Can’t help you there, Bossy. I’m partial to peacoats, myself. There’s no such thing as an attractive and warm winter coat. Besides, The Boy would look fantastic in that.
I would point him towards Lands End or LL Bean. I remember visiting New York in February once and having to wear two pairs of pants because I was THAT cold. I sincerely doubt a coat from Old Navy (cheap quality) is going to keep the poor boy warm. In most other cases I love Old Navy!
My son has the Banana Republic version of that peacoat. He loves it. For some reason, of course you live much further north than we, guys can take the cold better. My son couldn’t wait for colder weather. I can. He also has a longer trench version of this coat. Longer would be better for me!
5
on October 24th, 2008 at 9:42 am
carrie said:
How about a Columbia ski/sports jacket? The peacoat is definitely stylish, but Bossy’s son is going to freeze his buns off!
I think that peacoat is sufficient for your boy. Moms know best.
7
on October 24th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Acher said:
I would suggest a trip to Bossy’s local Army/Navy surplus store. We got my husband a real Navy issue (new, not used) peacoat at a surplus store. It is easily as warm as my Columbia, which is puffy and full of Thinsulate! And there’s the cool factor of the surplus store… Vintage is in? Right?
I agree with Amanda…love the style, but Old Navy is not what comes to mind when I think of quality winter clothing. Land’s End is a good place to start.
9
on October 24th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Acher said:
Oh- and surplus= cheap.
10
on October 24th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Vicki said:
Buy the boy a Columbia coat to wear for everyday stuff and that one for a “date night” or something so that he’s only freezing his butt off when he has a cute girl to cuddle with. (Sorry Bossy but you know he only wants it to pick girls up with.)
I have noticed that college students seem to be impervious to cold, wearing flip flops and shorts year-round. out doors. in 6 inches of snow. so that peacoat will probably be *too* warm for the brutal NYC winters.
12
on October 24th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Anna said:
If it were a real peacoat made of boiled wool, then yes. Otherwise, hahahahahahaha. No.
I agree with the previous commenter – try LL Bean they have Peacoats that are actually insulated. And get him a nifty knitted cap to wear with it to keep his ears from freezing off.
13
on October 24th, 2008 at 9:58 am
MariaV said:
Delurking now because I might be able to help. I love your blog, but can’t think of anything clever to say most days.
Perhaps, suggest that he take the train down to Syms Department Store (Trinity Place & Rector). He will likely be able to find a 100% wool coat, down jacket, etc. for a low-low price. I bought a Liz Claiborne 3/4 wool coat for $99. He can take R/W to the Rector station. The 4/5 to Wall Street and walk down Rector to Trinity Place. The 2/3 to Wall Street and walk up to Broadway, turn left and walk down Rector to Trinity Place.
If that doesn’t yield results, he can walk up Trinity Place to Century 21 Department Store. (The store is a mad house most days, but worth the hassle.) It also has excellent labels-for-less prices.
Having gone to schools in Syracuse (obscenely cold) and Vermont (even more obscenely cold), I would definitely recommend 100% wool or invest in a good down jacket or Gortex and fleece layers from Marmot, North Face or the like. I realize NYC isn’t as cold and boys usually don’t get as cold but at the very least, something that will last a long long time is your best bet.
15
on October 24th, 2008 at 10:16 am
alwyn said:
I actually own the female version of this, though shorter and in green. It is not warm enough for winter, unless you layer a lot underneath. When we lived in a VERY COLD northern part of the world, I wore this while dragging people to the polls on election day 4 yrs ago. It was in the 40’s that day, and I was ok. Just in Banana Republic yesterday and saw their coats on sale for 30% off. Also, if you bring them a gently used coat or sweater, they give you a 30% off coupon. Their pea coats are much thicker, though expensive. The “lined hooded jacket” on BR’s site looks warm and is less expensive. They have even more selection in the store and outlet.
I grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is one of the coldest places you can imagine. Although the pea coat from Old Navy is cute, I would try this instead:
I live in Butte, Montana. Where it’s freezing. What I would suggest is a REAL Navy (as in the seamen…hah!) peacoat-not some fake wannabe-like from here: http://www.armynavyshop.com
This WILL be warm-I’ve had mine for 8 years-and I still where it when I go out in my – degree weather.
18
on October 24th, 2008 at 10:22 am
p.j. said:
Good question. I would go with a long parka from Land’s End: their Squall parka is great, and lasts forever . . . if they don’t lose it.
That said, I had to sneak the coat of my son, who is also a freshman at Columbia, into his suitcase before we left home. I also made him take a red (men’s)Gore-tex L.L.Bean rain coat (heck, I wan’t going to need it for baseball play-offs) that I found at a resale shop a couple of years ago. He can layer all the sweatshirts and sweaters he wants under that.
He hasn’t said thank you yet.
Maybe Bossy’s son will realize what he really needs by Thanksgiving. Maybe he can buy the cheapo Old Navy himself, and Bossy could spring for the warmer coat when the sales get better?
Good luck.
The issue here isn’t about staying warm, it’s about creating an identity. If your kid is attending Columbia, then he’s going to be mixing with people from all stations of life, and unless he’s preternaturally self-possesed, he’s going to need all the props he can get to create and maintain the identity of who he wants to become.
In my experience (17 years as a college professor), I find that young men who wear peacoats tend to be young men who read books and think hard about the world and have lots of ideas and ideals and dreams about creating a better world for everyone. And I think the world needs more of those kinds of young men.
So I vote yes — emphatically yes — for the peacoat.
20
on October 24th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Beth said:
I wore a coat just like that during my undergrad years at NYU. Of course, NYU is way south of Columbia – maybe it’s warmer down there?
@ rikki: omg, my name is ricky too! and i followed your link and i like that coat, and weirdly enough, i grew up with the model in that picture! he’s a sculpted piece of work…
Bossy, I think it’s important to realize that this is NY, and if you haven’t seen Project Runway enough, you better work [it]. You can’t just show up here wearing any old clothes! Your son probably just wants to make sure he’s looking good;maybe he should check out Daffy’s to see if there’s anything warmer… uptown Manhattan is windy and cold these days!
It’s perfect! He’ll have his insendiary wit and intellect to keep him warm, right? And he’ll feel hot in his smokin’ jacket – but I do NOT suggest a smoking jacket. They are not warm at all. .
23
on October 24th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Liz said:
I said this before in response to your Tuesday post… my grandmother always said “It’s not how you feel, it’s how you look”.
Go for the coat, Bossy’s son. But wear a hat. And a scarf. And run really fast between buildings when you are outside in that coat.
If this is the coat he *wants*, then this is the one! He can layer underneath – thermal long-sleeved T’s, etc. Sorry, Bossy – I almost always advocate for the kids. I had to realize my youngest LIKES the cold – I couldn’t keep a warm coat on him, no matter what! I can’t STAND to be cold, so I could. not. relate. But – he’s him, I’m me. I don’t even BUY him a heavy coat anymore.
If it’s really like the one I had in the Navy, then it would be a great coat. But if it’s from Old Navy, then it’s probably much too thin. Have him find a surplus store that sells the real military Navy issue, looks the same but will be much warmer and last longer.
28
on October 24th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Mindy said:
My L. L. Bean peacoat served me very well for six years before the lining and pockets disintegrated into shreds. Since the fabric was still in very good shape I had a new lining put in it. The outstanding alterations lady I found gave me a choice of another regular lining or an insulated one which felt only a tad beefier. I opted for the heavier lining. It’s incredibly warm and the coat isn’t bulkier at all. Seventy bucks, and I had it back in a week. Warm, thrifty, stylish – what’s not to love?
My inappropriate crush on BOSSY’s Son prevents me from building a case against him. It also warms the cockles of my cougar heart that he and I share a love of peacoats.
I have found a peacoat coupled with a turtleneck, scarf, and gloves is plenty warm. Keep in mind that I live in Los Angeles. But it worked in DC in January. Just sayin’
p.s. BOSSY’s Son…call me.
