple C is too long. I have a 19 year old and a 23 year old and I don’t think that either would wear a coat that long. (Just my opinion…you might ask some of your daughters friends.)</p>
<p>I would not recommend the Lands End coat. I know that my daughters would not wear it. (I don’t know where your daughter lives, or goes to school. But I would recommend the North Face.)</p>
<p>I bought both girls North face fleece, down coats and shells. They still have them six years later.</p>
<p>It depends on how much your D cares about being “cool” and wearing brand name clothing. My Ss don’t care about brand names. S2 once went out and bought a North Face jacket. Nothing wrong with it except it does not have a hood and he hates wearing hats. So he’s been wearing the Land’s End jacket I bought for him 4 years ago (he’s now in grad school and has left his North Face jacket at home). But the North Face is “cool” and Land’s End is not. Girls probably care more about being fashionable and cool than my Ss.</p>
<p>I would probably go with a Lands’ End coat. Mostly because when it’s that cold most people don’t care what brand it is and because she will only wear it when it’s super cold. If it’s not below zero, my kids wouldn’t wear it and a long down coat would only get limited use.</p>
<p>One suggestion is that I am not that fond of the commuter coat and it seems a bit old. I hope you are not offended. I like the chalet and dory styles, they look more like the triple C from North Face and I have seen more young people in that style than the commuter. </p>
<p>I have this one from Lands’ End. [Women’s</a> Reversible Quilted Long Down Coat from Lands’ End](<a href=“http://www.landsend.com/pp/ReversibleQuiltedLongDownCoat~174703_59.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::AQB&CM_MERCH=IDX_00002__0000000158&origin=index]Women’s”>http://www.landsend.com/pp/ReversibleQuiltedLongDownCoat~174703_59.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::AQB&CM_MERCH=IDX_00002__0000000158&origin=index). I really like it. It has a double zipper, so that it will zip all the way down but also zip up for sitting in the car. It’s very warm and light so that I can wear it in a shopping mall. You have to think about the fact that she will be going into classrooms and has to put the coat somewhere also. I am not suggesting it for your D, I’m sure it is much too old looking. But actually I have it in brown and it does not look like the old lady coat that it does on the website. I also bought it really cheap.</p>
<p>Personally, I like the dory coat. I have a chalet but it’s shorter. Honestly I don’t wear it much, it’s just too warm for all but the coldest days. If it’s not below 0, it’s just too warm and uncomfortable. I have spent time outside walking and I like a coat that is really warm without being too bulky. </p>
<p>I don’t know if this is any help though.</p>
<p>Lands End is generally marketed to older folks and has that Maine appeal. I think that they make products that perform well but I don’t think that it’s popular with college-age students. I bought my daughter a North Face jacket earlier this fall and she wears it everywhere. If it’s cold or rainy, then she puts something over it. The fit is quite nice. She usually wears jeans to school which has kept her warm so far. We’ll see what happens in February.</p>
<p>I think that students generally avoid something that is too long as they have to go in and out of classrooms and something too long would be bulky and possibly a problem in a classroom. Something shorter is nicer if they have to drive a lot too.</p>
<p>What part of the country? I bought my daughter an incredibly fabulous (I thought) jacket her freshman year in New England, but in the end it was wool coats all the way. I think it’s best to let her partake in the decision.</p>
<p>I live in New England and my d goes to school in Rochester, NY - plenty cold in both places. She wouldn’t be caught dead in a long coat. Hip length, maybe, but no longer. She wears pants and boots (UGGs or other tall ones with the jeans inside) to keep warm.</p>
<p>Ask your daughter. Just when we think they would never wear something because it isn’t fashionable - they surprise and say, “But, mom, I wanted to be WARM.” </p>
<p>I have an LL Bean long coat that is similar to the Lands End coat and DD has borrowed it several times. I would have never bought one for her, but honestly, as often as she uses it when she is home, I think she might.</p>
<p>Surprises are for little things, not things like coats!</p>
<p>PS - Spidey - I am old too so don’t feel bad!</p>
<p>I have been told by my 20 yr old that the Triple C NorthFace is too long; tends to kick up slush onto it…Metropolis ftw…Moosejaw, Getz both great online sale spots; sign up for emails noting % off</p>
<p>Both D1 and I like Pantagonia. She goes to a school up state NY where it snows sideways. She told me that when she puts on her Pantagonia, nothing gets in. The construction of it is incredible. They have little extra closure in each sleeve, so moisture wouldn’t get through, same with collar and hood. It seems like every kid has North Face. If you get a popular coat, it’s very easy to get picked up by other people at parties.</p>
