Coats for Winter Interviews

[SunnyBunny7]

Hi people, I've lived in California all my life (and thus think anything below 70 degrees is cold ) and have never traveled anywhere with cold winter weather. So I've never owned a winter coat, let alone one that is appropriate to wear with a suit. So I was hoping for some advice on what kind to buy. I have an interview at SLU on 12/3. I've been checking the weather and found that it's been between around the 50s and low 60s I think. Would I need a coat for that? What fabric/length? I also have two interviews in NY (Einstein and NYMC) at the end of January. So I'm assuming that I'll need a long wool coat or something like that for those.

Oh, I'm a female and I'm wearing a black pant suit for my interviews. Sorry this post is kinda lame but this Cali girl could really use any advice on fabric/style/length, etc. Thanks!

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[lola]

i'm wearing a grey wool one that falls approx to my knees. make sure you get one that is plenty thick. sometimes they sell ones in cali that look like cold weather coats but don't keep you warm! you could wear a wool coat to the slu interview. for versatility i'd stick with black, grey, or beige if i were you. black might be best with the black pants suit, but your coat does not have to match perfectly or anything.

 

[Trek]

At cold interviews we only wore Prada 3/4 Mink- anything else would be uncivilized! But to be serious- remember you'll be lugging it around all day on the tours and so on, and so i'd go with something as unobtrusive as poss. --Trek

 

[Jadeite]

I got a really nice ankle-length coat, wool w/fake fur trim (But I don't wear real fur) and they let you hang it up in the office. Just don't forget to pick it up again, there's nothing worse than having to run about to the admin office once you've already said your goodbyes.

Jade~

 

[uffda]

you won't need a coat for 50-60 degree weather.

but, who knows what it will be like in St. Louis in another 2 weeks?

 

[siempre595]

Hey Sunny!
I'm in st. louis right now, it is still warm in the days, but pretty chilly at night. in a few weeks it'll be cold enough for a winter coat...probably. check the weather, but i'd go with the typical pea coat, probably black or dark grey. and get some gloves, those save you here. i'm interviewing at slu this tuesday! good luck with your interview, and stay warm!

 

[lotanna]

Originally posted by uffda
you won't need a coat for 50-60 degree weather.

but, who knows what it will be like in St. Louis in another 2 weeks?

thats great weather, see i live in michigan, where we're wishin for such temps

 

[AntGod22]

Im from NY, its friggin cold here this week, cant imagine whats it gonna be like in january. Buy yourself a nice 3/4 dark charcoal wool coat preferably from banana republic. Also you could match it up with a red cashmere scarf for 68$ and the maybe the matching red cashmere gloves for 38 $. As you can see I work for banana while trying to get into med school.

 

[SunnyBunny7]

Thanks for the comments. Is a wool coat that falls right above me knees too short for NY in January? Is an ankle length one better? I'm tall (5'10") so the shorter one leaves a lot of my legs uncovered. But the longer it is the heavier it is, especially for a tall person.

Thanks!

 

[lola]

i lived on the east coast for 5 years, and although i had a full length coat, i rarely wore it. the coat to your knees should be fine (and would probably be more fashionable). plus you might be able to wear it again in a warmer climate. i wear mine in san francisco. brrrrrr!!!

 

[siempre595]

st. louis weather update for ya':
we got the first snow tonight. better bring that coat.

 

[wolferman]

I would get a wool blend top coat. I'm sure you can find something relatively inexpensive from most department stores or online catalogs. I found a great top coat from JC Penney that I took to my first interview last week. It looked great and kept me warm. What more can you ask?

 

[rae-chill]

it's pretty cold in ny, but i suggest leaving the eskimo gear to, well, the eskimos uh, anyways, i think a simple wool black/grey 3/4 length coat from banana, jcrew or kenneth cole will suffice.
good luck and stay warm

 

[DoubleDoctor]

I would pick a coat that at least covers your skirt so get an ankle length one if your skirt is longer or you can get by with a shorter one if your skirt is above your knees. It looks kinda tacky when you see a girl with a short coat on and half her dress hanging below the coat. Since you live in Cali, you could get a trenchcoat type all weather coat that you could maybe get some use out of at home. most of those have the zip-out linings so you can use it as a raincoat later.

 

[opus03]

From St. Louis...gets really, really chilly at night and when the wind starts blowing. Definitely bring a coat and your gloves if you value your fingers...

 

[SunnyBunny7]

Thanks everyone. I actually bought a charcoal wool coat that's right above my knees. Hope the weather in St. Louis is chilly enough for me to wear it so I won't be all hot and sweaty.

 

[PrincessCKNY]

I was in the same boat as you. I just bought a nice wool coat from Petite Sophisticate. They were having a sale last week, but I say wait for those awesome After Thanksgiving Day sales to kick in. Mine was black, slim, knee-length. I would recommend checking stores like that or Burlington Coat Factory. Make sure you buy it about a size larger than what is comfortable for you, since you'll be wearing it over a suit. Bring a scarf and gloves because it can get windy. Enjoy the east coast! It's awesome.

 

[SunnyBunny7]

What a coinkydink! I actually did buy my coat at Burlington Coat Factory. It was 100% wool with 100% polyester lining for 80 bucks. Since my interview at SLU is next Monday (yikes!!!!!) I didn't want to wait until Friday to do shopping. Plus I'll be going home for Thanksgiving and seeing relatives, blah blah blah...