30
on October 24th, 2008 at 11:36 am
chris in ri said:
get the 32 oz wool real deal
canyons are cold and windeeeee
here’s a nyc army-navy store link (sorry, this is not going to help the budget, it is more than the “Old Navy” jacket but I think a real, old, Navy jacket will last longer and be warmer in the long run) http://www.galaxyarmynavy.com/item-sb-740nvy.asp
31
on October 24th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Reeb said:
First of all: where’s the danged “Click here for More Bossy Exposition and Carrying On”??
I was SO proud of myself that I remembered to scroll to the bottom and click before reading. And. nothing.
Of course next time I’ll forget again — hard to teach this old dog new tricks. Okay, now I’ll go back up and read the post and all your comments and get un-cranky.
i have had several peacoats, and they managed to get me through ohio winters in law school, so i vote yes on the style, but no on the old navy because of the quality issue. i have one from the gap that has held up nicely and one from marshall field’s (which i think have all become macy’s now).
33
on October 24th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Alana said:
layer, layer, layer. i had a pea coat from j.crew (on super sale) that supposedly had thinsulate. i wore it for three winters in nyc and it stood me well. but, i definitely wore lots of layers. the one thing you forget about is the heat: on the bus, the subway, in buildings. too heavy of a coat and you end up sweaty and claustrophobic!
34
on October 24th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Reeb said:
I’m uncranky now. Loved all your comments, esp Deirdre (#19) about “young men who read books and think hard about the world and have lots of ideas and ideals and dreams” — that should warm the cockles of the heart Of Bossy’s son’s mom!
I don’t have kids and I’m not cool, so I can’t weigh in on the topic at hand. I would like to hear the outcome sometime, though. Don’t leave us hanging in peacoat suspense!
PS. Bossy, did you see that I referenced one of the gigantic orange numbers? Very helpful. Reeb.
I’m not so sure about how warm that will be. Did you try looking in a thrift store to see if you could find a real Navy Peacoat? My husband got one for me. Somone had left it on the coatrack of the office where he works at the college. It sat there for a year beofre he brought it home for me.
I live in So Cal. Where we own only light jackets and old umbrellas with bent metal parts that stick out from the fabric. And we can rarely remember where we put either because the last time we used them was 5,000 years ago.
I love seasons.
I’d like to have some once in a while.
Pfffft.
(I love all your helpful readers with all their great coat tips!)
37
on October 24th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
nycwhofan said:
I second/third/whatever the Sym’s, army/navy surplus and Century 21 (before weather makes your son get bundled up because it gets hot and crazy in there fast) suggestions. There is also a Burlington Coat Factory at the 23rd Street F/V station (I think the one by City Hall closed). I have an ankle length down coat from Lands Ends that I swear by. It’s very light and very warm and when mushed up, it makes a nice pillow in a pinch as well. Your son is adorable, he’d make it’s huge michelin-manness almost as cute as a pea coat.
38
on October 24th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
JK said:
So I agree on getting him “a” peacoat — but not necessarily this one. Look around & price out a good & study wool one. If that doesn’t work out (bargain-wisewise)maybe it WILL be this Old Navy version. Add a “cool” scarf, gloves & hat that HE approves of and at least he’ll be properly dressed for winter. I notice many/most college students in Boston wear hooded SWEATSHIRTS in place of winter jackets. Even in the snow(?). Granted most of these kids are NOT natives to my cold hometown and who knows what their mom’s bought them. Perhaps a Lands End jacket they hate???
He will rock the coat and it will be warm enough for him. Even skinny me can handle the cold in a peacoat. It’s more what he’s wearing underneath (i.e. a warm sweater). Plus a cap and a scarf and some nice gloves.
AND if you’re looking to stay out of debt, the Old Navy price will be oh-so-helpful.
Bossy, what about North Face? Maybe something thin to wear under the jacket?
44
on October 24th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Bossy's Friend Amy said:
My mother always told me that if you are going to spend money on clothes make sure they are classics and constructed well and of a fabric that will last a long time. Buy my nephew a coat that will see him through the next 8 years (undergrad and graduate school) – I suggest J Crew for good quality and timeless fashion.
I like it. If worn with a sweater he should be fine.
47
on October 24th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Stephanie said:
The coat looks great. When I was his age I hardly ever wore a coat, very much disliked them. Those young people are moving too fast to get that cold.
48
on October 24th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Mindy (the other one) said:
I love this coat. He can wear warm shirts and/or sweaters underneath. Sorry I couldn’t help you out Bossy.
49
on October 24th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
MariaV said:
I just thought of another store he can try. Loehmann’s on Seventh Avenue and West 18th Street. He can take any subway to Union Square and then walk from there.
I once went to New York in December and it was -14 three days straight….and that was WITHOUT the windchill factor. Needless to say I crammed myself in the Macy’s bathroom so I could pull thermals onto my frozen legs. I had an Old Navy Wool coat and it did NOTHING for me. I’d try an outdoors wear brand for sure. More expensive and won’t help the Bossy Get Out of Debt cause, but some Northface or Patagonia is going to keep him cozy warm!
My son (a college sophomore) refuses to get a good winter coat, too, and prefers a lined wool jacket from Target. We live in the Midwest where we get lots of snow and crummy wet weather, so he should really have a parka from Columbia or The North Face. But no! He doesn’t want one. So I wish you luck with this, and do let us know if (and how) you win him over. (One thing my son will wear is a hat and scarf…and he did consent to wear waterproof footwear, so at least his feet are dry and warm.)
54
on October 24th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
DebbyABQ said:
My son spent his first winter in NYC (he’s a senior at FIT) in a Peacoat from Banana Republic, just need to accessorize with a nice cashmere scarf and cap, oh and gloves. He’ll be fine.
55
on October 24th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
DebbyABQ said:
P.S. – if you are a student you can get a 15% discount at J Crew – they have a great selection of outerwear.
56
on October 24th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
robin said:
Funny. My son wanted a Peacoat coat when he started college too. ( Long Beach) Must be a freshman have to have.
I will sound a dreadful bore, but once the kid hit college, I resigned from my wardrobe advisor/advocate position. If the son is cold, the son will problem solve. And is there anything more attractive than a man who can take care of himself?
61
on October 24th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
deanna said:
I went to school an hour outside of NYC and I wore my peacoat all winter with out freezing. With long sleeves and a scarf it was perfect. Which is really saying something as I am from southern CA and not used to weather below 70 in the winter.
Wool is the warmest thing for a winter coat to be made of and it’s far more stylish than those silly parka thingies that look like insulated plastic. I think the coat will be fine. I’ve been eyeing the wool peacoat in the women’s section, myself.
I just moved from NYC! Just tell him to to wear a sweater under it, he’ll be fine. You start to get immune to the cold weather when your always in it Hope he’s having a great time up there- from one college kid to another- NYC is the best place to grow up!!!
I live in upstate NY, where it’s way colder than in the city, btw, and I love my peacoat. However, it’s not made by Old Navy’s sweatshops, it’s an actual peacoat. The Mister has an actual peacoat, too, and swears by it. The tip to hit the army-navy outlet is right on.
I think peacoats are great. If you think he won’t be warm enough invest in a wool one, not an Old Navy knock off. Check resale shops as they sometimes show up there on the cheap. Oh and yes, the surplus stores…I’m with your son. Sorry!
My winter coat is a Navy peacoat from a surplus store. I bought it in 1995, and it still looks great. Of course, I live in Houston, and I only have to wear my coat maybe ten times a year…It’s really warm when I do wear it, and the humidity here makes the cold seem worse. Good luck with your decision, since I wasn’t helpful at all.
Being that I live in Maine, I have to go with L.L. Bean. However, having said that, if he adds a nice wool scarf and something on his head and some gloves, he might just be warm enough in NYC this winter. Just how much time is he planning on spending OUTSIDE?
