Pine Cone

How much would it be reasonable to budget for both and adults and children, kitting out with winter gear for your first winter in Toronto, or Canada in general?

I'm thinking winter boots (how many months a year would you wear those on average and some recommendations?), down jacket, ski trousers etc?

Would my regular 700 loft North Face down jacket cut it? I've never tried it in termperatures below -5, although that was toasty still and it's compatible with my ski jacket so I just zip it inside that and it's waterproof too. My down jacket doesn't have a hood but are they absolutely neccesary or would warm hats suffice?

What about kids? It's almot impossible to get high loft kids down jackets down under. Mine all have 500loft but I'm not sure how cold it would get for that to be inadequate.

Pulaski

Take a look at LLBean, they sell quality winter clothing, including for children. You can probably find cheaper, but if you budget for that much you can be sure you have enough.

Dorothy

We used to outfit our kids at Sears or WalMart. No need to shop at places like LLBean (outrageously expensive IMO).

Winter boots, I would have one good pair for walking the dog, etc with good thermal liners and another dress pair for going out or to work. From memory there were some years when I would only wear them from maybe mid December to March if there wasn't a lot of snow.

My down coat didn't have a hood and I used to wear a good scarf and knitted hat. I taught my daughter to knit when she was about 6 and she made us all hats for Christmas one year. In Toronto I can't imagine adults wearing ski pants unless they're going tobogganing or skiing. Kids would wear them to school so they can play out at recess, but adults not so much. I actually don't think I even owned a pair since I was about 12.

snoopdawg

Kids over the age of about 13- boys especially- will be wearing jeans , t shirts, long sleeved if you are lucky and usual Vans/ Converse. No coat needed apart from really cold days when you might persuade them to put on their ski/ snowboard jacket. Snowboots are a dirty word and for little kids and old people only.
I've seen boys in shorts/ t shirts/ flip flops in snow going to school. Girls are somewhat more sane .

dbd33

For commuting in winter in Toronto I wore (and would wear if I had to do it again): Docs (from a basement shop in Camden High Road), SmartWool socks, probably from REI, corduroy trousers (outlet mall, Niagara Falls NY), heavy shirt (often from LL Bean), light jumper (invariably from LL Bean), Tottenham scarf (from WHL), multi part jacket, best one ever was Fahrenheit brand but only half of it still exists, I clean the chicken coop in it. People who don't mind looking ridiculous also wear a wooly hat.

The shopping place for clothes for Toronto families is the Walden Galleria and the nearby outlet mall.

The problem is selecting a wardrobe is the erratic heating in office buildings. People keep jumpers and even coats at their desks in high summer to combat the air conditioning; layering is similarly needed in winter in case this is the day when the heat comes on.

BristolUK

Much depends how long you spend out in the cold. Usually it's door to car to door and back again.

Perhaps I spend more time than most, what with not being a driver. There's time to and from bus stops and time waiting at them or walking to the nearby stores. The kids used to wait for the school bus and there's time snow clearing.

On the other hand, no time spent skiing.

Perfectly adequate coats for the kids from Walmart and Zellers at $60 although the stepson's latest was $90. My stepdaughter's from about 8 years ago is still good. I've been wearing the 3-in-1 jacket that my wife's ex used to own, since 2004 and it's still great.

The advantage of a 3-in-1 is that you have something warm for late autumn/beginning of winter/winter's end and something waterproof for rain at other times, but I already had stuff suitable for that from the UK anyway. That's probably why the one I 'borrowed' has lasted.

I have a hat with ear flaps - got that from Damart in the UK

My current boots cost $35 from Giant Tiger and they do the job fine. My previous pair cost the same from Zellers in 2005 but last winter they developed a crack in the sole and suck up slush and water, hence the new pair. But they are still functional if it's just ice and snow.

Gloves...$15 lined mittens from Giant Tiger and $20 work gloves from CanadianTire for snow clearing but for big snowfalls I have the drive plowed so more than 20-25 minutes clearing snow is unusual.

not2old

dbd33@ post #5 & Bristol @ post #6

As far as clothing across the board, seeing that winter like the hot humid summers we have are a two season event, styles come & go, do the replace clothing yearly, 2 years max, especially when you have children.

