Winter clothing: what to buy and where to buy it

What you are actually dressing for

The last three rows are the ones students never expect. Nobody warns you that a flat in Athens or Valletta can be colder indoors in January than a flat in Helsinki, because northern buildings are insulated and heated and southern ones frequently are not. Budget for an electric heater and a higher electricity bill instead of a heavy coat.

The layering system

You are not buying one thick thing. You are buying three thin things that work together.

1. 1Base layer — thermal top and leggings, merino wool or synthetic. Never cotton against the skin in cold weather: it holds sweat and then chills you.
2. 2Mid layer — a fleece or a wool jumper. This is the layer you add and remove; European buildings and trains are heated hard, so you will be taking it off indoors.
3. 3Outer layer — an insulated, windproof, water-resistant coat. Wind is what actually makes you cold in Denmark and coastal Sweden, so windproof matters more than thickness.

Then the parts people forget, which is where the cold actually reaches you: waterproof boots with a grip sole, wool socks, gloves, a hat that covers the ears, and a scarf or neck warmer.

Buy at home, buy there

Worth buying in Dhaka: thermal base layers, wool socks, gloves, hats, scarves, a fleece. The export-surplus markets sell these cheaply and they are exactly the same product.

Worth buying in Europe: the winter coat and the boots. Bangladesh does not sell clothing designed for minus fifteen degrees, and a coat sold in Dhaka as a winter coat is usually an autumn jacket at a European price. You will also fly in September or February, when the shops are full of the right thing.

Best time to buy: the January and February sales, when winter stock is discounted heavily across the EU. If you arrive in September, buy one good jacket for autumn, get through November in layers, and buy the serious coat in the sales.

Where to buy without spending much

• Second-hand. Every Nordic country has a large, respectable charity-shop culture: kirpputori and UFF in Finland, Myrorna and Stadsmissionen in Sweden, Røde Kors in Denmark, turkalo shops in Hungary. Coats and boots there are a fraction of retail and often barely used.
• Sports discounters. Decathlon operates in most of these countries and sells competent winter kit at the lowest honest price on the market.
• Student groups. Almost every university has a departing-students marketplace on Facebook or the student union platform where coats, bikes and kitchen equipment change hands cheaply in June.

What it costs

Buying second-hand and in sales, a first Nordic winter can be put together for roughly EUR 150-300 including boots. Buying everything new from a mid-range shop, expect EUR 250-450. In Greece, Cyprus and Malta you will spend a fraction of that on clothing and more on heating.

⚠️ Do not buy a fashion puffer jacket that is not windproof, and do not buy trainers with a flat sole for a country with ice. The most common winter injury among new international students is a fall on ice in the wrong shoes.

Before you fly

1. 1Pack base layers, socks, gloves and a fleece from Dhaka.
2. 2Leave room in the budget for a coat and boots bought after you land — around EUR 150-250.
3. 3If you are going to Greece, Cyprus or Malta, budget for indoor heating instead, and check whether electricity is included in your rent before you sign anything. Housing choices covers the rest.
4. 4Read the pre-departure and first week guide before you pack.