68
on October 24th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
hollywood said:
I say buy this kid two coats!!! One practical & when the brutal winter gets to him he might break….or the peacoat and he can look cool.
I can’t help you build a case against him, b/c I aree with him … and I live in Canada – it’s cold here! I have one pea coat from old navy and one from Land’s End, love them both and have worn them both in the dead of winter, with just a sweater or hoodie under. The Land’s End one is the better of the two b/c the real wool keeps out the wind, and honestly that’s the coldest part of winter. So for your everyday, brief trips to the store, school, liquor mart etc, it’s the coat my husband & i would both choose. However, if your going to be spending some serious time outside, a la skiing, or snowmobiling etc. – then you want a parka.
70
on October 24th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Terri-Lynn said:
Sorry, I just went back and re-read the comments and I have to post a reply about #16 being delusional if he/she thinks saskatoon is one of the coldest places you can imagine. Obviously hasn’t been to Winnipeg a.k.a. “winter-peg” or just north in Gimli where it’s not only -40ish a large percent of the time, it’s also unbelievably cold due to the wind whipping in off of Lake winnipeg. My family’s lived there for years and my brothers always worn a peacoat.
No help here: I’ve always been a sucker for a college boy in a peacoat.
72
on October 24th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Lance said:
Bossy, Being the sophisticated lady you are, surely you must know of Century 21 in NYC? If not, learn about it. I am not a shopper, but my X was. Even I know a great place to get something unique and fashionable when at a place like Century 21. The old one was near the twin towers and got destroyed. But, I hear they rebuilt it. Make an excuse to go visit the boy and take him there for a true NY winter coat. As a former New Yorker who spent a lot of time outside, trust me, he’ll need one. It’s the wind.
73
on October 24th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Carol M said:
Let him get that jacket!! My son attended a college near Utica. When he was there, I bought him something practical, but he didn’t like it, and somehow it was “lost”. He ended up with a similar peacoat and wore it with a zip-up fleece underneath. As someone else suggested there are also jacket liners you can buy (The North Face, etc., have them.) My son graduated this year and is working in NYC. He is getting a bit more practical — he now has an umbrella (which he refused during college years) and is looking to get his first real raincoat!
74
on October 24th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Vince said:
Century 21, Urban Outfitters and Macy’s come to mind.
Yes to A peacoat, NO to THAT peacoat, it’s a piece of crap.
Send thy son to army surplus and tell him to pick out a nice one worn by Navy men. It’s made of real wool and will be very warm (I live in the PNW and spent a year in Germany, I wore my dad’s Navy (military, not color) pea coat with no trouble for years.)
Also, as the professor said, he’s trying to build an identity and this peacoat will help him do just that, but he’s also probably trying to be frugal which is why he clicked on Old Navy, but their stuff is wafer thin and crapola.
Get the kid a pea coat, just get him a good one.
The nice thing about the army surplus coats is that you can still get a new one, but they have the “vintage” look which only adds to the coolness factor.
A real wool peacoat will be stylish and super warm. I’m doubting the Old Navy variety will be the latter, however. It will be a thinner, less dense wool than the boiled stuff of which the originals were made. I’d go with the Navy surplus store version. There’s just too much walking outdoors a city boy will do in winter to bother with the inferior warmth of Old Navy. But don’t bother trying to change his mind to a Land’s End warm barn-style coat or something. He knows what he wants in terms of style. That’s fair.
77
on October 24th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Karen in DE said:
OLD Navy – not a good as The Real Navy – he does need a real Navy pea coat, THAT is a cool coat. When you are a college freshman – the last thing on your mind is what coat will keep me warm so if you think he will even consider any coat that will fall below his knees and actually KEEP him warm, don’t waste your time.
Actually, most of the Old Navy pea coats are lined with flannel and the performance fleece stuff. My husbands weighs an insane amount and is really, really warm. Obviously, if you buy the $20 coat, it’s not going to be very warm. If you drop about $80 then it’ll be more than fine.
We live in Chicago and it’s always kept him really warm, even after hours of playing with our son in the snow.
80
on October 24th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Liza said:
I live in Maine, its real cold here. L. L. Bean will have what he needs fashion-wise and warmth-wise. I promise. They might be a bit more spendy than Old Navy but the Old Navy coat won’t last for years and years and years like the L. L. Bean coat.
Looks good to me. And Old Navy is Poverty Party friendly. He could be asking for the same thing from J. Poo, which would run him/you about $200.
But if you want me to say it’s horrible, terrible, and completely unacceptable, I will.
82
on October 24th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
smr said:
i have one and am familiar w/ the Columbia ‘hood…this coat won’t get him thru the winter. unless they added some sort of lining. maybe your boy is heartier than I, but the wind just cuts right thru this coat. just MHO
83
on October 24th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Jillian said:
The coat is stylish no doubt, but having lived in Manhattan myself, I have to be honest and say I doubt it would be warm enough. We get really cold winters with the wind blowing like crazy which chills you even more. So my suggestion would be to look around and find the same style coat but from a better quality store which would be warmer. No doubt he’s internet savvy so searching via Google or somesuch shouldn’t be an issue for him. And definitely get a good hat, scarf and gloves. It SUCKS pulling your Metrocard out of your pocket with bare fingers when it’s below freezing.
84
on October 24th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
reen said:
Yet another Mainer (Maineiac?) chiming in to suggest a real Navy-issue peacoat instead. Try EBay!
And, I totally agree with Deirdre (#19) about young people needing to express their inner selves in the international sea of people called NYC.
I’m with Bossy’s son on this one – love peacoats. But then I’ve only lived in Dallas and Atlanta so I don’t know much about really cold winters like you have in the northeast.
My son and many other boys at his high school wear khaki shorts all year, even if it’s 20º outside. Go figure. I guess maybe teenage boys are oblivious to temperature?
I’m sorry. I thought Bossy said to press my face against her son, not make a case against him.
Therefore, I’m of no use in the matter. Although I will say this: I am sure he would look dashing in that coat.
And now, because I’ve used the word “dashing,” I will now go the corner and begin crocheting rather than daydream about breaking the law in every state of the union.
88
on October 24th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Rooth said:
I have no idea what a pea coat costs but layered with a sweater, thermals, did I say another sweater and he will be fine or learn a lesson… what does it cost 75 bucks? He’ll probably lose it anyway. I would worry about freezing my but cheeks but he’s a kid butt cheeks are incidental to cool. Oh and get him a watch cap
What on earth would I know? The coldest it gets here at Granite Glen is about 0 degrees for 45 seconds in mid-winter. Except for the occasional frost, it’s balmy most of the time!
Pea coats? Not a clue. I gave up being fashion conscious in the mid-nineties. It coincided with the borth of first child. Amazing. “Expressing yourself” in NYC… I am not qualified to comment.
However, if you are clever at the whole “expressions” thing, Bossy, then why not pop over to my place for the silliest game in blogworld? No great danes today, but it might take your mind off the coat-stress situation!
BB
It is very fake chic, to be sure. (Fake chic because it is undoubtably of inferior construction as a real peacoat. You know, like actually made of wool.)
However. (You knew there was a however, correct?)
Does Bossy’s Son know how frigid NYC is in January? The wind cuts through those steel and concrete valleys like a knife. Less stylish to be sure, but better to invest in some down-lined parka-esk outerwear appropriate for the Arctic.
I have a peacoat from Old Navy and it keeps me warm in the windy, cold and rainy Seattle days…of course I have a trendy college sweatshirt underneath and I am as toasty as a bug in a rug. I’d say layers, but that is just me
100
on October 24th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
C'tina said:
REI ROCKS! Try Campmor also, and maybe Sierra Trading Post. or Orvis
101
on October 24th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Cara said:
Bossy,
Go real Navy, at a surplus store and get the real Navy issue Peacoat. I had one as a kid. Wore like iron, warm as toast, and that was up off Lake Erie in snow-country. And yes, Bossy’s Son will be most handsome in it. Add a warm cashmere scarf!
