Warm fuzzies: A look at campus coat trends

Our water heater broke last week, and since then this quaint, little Logan home has been without hot water for six days.

In addition, being the poor, starving college students that we are, our heat is consistently only a couple degrees above the outside temperature, which really isn't saying much.

One thing we have learned, however, is that there is a rather simple way to melt those glacial icecaps forming in our hair that doesn't include the uncomfortable and often annoying system of layering, which so many of us have become accustomed to.

Just put on your freakin' jacket.

The Gonzaga community relies on coats about seven months out of the year. Whether living on or off campus, students and professors alike depend on jackets to trek through killer winds, torrential rain, a bit of hail and (on a good year) snow to get to class in one piece.

While they tend to be pricey, jackets are a worthy investment in Washington, especially Spokane. And fortunately, as college students are often forced to discover, there are always ways to get around the nearly non-existent paycheck to afford a decent jacket.

It's cold outside, and when the temperature drops below 45 degrees, people generally aren't generally encouraged to venture out into the city in search of the perfect coat. Fortunately for you, there's the Internet.

The 2005 fall season has yielded a plethora of designs, colors and fabrics for coats. This is great for Spokane residents because face it, people see our jackets more often than they see the actual clothing hidden within the depths of its folds.

According to Cynthia Nellis, a women's fashion critic at fashion.about.com, this fall is all about highlighting earthy hues such as teal, burnt orange, brown and not surprisingly, black. "Black is the new black," wrote Nellis.

With less of a concentration on bright color, people are heading more toward decorative jackets: coats with texture, more pockets, buttons, zippers and collars.

Men's fashion in the coat department is similar to women's in that ornamental embellishments are also appearing on fall coats. Karin Eldor, a fashion critic for Askmen.com, said 2005 will no longer bear the nostalgic "less is more" theme because designers are quickly popularizing chunky jackets with built-in accessories.

However, it appears that jacket décor offers a little too much fluff for many GU students.

"This year I decided warmth was the top priority, so I resorted to spending more money on a better quality jacket," senior Amanda Selden said.

After much research Selden purchased a Helly Hanson faux fur-lined down jacket. She chose between this and an Abercrombie and Fitch down jacket. Her decision to go with the Helly Hanson was simple: Helly Hanson has a well-known reputation for quality coats and Abercrombie's coat wasn't even real down. While the Helly Hanson was $150, the Abercrombie was $100.

A coat similar to Selden's - a Prague faux fur down jacket - is offered at the online Web site, overstock.com for $69.99. Overstock.com is an online shopping network that allows people to search for almost anything, from clothes and accessories to furniture and sporting goods.

Senior Pat Ferguson found his favorite pullover in a very different sort of fashion. After bartering with his friend, Ferguson traded a sweatshirt in spring 2004 for a grey, black and white wool poncho, which he now wears often. "It's very versatile and it conforms well to my lavish lifestyle," he said.

Since then Ferguson has found another poncho, which he also enjoys on a regular basis.

Similarly, Peruviantreasures.biz, a Web site specializing in alpaca wool clothing and accessories, sells various authentic wool ponchos ranging in price from $24 to over $100.

Junior Tira Sandefur opts more for a jacket designed for all-weather environments. An avid snowboarder, Sandefur often dons her snowboarding jacket for school. "It makes me think of being on the mountain instead of in class," she said.

Ski and snowboarding jackets are expensive no matter where you look. However, Ebay.com sells bids on tons of good quality merchandise for unbelievably cheap prices. In order to navigate the site and purchase anything you have to register online, but it's completely free.

Caroline Meyer, a senior, prefers contemporary style jackets. After recently purchasing a fourth coat at the Gap, Meyer admits that she really is a pea coat fanatic. "They're fashionable yet practical, they're warm and they look good with scarves," she said.

Meyer isn't normally too concerned about attending classes decked out in the latest gear. "The only time I look fashionable is with a pea coat," she said. "It doesn't matter what you have underneath, right?"

Bluefly.com, a handy little Web site dedicated to discount designer clothing, features a Cole Haan green tweed fur collar pea coat for $375 - a hefty price - but when considering that the original price was $625, the discount is truly amazing. Bluefly.com offers 375 designer brands and discounts of up to 75 percent off.

Senior Patrick Flaherty takes the warmth factor into consideration with regard to his outerwear, his favorite jacket being his blue and grey North Face fleece. "It's warm, and my cell fits in the front chest pocket," he said.

Flaherty's coat of choice, the classic, ultra popular North Face Denali, is in the men's department on the North Face Web site for $165. The women's' version is $179.

Sierratradingpost.com offers a better deal for the women's Denali, $115. This site is an excellent source for many other designer hiking gear and clothing, with brands ranging from Terramar to Mammut, with discounts from about 35 to 70 percent.

Altrec.com features a men's North Face Denali on sale for $114, and is another useful tool for navigating online sales for winter wear.