By Rachel Mackay

REXBURG – Winter is upon us, my friends, as the semester comes to a close. Christmas lights are up, the snow has come, and at this point the winter is only going to get colder. It is in the Christmas spirit that I bring you some valuable info on best things to look for when thrifting for winter clothes in Rexburg. Join me as we fight the cold while pinching our pennies. 

One thing to note is that a lot of the time you pay for what you get. And while $140 coat will do a very good job of keeping you warm, for large families and poor students, this doesn’t really feel like a justifiable price range. So, while I will mention brands that would be worth the money and where to find them in town, I will largely be focusing on things to look for when thrifting. 

I would also like to thank Sarah Schmitz and Lisa Oliphant for their insight on buying winter gear for families. Both are mothers of more than 4 kids, have lived in or near Rexburg for the past while, and understand clothing and what to look for when getting winter coats, boots, gloves, scarves, etc. I will also not be talking about personal style, because I personally don’t care as long as I get a bang for my buck.

How to Stay Warm

When looking to stay warm in snowy winters the first thing to note is that there are a lot of things that go into how your body stays warm. Most of your body heat is lost through your head. When you leave the house with a jacket and boots but no hat or scarf, you are going to feel more cold because your body is losing more heat.

When choosing a jacket or pants, also keep in mind that the air between your body and the jacket cannot get warm if there is no space for the air to circulate. When you wear clothes really tight, you have no airflow between the layers and your body won’t be able to stay warm because the layers are not allowing for heat to be generated. Tight clothes will not keep you warm.

It is also important to note that you want to stay as dry as possible, so sweat can also contribute to getting cold and potentially frostbite. That is why it is important to dress appropriately. Staying warm while going for a run outside will require fewer layers compared to walking in the snow at night or playing in the snow, when you could get wet and get colder, or when temperatures plummet even more and a jacket wont be enough to keep you warm.

Brands Worth the Money and Where to Find them in Rexburg

Here are some high-quality winter gear brands that, if you find while thrifting, should work very well for you this winter:

  • Burne (CAL Ranch)
  • Carhaart (CAL Ranch)
  • North Face (Online, REI and sometimes Walmart)
  • Patagonia (Online, Amazon, REI)
  • Lands’ End (Online, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Nordstrom)
  • Eddie Bower (Online, Amazon, Sam’s Club)
  • Weather Proof (Costco)

While all of these options express different styles, keep in mind that staying warm is a priority with this list, and these are brands proven to work well for a long time. 

Materials to Look for When Thrifitng

Half of the battle when thrifting for winter coats is that you want to find something in good shape. There is no point in purchasing a new coat or any piece of clothing or shoes if it is just going to fall apart on you after wearing it three times. If you know what materials will help you stay warm in your coats, you will be much happier walking to class or leaving to get groceries. 

Here are the materials to look for when thrifting a winter coat:

  • Wool: a natural fiber that comes from sheep, alpaca, and other animals. 
  • Thinsulate: a synthetic material that both thin and insulating inserted between layers, mainly used in winter clothes to help retain heat.
  • Gortex: a synthetic wind, rain and breathable fabric used in windbreakers and rain jackets
  • Polyester: a synthetic fiber that lightweight and fairly water resistant
  • Down feathers: soft and fuzzy feathers beneath a birds top layer, it provides a natural insulation from cold that maintains body heat by trapping air
  • Heat reflective coat lining: when the inside of a coat is covered in small reflective dots that reflect your own body heat back at you

The fabric that makes up a piece of clothing should be listed on the tag of the piece of clothing located either at the back of the neck or on the inner left side. There should be a list of contained materials as well as how to care for the piece of clothing.

You can save yourself lots of money if you are willing to put in the work to look in thrift stores. While thrift stores often look for best ways to make money off the clothes they receive, sometimes, they miss good pieces of clothing, and you can get them for a lot less.

Materials to Avoid When Thrifting

It is just as important to know what not to get when shopping for a new coat. There are plenty of clothing pieces that tend to go on sale when winter begins. Just because a piece of clothing is cute does not change the season that piece of clothing was meant for. Here are fabrics that you do not want your winter gear to be made of: 

  • Cotton: a natural fiber derived from cotton plants that is woven into fabric, very breathable and light
  • Linen: a natural fiber that comes from flax, it is light weight and breathable.
  • 100% Polyester: is is normal for fabrics to be interwoven with some polyester fiber, but just straight polyester is suffocating and does not allow any airflow making you sweat
  • Anything that is too tight or too small for you.

I would like to again thank, Sarah Schmitz and Lisa Oliphant for their insight on this subject. Overall, don’t forget to prepare for winter so when the slippery sidewalks come and snow falls from the sky, you can be confident in your clothes and walk with ease knowing that you prepared for the weather!