As a New Englander, I can tell you that’s the classic winter coat…we all own one and wear it for 99% of winter, except when we wear full length wool coats to nice events.
The Old Navy coats are incredibly thin. I love peacoats – classically cool outerwear – but the one’s I’ve seen in Old Navy are not going to be warm enough for NYC. Lived all my life in NY and the February chill goes right through to your bones if you are not prepared.
On the other hand, he could get the cheap coat and just hibernate.
“WTF is a peacoat? Is it so named because you can spit peas through it?”
It’s real name is a “Pilot Coat,” so named for the naval pilots who guided navy ships around the world and into port. They were regulation wear 30 ounce wool short coats designed for the pilot who had to stand on deck using the stars for guidance. Somewhere along the way the name was shortened to “P Coat.” When this coat became an icon of the fashion industry, 5th Avenue changed the spelling to Pea Coat.
I vote for Bossy’s son getting a real Pilot Coat and looking ever so cool while staying ever so warm. And if he wants to look cool and not stay warm, go for the vintage leather jacket.
Ok, I had one of those pea coats all through high school. Granted, it doesn’t get too too cold in Mississippi, but I remember it always kept me warm while drinking liquor in fields (in hindsight, maybe it was the liquor). Anyway, you can’t get much cheaper/utilitarian than an Old Gravy pea coat. Good investment.
The pea coat is also well known for the chick magnet factor. Not only will he be warm and toasty on his way to liquor up, but he will attract a multitude of babes..not sure if you would like to factor that into the question or not. Just lettin you know!!
Lisa
coastal nest
Bossy, the pea coats are great (wore one for a few years while rowing the canoe for uncle sam). I’m in the process of developing the parkas worn by the cadets at United States Military Academy and will post a picture soon at my store site. You can see cadets in them at you tube “Sosh Run- November 2003.
Oh, that is a cute coat. But he’ll definitely freeze his tush off.
112
on October 25th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
David said:
Pea coats stand up to upstate New York winters. And they are good looking….and see…http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/10/02/111-pea-coats/
I suggest a good scarf also.
113
on October 25th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
cat said:
My son needed a winter coat in December, and of course by then mnost are gone. But we went to Marshalls and found a number opf perfectly wonderful and reasonable leather jackets…then he was the Pea Coat. He loved it. He felt cool and un-austentatious, and did I say cool? Plus he like the way he looked in it. He says it’s plenty warm enough-they don’t want to be too warm.
I’m weighing in with the lot that says most boys are unaware of the cold. I have a son a year older than yours, we live in Michigan, he hunts, fishes, works outdoors and half the time doesn’t wear a coat. BTW, we have found that LLBean and Lands’ End offer coats that are just as good in quality as the (much) more expensively priced NorthFace and Marmot. Plus, they wash better and the zippers don’t do that shrink up thing that Northface’s does.
I went to Manhattan wearing a light blue Columbia jacket (I’m a girl!) and felt so out of place and stupid because it wasn’t black, gray or dark brown. I think the peacoat is the way to go. He just needs a nice scarf and hat and gloves,and he’ll be all right! Ooh, and I bet he wears a nice thick hoodie underneath. He’ll be fine.
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on October 25th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Beth said:
Because he’s a first-semester freshman, he does not yet know that sweatshopped mass market is deeply uncool among the (often but not always) old-moneyed East Coast intellectual set. I know this; I taught at Sarah Lawrence. I also went to an East Coast-y college (full of Manhattanites if not technically on the East Coast) and was completely humiliated by as well as freezing cold in all the Esprit, Gap, etc. clothes I’d insisted on my mom buying before I went to college. It was thrifting and hand-me-downs from cooler upperclassmen all the way and of course I’d grown up poor enough that I would never, ever have thrifted or worn hand-me-downs before then; too close to the real edge we lived too close to. Little did I know that thrifting and borrowing signaled “rich enough not to have to care how you look.”
Anyway, you could buy him the Old Navy coat and watch him reject it after 2 mos, or buy the navy surplus one and disappoint him in the moment but have him secretly thank you in January and wear it throughout college. It’s a tough call. And I will say that being unbelievably gorgeous, he will be able to get away with anything.
All the hot coeds in Denver/Boulder wear Columbia, North Face, or Spyder. I am long past my hot young coed days but when I was in Denver last I saw plenty of them and noticed their cool coats/jackets among other things… ahem… now I feel like dirty old lady, forgive me.
God, you ought to see the dreadful thing my college-age son wears in NYC. He went shopping at a thrift store. It has a fake-fur lined hood!
Bossy, I think you need to resign yourself to the fact that now your son has Left The Nest he’s going to dress the way he wants and it will be hideous for a couple of years.
My son has affected very colorful socks. Just close your eyes and ignore it, it will go away in a few years.
Bossy, young people of New York prefer to be cold. I lived on the coldest corner in Manhattan with the coldest windchill – right across from the gates of your son’s school & never had a proper winter coat.
I did have a wool coat, but nothing water proof. And I did have hat, gloves and a scarf. And I was cold, cold, cold. And ran everywhere.
A fancy peacoat would only increase Bossy’s son’s attractiveness to the ladies. So if you were trying to make this case so that he wouldn’t have to fight off swarms of girls at the liquor store at midnight, or in the Quad in January, looking for a piece of the peacoated One, then I can see where you are coming from. Otherwise, get the boy a peacoat.
124
on October 27th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
pandechion said:
You really don’t want a coat that’s *too* heavy in NYC, since you’re on foot all day, constantly getting on and off the subway and going in and out of stores, and there’s no car to leave your coat in if you find yourself in an overheated interior. Layering is key. I get away with a down vest most of the winter, with extra sleeves and things underneath.
125
on October 28th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Lizzie said:
I’m late to this party and got tired of reading the comments, so I just skimmed to the bottom. I apologize if this is a millionth repeat. I’ve worn a peacoat as my winter coat for years. And I live in Boston, so yes, I’m in a similar-maybe-colder climate. I agree with pandechion right above me… I ended up sweating (so gross!) inside the super-warm ski-type coat I had because I was either walking everywhere or packed tightly on the hot subway. So I got the aforementioned peacoat. And it’s from Old Navy, actually, so the fact it’s lasted several years is pretty good for the usual ON quality.
Let your son learn from his own mistakes. One winter of freezing his butt off will teach him. He won’t die from it, just learn to buy a warmer coat next year.
127
on October 28th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Celeste said:
Thank you Bossy and other commenters!! You inspired me to venture into my local Army Surplus for the first time… and I scored a great pea coat…where great equals under $40 and in mint condition!
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on October 28th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Laura said:
As a NYC transplant from Texas and complete and total hater of The Cold and/or The Winter, I recommend against Old Navy for functional outerwear. J. Crew offers a reasonably priced and warmer alternative, and don’t forget scarf/hat/gloves/(discreet) long underwear, &c.
[...] may remember back in October when Bossy built a case against her son after he voiced a desire to replace his worn down jacket with an ice pack a peacoat from Old [...]
Since I live in Dallas, yes. If I lived in Iowa, no.
Since Dallas is the northern-most place I have ever lived, I have no suggestions for cold weather gear.
Can’t help you there, Bossy. I’m partial to peacoats, myself. There’s no such thing as an attractive and warm winter coat. Besides, The Boy would look fantastic in that.
Coeds of Columbia University: You’re welcome.
I would point him towards Lands End or LL Bean. I remember visiting New York in February once and having to wear two pairs of pants because I was THAT cold. I sincerely doubt a coat from Old Navy (cheap quality) is going to keep the poor boy warm. In most other cases I love Old Navy!
My son has the Banana Republic version of that peacoat. He loves it. For some reason, of course you live much further north than we, guys can take the cold better. My son couldn’t wait for colder weather. I can. He also has a longer trench version of this coat. Longer would be better for me!
