ChinUp

I am moving to Toronto in the summer with my Canadian husband and two teenage sons. I am nervous about my sons fitting in their new schools and want to be prepared.
I want to buy them winter coats that are TRENDY and WARM - both. From their point of view, naturally, they would rather look like they fit in, even if it means freezing a little, but I would prefer to keep them fairly defrosted.

I would be so helpful for any advice!

Also (but this is mere curiosity): do kids bring a packed lunch to school? Or do they have canteens?

THANKS A LOT!

destinationnovascotia

Just let them choose their own and hope for the best. In my experience, teenagers tend to go out in -20 wearing sneakers and a hoodie. You resist for so long, then you just realize that it really isn't worth the effort.

Almost Canadian

Pop into any ski shop and you will likely hit the nail right on the head. If you want to spend lots, go into a dedicated ski shop, of you don't want to break the bank, head to Sport Mart, Sport Chek type stores.

The canteen issue will depend upon the school. In our youngest's elementary school there are all sorts of rules as to what they can and can't take in and no canteen, in our eldest's junior high, there are no rules and a canteen.

Piff Poff

I would recommend anything from Eddie Bauer. The age range that shops there is huge. The lifetime guarantee and return policy is second to none, check out the First Ascent line for the trendier stuff. http://www.eddiebauer.com/home.jsp?siteId=2 The Yukon Down jacket available from October time is one the most popular jackets year in year out and usually runs at $99. There may still be some online or in the outlets dead cheap. Dead cheap time happens February time.

Eddie Bauer was the guy that invented the down jacket in the 30's. The down is really high quality, so less is needed for the same warmth as a inferior brand. There is a friends and family day coming up shortly, I will be asking people on here if they want a discount code

My kid takes a packed lunch to school, she says the school food is disgusting.

MillieF

Chinup - whatever you will do will be wrong! My 'tween' didn't wear his coat all winter, and December was pretty chilly - I discovered THIS weekend, it's because he didn't like the style! I have a vague memory of wearing open sandals in winter myself as a teen to look 'cool' as opposed to freezing, so maybe the apple didn't fall too far from the tree.

Piff Poff, many thanks for the information about the Eddie Bauer down coats, I shall definitely look out for these. My experience with Canadian clothing hasn't always been too positive, and the things I've bought before have sometimes been badly made and, I think, damned expensive, but maybe I haven't been looking in the right places.

I will visit schools at the end of summer/early autumn, but hope to heavens that there are canteen facilities - the canteen here is fantastic, and I really don't fancy having to pack something healthy/fun/nutritional on a daily basis!

britsnake

My Children normal spend the winter rolling about in the snow, so they are pretty hard on anything we buy them.

If you spend too much, there is always the danger that they will not come home with it. I do know cases of children going to school and finding that their expensive boots or coat were missing at the end of the day.

Generally speaking, I have not found being trendy being given as much priority as it was in the Uk. As long as it is not something you or your husband would wear and they pick it out themselves, they will probably be alright.

On the question of packed lunches, I have found their use very common over here, and some school even have facilities for warming food up.

iaink

If you go the ski coat direction get something with a zip in / out liner, not a big goose down filled bubble coat.

Contrary to rumour its not always -30 in Canada, and they wont be outside all the time, so too hot and sweating are in the agenda if you over do it.

Layers are the key to comfort here, unless you are planing a polar mountain top expedition for them in which case a down filled jacket might be worth the cost.

As others have said, getting them to wear a coat is half the battle, I see teens in miniskirts and bare legs heading to the highschool in January in weather that freezes my eyeballs!

Probably as well to wait till you get here anyway and let them make their own minds up. Probably looking at at least a couple of hundred bucks plus each for a Columbia or Burton or whatever is trendy this year Ski/Board Jacket. I have seen some really expensive stuff in the lost and found at the kids elementary school, god knows what the older kids leave behind. My kids will be getting whatever is cheap and functional from Walmart or Canadian tire. My better half got a cheap ski jacket and pants from Crappy Tire in the spring and has been as warm and comfortable as the most expensively label dressed of us at the ski hill... Layers is the key.

marimac

Canada Goose is the brand that all the teens wear - http://www.canada-goose.com/. No idea why because they are really expensive and far too warm for Toronto weather (most of the time). But everywhere you go, you will see the distinctive logo.

Oink

I don't think Canadian kids do trendy. Just get them something that African-American kids were wearing three or four years ago and that's about it.

snowcandy

Hi,

We arrived in Alberta on New Years Day with only our UK coats. Didn't bother getting anything more substantial until we got here. Luckily temps were ok for a week then dropped to minus 22 so had enough time to get them kitted out before they started school.

Got 2 youngest kids coats in Sportchek for about $90 and ski pants $30 at Zellars. (They spend every recess rolling about in the snow).However 17 year old daughter refused point blank to get any outdoor coat or footwear until she had visited her new school to see what the kids were wearing in case she got the wrong thing!!! She is still wearing her bloomin' Ugg boots 3 months on as they change into sneakers at school. She will not wear any "proper" pants to school as "like no one my age wears them", she prefers instead to freeze at the bus stop when it's minus 36 in the wind chill in skinny jeans just to look "cool"?????????? Kids today and all that.

jericho

Can I make a suggestion?

For the love of God, let your kids buy/chose their own coats.

The last thing they want is their mum running out buying clobber that they think is "trendy".

Jingsamichty

You're moving to Toronto this summer, and you join an expat board to ask only one question - what coats to buy for your teenagers for next winter?

Wind up.

Oink

I'm not so sure, coats are very important, unless you're from Newcastle.

mandymoochops

by the time they need proper winter coats - they willl have a circle of friends and know where to get their stuff from already.

Joe_Sleepy

Which COAT should I buy for my teenage sons?

It's blue for boys I think, or yellow..