Winter Coats that Won't Break the Bank

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Thursday, which means we’ve got six long weeks of Boston winter ahead of us. Don’t let the somewhat mild December and January weather deceive you—February in Boston is brutal, so even if there isn’t a repeat of Snowpocalypse 2015, be prepared to bundle up.

Luckily, February is a good time to buy a new winter coat, because stores are already beginning to stock spring clothes and start their end-of-winter sales. Maybe living in a city where it’s winter until April does pay off, after all.

Yes, this is a picture of the campus last April. Brace yourselves: winter is just getting started. By Lauren A. Sierra

Flyby already shared our review of the ubiquitous Canada Goose coats. But for those of you who don’t feel like dropping at least $800 on a winter jacket: we feel you. Here are some other winter coat options to help you survive till spring break. We’ve collected women’s and men’s coats options, and everything is under $200. Plus, we’ve conveniently sorted our suggestions by your Harvard stereotype for easy browsing.

The Pre-Professional

You’re never caught without at least five backup copies of your resume, and your Google Calendar is overflowing with networking events. You need a coat that you can wear over any outfit, from business-casual to business-cocktail, and that won’t clash with any of your (exclusively black, navy, or charcoal grey, of course) suits. But you don’t have that investment banker money yet, so you need something reasonably priced that only looks expensive. Check out these overcoats from Old Navy (women's and men’s) if you’re ballin’ on a budget. If you’re looking to splurge a little more (who needs to buy textbooks, anyway?) look at these options from ASOS and Zara.

The Mainstream Hipster

Sure, you go to the wealthiest and most famous school in the world, but you’re still a hipster, not that you would admit it. You’re likely on the Advocate or WHRB, your close friends are just as artsy as you are, and you pride yourself on your individual music taste and fashion sense. You want a coat that will keep you warm, but that also would fit in at Oberlin or Reed. You should probably head over to the Goodwill in Davis Square or the Garment District in Central. But if you have no qualms about your purchase profiting global corporations, check out these coats from H&M. (Women’s coats here and here, men’s coats here and here).

“The City” Kid

If you need to clarify which city we’re referring to, this is not you. All of your closest friends are also from New York and went to high school either with you or at a rival prep school. Your wardrobe is pretty much all black, and you need a nice (read: Goose-esque) black parka to complement it. Here are some budget options from Forever 21 and Target, or take advantage of the end of season sales and pick up this Vince Camuto women’s parka or Calvin Klein men’s parka.

The Outdoorsy One