How about a Columbia ski/sports jacket? The peacoat is definitely stylish, but Bossy’s son is going to freeze his buns off!
I think that peacoat is sufficient for your boy. Moms know best.
I would suggest a trip to Bossy’s local Army/Navy surplus store. We got my husband a real Navy issue (new, not used) peacoat at a surplus store. It is easily as warm as my Columbia, which is puffy and full of Thinsulate! And there’s the cool factor of the surplus store… Vintage is in? Right?
I agree with Amanda…love the style, but Old Navy is not what comes to mind when I think of quality winter clothing. Land’s End is a good place to start.
Oh- and surplus= cheap.
Buy the boy a Columbia coat to wear for everyday stuff and that one for a “date night” or something so that he’s only freezing his butt off when he has a cute girl to cuddle with. (Sorry Bossy but you know he only wants it to pick girls up with.)
I have noticed that college students seem to be impervious to cold, wearing flip flops and shorts year-round. out doors. in 6 inches of snow. so that peacoat will probably be *too* warm for the brutal NYC winters.
If it were a real peacoat made of boiled wool, then yes. Otherwise, hahahahahahaha. No.
I agree with the previous commenter – try LL Bean they have Peacoats that are actually insulated. And get him a nifty knitted cap to wear with it to keep his ears from freezing off.
Delurking now because I might be able to help. I love your blog, but can’t think of anything clever to say most days.
Perhaps, suggest that he take the train down to Syms Department Store (Trinity Place & Rector). He will likely be able to find a 100% wool coat, down jacket, etc. for a low-low price. I bought a Liz Claiborne 3/4 wool coat for $99. He can take R/W to the Rector station. The 4/5 to Wall Street and walk down Rector to Trinity Place. The 2/3 to Wall Street and walk up to Broadway, turn left and walk down Rector to Trinity Place.
If that doesn’t yield results, he can walk up Trinity Place to Century 21 Department Store. (The store is a mad house most days, but worth the hassle.) It also has excellent labels-for-less prices.
Having gone to schools in Syracuse (obscenely cold) and Vermont (even more obscenely cold), I would definitely recommend 100% wool or invest in a good down jacket or Gortex and fleece layers from Marmot, North Face or the like. I realize NYC isn’t as cold and boys usually don’t get as cold but at the very least, something that will last a long long time is your best bet.
I actually own the female version of this, though shorter and in green. It is not warm enough for winter, unless you layer a lot underneath. When we lived in a VERY COLD northern part of the world, I wore this while dragging people to the polls on election day 4 yrs ago. It was in the 40’s that day, and I was ok. Just in Banana Republic yesterday and saw their coats on sale for 30% off. Also, if you bring them a gently used coat or sweater, they give you a 30% off coupon. Their pea coats are much thicker, though expensive. The “lined hooded jacket” on BR’s site looks warm and is less expensive. They have even more selection in the store and outlet.
I grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is one of the coldest places you can imagine. Although the pea coat from Old Navy is cute, I would try this instead:
http://www.landsend.com/pp/WeatherlySystemJacket~188786_59.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::HGE&CM_MERCH=IDX_00001__0000000043&origin=index
I live in Butte, Montana. Where it’s freezing. What I would suggest is a REAL Navy (as in the seamen…hah!) peacoat-not some fake wannabe-like from here:
http://www.armynavyshop.com
This WILL be warm-I’ve had mine for 8 years-and I still where it when I go out in my – degree weather.
Good question. I would go with a long parka from Land’s End: their Squall parka is great, and lasts forever . . . if they don’t lose it.
That said, I had to sneak the coat of my son, who is also a freshman at Columbia, into his suitcase before we left home. I also made him take a red (men’s)Gore-tex L.L.Bean rain coat (heck, I wan’t going to need it for baseball play-offs) that I found at a resale shop a couple of years ago. He can layer all the sweatshirts and sweaters he wants under that.
He hasn’t said thank you yet.
Maybe Bossy’s son will realize what he really needs by Thanksgiving. Maybe he can buy the cheapo Old Navy himself, and Bossy could spring for the warmer coat when the sales get better?
Good luck.
I vote yes for the peacoat and a watch cap.
The issue here isn’t about staying warm, it’s about creating an identity. If your kid is attending Columbia, then he’s going to be mixing with people from all stations of life, and unless he’s preternaturally self-possesed, he’s going to need all the props he can get to create and maintain the identity of who he wants to become.
In my experience (17 years as a college professor), I find that young men who wear peacoats tend to be young men who read books and think hard about the world and have lots of ideas and ideals and dreams about creating a better world for everyone. And I think the world needs more of those kinds of young men.
So I vote yes — emphatically yes — for the peacoat.
I wore a coat just like that during my undergrad years at NYU. Of course, NYU is way south of Columbia – maybe it’s warmer down there?
@ rikki: omg, my name is ricky too! and i followed your link and i like that coat, and weirdly enough, i grew up with the model in that picture! he’s a sculpted piece of work…
Bossy, I think it’s important to realize that this is NY, and if you haven’t seen Project Runway enough, you better work [it]. You can’t just show up here wearing any old clothes! Your son probably just wants to make sure he’s looking good;maybe he should check out Daffy’s to see if there’s anything warmer… uptown Manhattan is windy and cold these days!
It’s perfect! He’ll have his insendiary wit and intellect to keep him warm, right? And he’ll feel hot in his smokin’ jacket – but I do NOT suggest a smoking jacket. They are not warm at all. .
I said this before in response to your Tuesday post… my grandmother always said “It’s not how you feel, it’s how you look”.
Go for the coat, Bossy’s son. But wear a hat. And a scarf. And run really fast between buildings when you are outside in that coat.
I am de-lurking because this reminded me of this post on one of my favorite websites: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/10/02/111-pea-coats/
I do really like the coat though– very stylish.
Ooooh I’ve been looking for a cool peacoat. And I don’t care if it’s a man’s, it looks like it’s a mine! Oh and son? what.
Oh yeah…Cool coat Bossy’s son, sorry Bossy.
If this is the coat he *wants*, then this is the one! He can layer underneath – thermal long-sleeved T’s, etc. Sorry, Bossy – I almost always advocate for the kids. I had to realize my youngest LIKES the cold – I couldn’t keep a warm coat on him, no matter what! I can’t STAND to be cold, so I could. not. relate. But – he’s him, I’m me. I don’t even BUY him a heavy coat anymore.
If it’s really like the one I had in the Navy, then it would be a great coat. But if it’s from Old Navy, then it’s probably much too thin. Have him find a surplus store that sells the real military Navy issue, looks the same but will be much warmer and last longer.
My L. L. Bean peacoat served me very well for six years before the lining and pockets disintegrated into shreds. Since the fabric was still in very good shape I had a new lining put in it. The outstanding alterations lady I found gave me a choice of another regular lining or an insulated one which felt only a tad beefier. I opted for the heavier lining. It’s incredibly warm and the coat isn’t bulkier at all. Seventy bucks, and I had it back in a week. Warm, thrifty, stylish – what’s not to love?
My inappropriate crush on BOSSY’s Son prevents me from building a case against him. It also warms the cockles of my cougar heart that he and I share a love of peacoats.
I have found a peacoat coupled with a turtleneck, scarf, and gloves is plenty warm. Keep in mind that I live in Los Angeles. But it worked in DC in January. Just sayin’
p.s. BOSSY’s Son…call me.
get the 32 oz wool real deal
canyons are cold and windeeeee
here’s a nyc army-navy store link (sorry, this is not going to help the budget, it is more than the “Old Navy” jacket but I think a real, old, Navy jacket will last longer and be warmer in the long run)
http://www.galaxyarmynavy.com/item-sb-740nvy.asp
First of all: where’s the danged “Click here for More Bossy Exposition and Carrying On”??
I was SO proud of myself that I remembered to scroll to the bottom and click before reading. And. nothing.