<p>I had an email today from Eddie Bauer saying that their outerwear is “up to 50% off”. I haven’t checked the selection yet, but might be worth looking…</p>
<p>I know I talked about Lands’ End coats. I do want to say that my D wouldn’t wear a long coat either. She wears a wool coat or her denali. But it’s not arctic cold where she goes to school.</p>
<p>I do have a S who does go to school where it’s arctic cold. He is not cool, does not care about what brand he wears, and if I buy it he will wear it. He does like a coat that covers his behind. He lived off campus about a mile away. He wore his long johns when it was really cold and took them off for class and stored them in his backpack. He said it is hot in the classrooms and he doesn’t like a really bulky coat because it’s too hard to put on the back of a chair, it slides off, I guess.</p>
<p>rodney, I love Moosejaw and Getzs also. I’ve even been to the Getzs store, I’m sure not too many people here can say that. It is getzs.com for anyone who wants to look it up. Great prices.</p>
<p>I this the other day in the store and loved it. But it is down, and I am allergic… It is on sale, too. The one I saw in the store was a charcoal color, though, this is black. I liked it because it is somewhat tailored for a down coat (not as bulky as most).</p>
<p>[Calvin</a> Klein Coat, Long Down with Hood - Coats - Women’s - Macy’s](<a href=“http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=395337&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results]Calvin”>http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=395337&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results)</p>
<p>I went through this last year with D who had just moved to Chicago from the south and had no REAL winter coat. I ended up ordering both the North Face Arctic Parka and the Mountain Hardwear Downtown coat. She also said the Triple C was too long, and the Metropolis wasn’t warm enough, according to friends.</p>
<p>The Arctic Parka wasn’t all that attractive on (too bulky but holy cow–warm!!!) but the Mountain Hardwear was lightweight with a flattering fit. Reviews indicated it holds up well in very cold places, so she chose it. A year later, is still very happy with it.
She’s early 20’s and the “cute” factor was definitely important. She’s tall with a slim build if that info is helpful in how things fit. </p>
<p>I loved the MH after trying hers so I also bought one in a different color and it is an amazing coat…wore it to the inauguration last year and stayed toasty warm!</p>
<p>I have a long, hooded, Land’s End down coat (though it’s a Dory, not a Commuter, but the Commuters look pretty nice and sturdy), and it is great. I’m 24. I’ve had a couple of comments from friends about how the quilting pattern of my coat is interesting, and how it looks warm, but nobody has commented on whether it is <em>trendy</em>, of all things.</p>
<p>Really, you’re giving her a nice winter coat as a gift - if she’s such a fashion slave that she won’t wear a high-quality, free, warm, coat, maybe she needs to learn some priorities. I’m sure I come off a bit harsh here, but as a member of the relevant generation, I perhaps feel more free to be harsh and candid about this. :D</p>
<p>DD goes to school in NE and spends a lot of time in Boston. She thought that the NorthFace Transit coat was “very acceptable”, and that’s what she got for everyday wear (I found a kids’ XL at TJMaxx which is the same size as a ladies’ M). She also got a longer MK coat which she liked a lot, but unfortunately, it is “too bulky for riding the T” so she reserves it for the days when she has to wear skirts (and she peeled off the fake fur off the hood right away).
Check the reviews for NF Transit coat on Nordstrom’s - they are written by folks from colder places (and several are written by folks in the 20-24 age group!):</p>
<p>[The</a> North Face ‘Transit’ Jacket - - Nordstrom](<a href=“http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2931360?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=northface+transit&origin=searchresults#reviewAnchor]The”>http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2931360?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=northface+transit&origin=searchresults#reviewAnchor)</p>
<p>For me, a purchase like this would be something I would keep for several years so I’d want to be sure to have exactly what I like/want. One well planned purchase will pay off over the next few years…</p>
<p>It depends on where she is and what she wants. My D has a full length full zip North Face coat with a hood, fleece-lined collar and pockets. She is at Chicago, and the wind is vicious. Her criteria were that it covered her legs to her boots and that it zipped up to her neck. Last winter she found it to be perfect for the conditions.</p>