Tips on where to buy clothes for cold weather in Lille, France?

Other answers have mentioned Decathlon, but when I was a student that would have been way beyond my budget.

In terms of best quality to price ratio, the kilo shop might well win. Lille has a kilo store. The principle is that you select clothes then pay by weight (by the kilo). The clothes are second hand.

My experience of kilo stores in France (in the last year) is that the quality ranges, but clothes are not worn out, often they seem nearly new. So you need to check that what you’re buying is from a good brand and not polyester (which tends to degrade quicker). They almost always have many coats. If you go in knowing exactly what you need, it doesn’t take too long.

Be aware you will need to wash everything you buy before you wear it. Clothes from a kilo store are often not clean.

Many decent choices have been named, including the one I am about to recommend, but I want to highlight it: I think you should really be looking for Decathlon. It’s a chain of sporting goods stores but with their own design department and supply chain so markedly cheaper than common outdoor-oriented brands.

In every category, they have an entry-level option with a very good price. Decathlon will also have a ton of winter-sport oriented accessories (mitten, neck warmer, socks) or technical fabrics (merino wool, down, synthetic base layers or fleece) that will be harder to find at big fashion retailers like H&M or C&A. Uniqlo offers a lot of the same fabrics, with a more urban than outdoor look so it can also be a good choice if you can afford it but it tends to be a notch above Decathlon in terms of price.

Beyond the entry-level options, there is also clear signage on the level of performance you can expect from other products. Given what you describe in your question, you may have to consider mid-range options so that each layer provides more warmth but even those will tend to have excellent value for the money in my opinion.

I’m from Lille and greatly agree with what’s been said before.
between the two train station (Gare Lille Flandres and Gare Lille Europe) there is a large shopping center called Westfield Euralille.
I think you can find everything you need with H&M, Uniqlo, Celio.

If you need some cheap and inexpensive clothes, there’s also a Primark (Even though I don’t recommend it, the clothes are of poor quality, they tear easily, etc).

In the center of Lille there is a rather big Décathlon but if you want the biggest one you’ll have to go to the on at the V2 shopping center (in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, take the subway).

I think it can also be done, but if I think I can make myself available on a Saturday to accompany you.

If you are short on money, take the advice of the other answers and look in second hand clothing shops.

Like you when you go home many students will never need their warm clothes again and donate them to charity or sell to stores that buy in clothes.

Your student adviser office at the university may well have good information on where to go, you will not be the first one to be cold.

Northern France can be quite chilly! Note that jeans are not very good thermally. In summer they are too hot, and in winter they don’t keep you very warm. Whatever the locals are wearing for winter, you’ll need better. Good quality clothing does not always equate to the best insulating clothes, and cheap clothing is unlikely to serve you well.

I suggest you visit an outdoor shop and obtain advice on thermal base layers. For mid layers fleece (it is not sheep’s wool) is the modern fabric. For outer layers a windproof layer is needed, preferably a ‘breathable’ one. This can all be quite expensive but unbranded clothes are good if you choose advisedly. Outdoor shops usually sell at a range of price points.

I like to wear a thin vest or shirt layer between the insulating layers. This fabric itself might not have much thermal property, but separating two thermal layers improves the performance of both.

But above all, you somehow have to convince your body that it needs to generate heat. Anecdotally, an expatriate friend brought his family to live in UK. Their home climate was equatorial, at an altitude that is comfortable all year round. But their bodies had no practice in generating heat in cold weather. They suffered badly and returned home after two winters.

On a local scale I too have this problem worse as each winter approaches and somehow I have to accustom my body to generate heat. I’m not sure if there is any way to teach this, but one technique is to let yourself really feel the cold, and let your body respond. As with anything, if your body isn’t used to it, you have to practice it.

Here is an example. It is snowing and you go out for a snowball fight. Soon, your bare hands begin to go numb from cold. But after a while, your body responds and sends more blood to your hands, and before long they are vibrant with warmth. Activity can be the key to this. If you are moving, your muscles generate heat.

In an emergency situation you begin to shiver, and that activity generates heat, but it is a warning that you need to take some quick action to warm up by other means. But unless you are in an extreme environment, tired or hungry; if you can relax at this point and let your body work to generate heat, from your inner resources, instead of fighting it, you’ll have made progress.

I know it’s an easy thing to say and probably urban legend, but you’ll get used to it.

Lille will get wet and cold in winter.

I think the most important is to get a good pair of boots; it needs to be waterproof and fit properly; you should not need 2 socks.

A proper coat, again, needs to be water and wind proof with a hood.

Also, a nice pair of gloves (waterproof) and a hat.

Also, a nice pair of slippers, either lamb or felt for inside.

Also have a scarf to cover your neck and shoulders, it helps a lot and you can adjust it if you ever get too warm.

A nice sweater is also good; if you can afford it, a merino wool sweater

Have a look at sporting goods stores (décathlon).

Good luck.

As you’re a student, I would recommend some of the less expensive chains: C&A, H&M, and especially Uniqlo, whose clothes I occasionally buy even though I’m not a student anymore. All three have stores in Lille. Search your favorite mapping service for vêtements (French for "clothes") and shop around.

In general you’ll tend to find higher quality merchandise at retailers who specialize in clothing. Auchan is a generalist with its roots in the supermarket sector.