Of course next time I’ll forget again — hard to teach this old dog new tricks. Okay, now I’ll go back up and read the post and all your comments and get un-cranky.
i have had several peacoats, and they managed to get me through ohio winters in law school, so i vote yes on the style, but no on the old navy because of the quality issue. i have one from the gap that has held up nicely and one from marshall field’s (which i think have all become macy’s now).
layer, layer, layer. i had a pea coat from j.crew (on super sale) that supposedly had thinsulate. i wore it for three winters in nyc and it stood me well. but, i definitely wore lots of layers. the one thing you forget about is the heat: on the bus, the subway, in buildings. too heavy of a coat and you end up sweaty and claustrophobic!
I’m uncranky now. Loved all your comments, esp Deirdre (#19) about “young men who read books and think hard about the world and have lots of ideas and ideals and dreams” — that should warm the cockles of the heart Of Bossy’s son’s mom!
I don’t have kids and I’m not cool, so I can’t weigh in on the topic at hand. I would like to hear the outcome sometime, though. Don’t leave us hanging in peacoat suspense!
PS. Bossy, did you see that I referenced one of the gigantic orange numbers? Very helpful. Reeb.
I’m not so sure about how warm that will be. Did you try looking in a thrift store to see if you could find a real Navy Peacoat? My husband got one for me. Somone had left it on the coatrack of the office where he works at the college. It sat there for a year beofre he brought it home for me.
I live in So Cal. Where we own only light jackets and old umbrellas with bent metal parts that stick out from the fabric. And we can rarely remember where we put either because the last time we used them was 5,000 years ago.
I love seasons.
I’d like to have some once in a while.
Pfffft.
(I love all your helpful readers with all their great coat tips!)
I second/third/whatever the Sym’s, army/navy surplus and Century 21 (before weather makes your son get bundled up because it gets hot and crazy in there fast) suggestions. There is also a Burlington Coat Factory at the 23rd Street F/V station (I think the one by City Hall closed). I have an ankle length down coat from Lands Ends that I swear by. It’s very light and very warm and when mushed up, it makes a nice pillow in a pinch as well. Your son is adorable, he’d make it’s huge michelin-manness almost as cute as a pea coat.
So I agree on getting him “a” peacoat — but not necessarily this one. Look around & price out a good & study wool one. If that doesn’t work out (bargain-wisewise)maybe it WILL be this Old Navy version. Add a “cool” scarf, gloves & hat that HE approves of and at least he’ll be properly dressed for winter. I notice many/most college students in Boston wear hooded SWEATSHIRTS in place of winter jackets. Even in the snow(?). Granted most of these kids are NOT natives to my cold hometown and who knows what their mom’s bought them. Perhaps a Lands End jacket they hate???
Did you change your feed recently? I just looked in my reader and realized that I haven’t gotten an update since Oct 7th.
It’s all changed now.
He’s in NYC. That coat is all right for most of the winter.
He will rock the coat and it will be warm enough for him. Even skinny me can handle the cold in a peacoat. It’s more what he’s wearing underneath (i.e. a warm sweater). Plus a cap and a scarf and some nice gloves.
AND if you’re looking to stay out of debt, the Old Navy price will be oh-so-helpful.
Looking good is the most important thing! Right?
Bossy, what about North Face? Maybe something thin to wear under the jacket?
My mother always told me that if you are going to spend money on clothes make sure they are classics and constructed well and of a fabric that will last a long time. Buy my nephew a coat that will see him through the next 8 years (undergrad and graduate school) – I suggest J Crew for good quality and timeless fashion.
what about a man fur?
I like it. If worn with a sweater he should be fine.
The coat looks great. When I was his age I hardly ever wore a coat, very much disliked them. Those young people are moving too fast to get that cold.
I love this coat. He can wear warm shirts and/or sweaters underneath. Sorry I couldn’t help you out Bossy.
I just thought of another store he can try. Loehmann’s on Seventh Avenue and West 18th Street. He can take any subway to Union Square and then walk from there.
Buy the coat a size larger than he needs … and then, layer layer layer. Kapisch?!
i have one of those pea coats (from a few years ago) and i never wear it because it’s too warm. but then again, i live in west texas…
I once went to New York in December and it was -14 three days straight….and that was WITHOUT the windchill factor. Needless to say I crammed myself in the Macy’s bathroom so I could pull thermals onto my frozen legs. I had an Old Navy Wool coat and it did NOTHING for me. I’d try an outdoors wear brand for sure. More expensive and won’t help the Bossy Get Out of Debt cause, but some Northface or Patagonia is going to keep him cozy warm!
Try sportsbasement.com!
My son (a college sophomore) refuses to get a good winter coat, too, and prefers a lined wool jacket from Target. We live in the Midwest where we get lots of snow and crummy wet weather, so he should really have a parka from Columbia or The North Face. But no! He doesn’t want one. So I wish you luck with this, and do let us know if (and how) you win him over. (One thing my son will wear is a hat and scarf…and he did consent to wear waterproof footwear, so at least his feet are dry and warm.)
My son spent his first winter in NYC (he’s a senior at FIT) in a Peacoat from Banana Republic, just need to accessorize with a nice cashmere scarf and cap, oh and gloves. He’ll be fine.
P.S. – if you are a student you can get a 15% discount at J Crew – they have a great selection of outerwear.
Funny. My son wanted a Peacoat coat when he started college too. ( Long Beach) Must be a freshman have to have.
Yes. Get him THAT coat. Its super cool
I think it is perfect. A nod to Beat.
AND with a hoodie or something layered, it should be good.
forgot the accessory. A cigarette.
Getzby, you know I’m kidding.
I will sound a dreadful bore, but once the kid hit college, I resigned from my wardrobe advisor/advocate position. If the son is cold, the son will problem solve. And is there anything more attractive than a man who can take care of himself?
I went to school an hour outside of NYC and I wore my peacoat all winter with out freezing. With long sleeves and a scarf it was perfect. Which is really saying something as I am from southern CA and not used to weather below 70 in the winter.
Wool is the warmest thing for a winter coat to be made of and it’s far more stylish than those silly parka thingies that look like insulated plastic. I think the coat will be fine. I’ve been eyeing the wool peacoat in the women’s section, myself.
I just moved from NYC! Just tell him to to wear a sweater under it, he’ll be fine. You start to get immune to the cold weather when your always in it
Hope he’s having a great time up there- from one college kid to another- NYC is the best place to grow up!!!
I live in upstate NY, where it’s way colder than in the city, btw, and I love my peacoat. However, it’s not made by Old Navy’s sweatshops, it’s an actual peacoat. The Mister has an actual peacoat, too, and swears by it. The tip to hit the army-navy outlet is right on.
I think peacoats are great. If you think he won’t be warm enough invest in a wool one, not an Old Navy knock off. Check resale shops as they sometimes show up there on the cheap. Oh and yes, the surplus stores…I’m with your son. Sorry!
My winter coat is a Navy peacoat from a surplus store. I bought it in 1995, and it still looks great. Of course, I live in Houston, and I only have to wear my coat maybe ten times a year…It’s really warm when I do wear it, and the humidity here makes the cold seem worse. Good luck with your decision, since I wasn’t helpful at all.
Being that I live in Maine, I have to go with L.L. Bean. However, having said that, if he adds a nice wool scarf and something on his head and some gloves, he might just be warm enough in NYC this winter. Just how much time is he planning on spending OUTSIDE?
I say buy this kid two coats!!! One practical & when the brutal winter gets to him he might break….or the peacoat and he can look cool.
I can’t help you build a case against him, b/c I aree with him … and I live in Canada – it’s cold here! I have one pea coat from old navy and one from Land’s End, love them both and have worn them both in the dead of winter, with just a sweater or hoodie under. The Land’s End one is the better of the two b/c the real wool keeps out the wind, and honestly that’s the coldest part of winter. So for your everyday, brief trips to the store, school, liquor mart etc, it’s the coat my husband & i would both choose. However, if your going to be spending some serious time outside, a la skiing, or snowmobiling etc. – then you want a parka.