It can be done reasonably inexpensive at places such as Walmart, Sears, Giant tiger - or if close enough to the US border, do the cross border shopping. If you have money, then it doesn't really matter LLBean or wherever

Being the 'always thrifty shopper', we purchase most of our [designer if need be] outer clothing at Valuevillage or the Salvation army thrift stores which are big here. Canadians thrown away last years designs or children's clothing that they've outgrown.

On footware, we always purchase new & generally last at least 5 years, with only one casual & one dress shoe for me. I find that I do not need winter boots or wellies.

My wife has four lots of footware

Our thing on clothing is that if it hasn't been worn in the last 12 months, then chuck it out or recycle it

TrishP

Check out the Mountain Equipment Co-op website, everything from reasonably priced stuff for everyday to highly technical outdoor equipment, to get an idea of prices. Personally, I layer with a fleece, waterproof outer layer and $25 boots from Walmart rated to -40. Regular trousers/jeans for everyday wear, plus ski-pants (brought from Scotland) for outdoor stuff when it's a bit chillier. Your needs will depend on where you go and whether you're outdoorsy or not. When I lived in NW Ontario, I wore fewer layers in -40 than in Scotland, as the atmosphere is much less humid, so cold only goes skin-deep. In Ottawa, it's pretty bone-chillingly damp at times by comparison to up north, so I layer up and it's fine.

BristolUK

There's only one style for winter. If it keeps you warm and dry for the time you need to be out, it's a good style.
You're trudging through knee deep snow, falling down on it, getting mucky slush over boots and clothing, the sky is white or grey, maybe there's a blizzard...I don't think style and 'new' stuff shows up as stylish and new in that state.

New comes when it's no longer doing its job or the kid has outgrown it.

The stepkids already had outfits that were fine when I came into the picture. One did more more growing than the other and has needed replacement winter stuff twice compared to the other's once.

It's amazing what you can get there.

The zip is beginning to go on my jacket - it's fraying a bit where the metal bit slots into the other bit. I'm guessing a new zip will do the trick given the condition of the rest of it. But there don't seem to be many options for clothing alterations around. But from what I've seen in those stores there are alternatives in as good condition for maybe less than the cost of getting a new zip put in.

Last winter I saw a nice outer part of a 3-in-1 jacket and it was a ridiculous $15. I didn't buy it because it was missing the inner part.

Later I realised how daft I had been because the inner part of my current one may well zip into place and even if it didn't, a similar stand alone jacket worn under would have sufficed anyway.

That $15 could have done the same job of having a new zip put in.

not2old

I agree, yet that isn't everyones common sense style

Strange isn't it, have you ever noticed how some folks will go out to get new summer as well as new winter clothing every single year for 'stylish' reasons, or maybe to show off their latest & greatest 'North Face' stylish different coloured winter gear

Same with the latest in cell phone or computer technology/devices

..

Tinpusher63

I agree with all of your post except for the highlighted comment.

We live across the street from a junior high school (grades 6 to 9) and the girls are just as bad as the boys when it comes to winter clothes or lack of same.

BristolUK

Not really. Not since school anyway. Too oblivious to such things.

I remember the walk between school and home and other kids would say "look...a 'K' registration" or whatever it was and I'd think "so?"

There were kids with sta-prest, two-tone trousers, cromby coats (complete with hanky ) Ben Sherman shirts or Brutus, whether genuine or label sewn in a different shirt I don't know. I just didn't care. My clothes were fine and just like most everyone else.

Sometime in the 90s I was in a pub with a friend and she pointed this guy out to me who had unpicked the label stitching on his jeans so that when wearing a belt he was able to thread it through the loops and behind the label so people could see they were Levis.

plasticcanuck

Marks Work Warehouse can equip you from underwear to jackets, boots/shoes and everything in between quite inexpensively, provided style isn't overly important to you.

Tinpusher63

Oops, that should have read grades 7 to 9.

scilly

I think there is more pressure on kids to conform to their group of friends here than there is in the UK.

Most schools do not have uniforms, and one has to conform with other kids to fit in.

If that means that red is out this year, and his/her down jacket is red, then there will be pressure to get a new one in the "approved" colour.

A child has to have reached a certain age and be very confident to go against the main stream of thought and dress.