Sorry, I just went back and re-read the comments and I have to post a reply about #16 being delusional if he/she thinks saskatoon is one of the coldest places you can imagine. Obviously hasn’t been to Winnipeg a.k.a. “winter-peg” or just north in Gimli where it’s not only -40ish a large percent of the time, it’s also unbelievably cold due to the wind whipping in off of Lake winnipeg. My family’s lived there for years and my brothers always worn a peacoat.
No help here: I’ve always been a sucker for a college boy in a peacoat.
Bossy, Being the sophisticated lady you are, surely you must know of Century 21 in NYC? If not, learn about it. I am not a shopper, but my X was. Even I know a great place to get something unique and fashionable when at a place like Century 21. The old one was near the twin towers and got destroyed. But, I hear they rebuilt it. Make an excuse to go visit the boy and take him there for a true NY winter coat. As a former New Yorker who spent a lot of time outside, trust me, he’ll need one. It’s the wind.
Let him get that jacket!! My son attended a college near Utica. When he was there, I bought him something practical, but he didn’t like it, and somehow it was “lost”. He ended up with a similar peacoat and wore it with a zip-up fleece underneath. As someone else suggested there are also jacket liners you can buy (The North Face, etc., have them.) My son graduated this year and is working in NYC. He is getting a bit more practical — he now has an umbrella (which he refused during college years) and is looking to get his first real raincoat!
Century 21, Urban Outfitters and Macy’s come to mind.
http://www.c21stores.com/#/whats-new/
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/category.jsp?popId=MENS&navAction=poppushpush&isSortBy=true&navCount=15&pushId=MENS_APPAREL&id=M_APP_OUTERWEAR
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/index.ognc?CategoryID=3763&PageID=16166206552944&kw=Coats%20%26%20Jackets&LinkType=EverGreen
Yes to A peacoat, NO to THAT peacoat, it’s a piece of crap.
Send thy son to army surplus and tell him to pick out a nice one worn by Navy men. It’s made of real wool and will be very warm (I live in the PNW and spent a year in Germany, I wore my dad’s Navy (military, not color) pea coat with no trouble for years.)
Also, as the professor said, he’s trying to build an identity and this peacoat will help him do just that, but he’s also probably trying to be frugal which is why he clicked on Old Navy, but their stuff is wafer thin and crapola.
Get the kid a pea coat, just get him a good one.
The nice thing about the army surplus coats is that you can still get a new one, but they have the “vintage” look which only adds to the coolness factor.
A real wool peacoat will be stylish and super warm. I’m doubting the Old Navy variety will be the latter, however. It will be a thinner, less dense wool than the boiled stuff of which the originals were made. I’d go with the Navy surplus store version. There’s just too much walking outdoors a city boy will do in winter to bother with the inferior warmth of Old Navy. But don’t bother trying to change his mind to a Land’s End warm barn-style coat or something. He knows what he wants in terms of style. That’s fair.
OLD Navy – not a good as The Real Navy – he does need a real Navy pea coat, THAT is a cool coat. When you are a college freshman – the last thing on your mind is what coat will keep me warm so if you think he will even consider any coat that will fall below his knees and actually KEEP him warm, don’t waste your time.
Here Bossy, go to a place like this:
http://www.armynavydeals.com/asp/products_details.asp?SKU=STOTCM&ST=2
Actually, most of the Old Navy pea coats are lined with flannel and the performance fleece stuff. My husbands weighs an insane amount and is really, really warm. Obviously, if you buy the $20 coat, it’s not going to be very warm. If you drop about $80 then it’ll be more than fine.
We live in Chicago and it’s always kept him really warm, even after hours of playing with our son in the snow.
I live in Maine, its real cold here. L. L. Bean will have what he needs fashion-wise and warmth-wise. I promise. They might be a bit more spendy than Old Navy but the Old Navy coat won’t last for years and years and years like the L. L. Bean coat.
ummm….Am I missing something?
Looks good to me. And Old Navy is Poverty Party friendly. He could be asking for the same thing from J. Poo, which would run him/you about $200.
But if you want me to say it’s horrible, terrible, and completely unacceptable, I will.
i have one and am familiar w/ the Columbia ‘hood…this coat won’t get him thru the winter. unless they added some sort of lining. maybe your boy is heartier than I, but the wind just cuts right thru this coat. just MHO
The coat is stylish no doubt, but having lived in Manhattan myself, I have to be honest and say I doubt it would be warm enough. We get really cold winters with the wind blowing like crazy which chills you even more. So my suggestion would be to look around and find the same style coat but from a better quality store which would be warmer. No doubt he’s internet savvy so searching via Google or somesuch shouldn’t be an issue for him. And definitely get a good hat, scarf and gloves. It SUCKS pulling your Metrocard out of your pocket with bare fingers when it’s below freezing.
Yet another Mainer (Maineiac?) chiming in to suggest a real Navy-issue peacoat instead. Try EBay!
And, I totally agree with Deirdre (#19) about young people needing to express their inner selves in the international sea of people called NYC.
I’m with Bossy’s son on this one – love peacoats. But then I’ve only lived in Dallas and Atlanta so I don’t know much about really cold winters like you have in the northeast.
My son and many other boys at his high school wear khaki shorts all year, even if it’s 20º outside. Go figure. I guess maybe teenage boys are oblivious to temperature?
It looks nice, but I’ve never lived in New York City.
I also like the Barncoats from LL Bean
I’m sorry. I thought Bossy said to press my face against her son, not make a case against him.
Therefore, I’m of no use in the matter. Although I will say this: I am sure he would look dashing in that coat.
And now, because I’ve used the word “dashing,” I will now go the corner and begin crocheting rather than daydream about breaking the law in every state of the union.
I have no idea what a pea coat costs but layered with a sweater, thermals, did I say another sweater and he will be fine or learn a lesson… what does it cost 75 bucks? He’ll probably lose it anyway. I would worry about freezing my but cheeks but he’s a kid butt cheeks are incidental to cool. Oh and get him a watch cap
What on earth would I know? The coldest it gets here at Granite Glen is about 0 degrees for 45 seconds in mid-winter. Except for the occasional frost, it’s balmy most of the time!
Pea coats? Not a clue. I gave up being fashion conscious in the mid-nineties. It coincided with the borth of first child. Amazing. “Expressing yourself” in NYC… I am not qualified to comment.
However, if you are clever at the whole “expressions” thing, Bossy, then why not pop over to my place for the silliest game in blogworld? No great danes today, but it might take your mind off the coat-stress situation!
BB
i would go with LL bean, he will be warm
WTF is a peacoat? Is it so named because you can spit peas through it?
Anyway. Lots of everything, the more the better.
And coldest place on Earth? Platform 1, Waverley Station, Edinburgh. Fact.
I said…what about a man fur???
Sorry, I vote yes. He’ll be so Joe College cute.
Having spent too many winters in Chicago, Columbia 3-in-1 is the only way to go if he actually wants to be warm.
But being young and strong, he’ll just wear a sweater under the coat and insist he’s warm.
He might give in when he sees everyone ELSE all warm and toasty in the Columbia jackets their mothers made them wear.
Or maybe he’ll just wrap a cute co-ed around his neck and stay warm that way. (sorry, Bossy, i know you don’t want to think about that.)
Sorry, Bossy. flutter loves her peacoat and the peacoat that she purchased for her fiance.
such a great blog some how i found you lookin for things on our sons birth defect esophageal atresia
It is very fake chic, to be sure. (Fake chic because it is undoubtably of inferior construction as a real peacoat. You know, like actually made of wool.)
However. (You knew there was a however, correct?)
Does Bossy’s Son know how frigid NYC is in January? The wind cuts through those steel and concrete valleys like a knife. Less stylish to be sure, but better to invest in some down-lined parka-esk outerwear appropriate for the Arctic.
Sorry, no help here. My Colorado college boy is all about the REI.
I have a peacoat from Old Navy and it keeps me warm in the windy, cold and rainy Seattle days…of course I have a trendy college sweatshirt underneath and I am as toasty as a bug in a rug. I’d say layers, but that is just me
REI ROCKS! Try Campmor also, and maybe Sierra Trading Post. or Orvis
Bossy,
Go real Navy, at a surplus store and get the real Navy issue Peacoat. I had one as a kid. Wore like iron, warm as toast, and that was up off Lake Erie in snow-country. And yes, Bossy’s Son will be most handsome in it. Add a warm cashmere scarf!
As a New Englander, I can tell you that’s the classic winter coat…we all own one and wear it for 99% of winter, except when we wear full length wool coats to nice events.
REAL pea coats rock!!! Go army/navy
I have an old navy peacoat that I never wear because it’s NOT COLD ENOUGH in stupid balmy Seattle. He’s in Manhattan? He’ll be fine. Maybe a hat.
The Old Navy coats are incredibly thin. I love peacoats – classically cool outerwear – but the one’s I’ve seen in Old Navy are not going to be warm enough for NYC. Lived all my life in NY and the February chill goes right through to your bones if you are not prepared.
On the other hand, he could get the cheap coat and just hibernate.
Old Navy for a true winter coat? Nuh-OH! He’ll freeze his hiney off! I’m for something more parka-like.
Oh, and for Mr. Farty who wanted to know
“WTF is a peacoat? Is it so named because you can spit peas through it?”
It’s real name is a “Pilot Coat,” so named for the naval pilots who guided navy ships around the world and into port. They were regulation wear 30 ounce wool short coats designed for the pilot who had to stand on deck using the stars for guidance. Somewhere along the way the name was shortened to “P Coat.” When this coat became an icon of the fashion industry, 5th Avenue changed the spelling to Pea Coat.
I vote for Bossy’s son getting a real Pilot Coat and looking ever so cool while staying ever so warm. And if he wants to look cool and not stay warm, go for the vintage leather jacket.
Ok, I had one of those pea coats all through high school. Granted, it doesn’t get too too cold in Mississippi, but I remember it always kept me warm while drinking liquor in fields (in hindsight, maybe it was the liquor). Anyway, you can’t get much cheaper/utilitarian than an Old Gravy pea coat. Good investment.
The pea coat is also well known for the chick magnet factor. Not only will he be warm and toasty on his way to liquor up, but he will attract a multitude of babes..not sure if you would like to factor that into the question or not. Just lettin you know!!
Lisa
coastal nest
Bossy, the pea coats are great (wore one for a few years while rowing the canoe for uncle sam). I’m in the process of developing the parkas worn by the cadets at United States Military Academy and will post a picture soon at my store site. You can see cadets in them at you tube “Sosh Run- November 2003.
Oh, that is a cute coat. But he’ll definitely freeze his tush off.
Pea coats stand up to upstate New York winters. And they are good looking….and see…http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/10/02/111-pea-coats/
I suggest a good scarf also.
My son needed a winter coat in December, and of course by then mnost are gone. But we went to Marshalls and found a number opf perfectly wonderful and reasonable leather jackets…then he was the Pea Coat. He loved it. He felt cool and un-austentatious, and did I say cool? Plus he like the way he looked in it. He says it’s plenty warm enough-they don’t want to be too warm.
I’m weighing in with the lot that says most boys are unaware of the cold. I have a son a year older than yours, we live in Michigan, he hunts, fishes, works outdoors and half the time doesn’t wear a coat. BTW, we have found that LLBean and Lands’ End offer coats that are just as good in quality as the (much) more expensively priced NorthFace and Marmot. Plus, they wash better and the zippers don’t do that shrink up thing that Northface’s does.
I went to Manhattan wearing a light blue Columbia jacket (I’m a girl!) and felt so out of place and stupid because it wasn’t black, gray or dark brown. I think the peacoat is the way to go. He just needs a nice scarf and hat and gloves,and he’ll be all right! Ooh, and I bet he wears a nice thick hoodie underneath. He’ll be fine.
Because he’s a first-semester freshman, he does not yet know that sweatshopped mass market is deeply uncool among the (often but not always) old-moneyed East Coast intellectual set. I know this; I taught at Sarah Lawrence. I also went to an East Coast-y college (full of Manhattanites if not technically on the East Coast) and was completely humiliated by as well as freezing cold in all the Esprit, Gap, etc. clothes I’d insisted on my mom buying before I went to college. It was thrifting and hand-me-downs from cooler upperclassmen all the way and of course I’d grown up poor enough that I would never, ever have thrifted or worn hand-me-downs before then; too close to the real edge we lived too close to. Little did I know that thrifting and borrowing signaled “rich enough not to have to care how you look.”
Anyway, you could buy him the Old Navy coat and watch him reject it after 2 mos, or buy the navy surplus one and disappoint him in the moment but have him secretly thank you in January and wear it throughout college. It’s a tough call. And I will say that being unbelievably gorgeous, he will be able to get away with anything.
I kind of like this coat. BUT, he will definitely be a little cold all winter : ). If he doesn’t care about the warmth then go for it : )!
Winter wardrobe? What is this term you speak of?
Old Navy rocks. Love it.
All the hot coeds in Denver/Boulder wear Columbia, North Face, or Spyder. I am long past my hot young coed days but when I was in Denver last I saw plenty of them and noticed their cool coats/jackets among other things… ahem… now I feel like dirty old lady, forgive me.
God, you ought to see the dreadful thing my college-age son wears in NYC. He went shopping at a thrift store. It has a fake-fur lined hood!
Bossy, I think you need to resign yourself to the fact that now your son has Left The Nest he’s going to dress the way he wants and it will be hideous for a couple of years.
My son has affected very colorful socks. Just close your eyes and ignore it, it will go away in a few years.
Bossy, young people of New York prefer to be cold. I lived on the coldest corner in Manhattan with the coldest windchill – right across from the gates of your son’s school & never had a proper winter coat.
I did have a wool coat, but nothing water proof. And I did have hat, gloves and a scarf. And I was cold, cold, cold. And ran everywhere.
Peacoat=timeless. Son wins.
A fancy peacoat would only increase Bossy’s son’s attractiveness to the ladies. So if you were trying to make this case so that he wouldn’t have to fight off swarms of girls at the liquor store at midnight, or in the Quad in January, looking for a piece of the peacoated One, then I can see where you are coming from. Otherwise, get the boy a peacoat.
You really don’t want a coat that’s *too* heavy in NYC, since you’re on foot all day, constantly getting on and off the subway and going in and out of stores, and there’s no car to leave your coat in if you find yourself in an overheated interior. Layering is key. I get away with a down vest most of the winter, with extra sleeves and things underneath.
I’m late to this party and got tired of reading the comments, so I just skimmed to the bottom. I apologize if this is a millionth repeat. I’ve worn a peacoat as my winter coat for years. And I live in Boston, so yes, I’m in a similar-maybe-colder climate. I agree with pandechion right above me… I ended up sweating (so gross!) inside the super-warm ski-type coat I had because I was either walking everywhere or packed tightly on the hot subway. So I got the aforementioned peacoat. And it’s from Old Navy, actually, so the fact it’s lasted several years is pretty good for the usual ON quality.
Let your son learn from his own mistakes. One winter of freezing his butt off will teach him. He won’t die from it, just learn to buy a warmer coat next year.
Thank you Bossy and other commenters!! You inspired me to venture into my local Army Surplus for the first time… and I scored a great pea coat…where great equals under $40 and in mint condition!
As a NYC transplant from Texas and complete and total hater of The Cold and/or The Winter, I recommend against Old Navy for functional outerwear. J. Crew offers a reasonably priced and warmer alternative, and don’t forget scarf/hat/gloves/(discreet) long underwear, &c.
[...] may remember back in October when Bossy built a case against her son after he voiced a desire to replace his worn down jacket with an ice pack a peacoat from Old [...]