As the whether gets colder and the wind turns nippy, it's time to get ready for winter.

Most Beijingers stock up on their winter arsenal with a heavy wool sweater, a long windproof coat, a down jacket, a set of long underwear and a pair of boots.

However, some very popular weapons against the bite of sharp winter winds remain unknown to foreigners.

Few foreigners know that they can get custom-made down coats, even though these garments dominate most Chinese families' wardrobes.

Every year when the weather turns colder, numerous down coat-making studios pop up on almost every corner. Low prices, authentic down and custom options draw in many customers.

These coats usually cost half the price of store-bought jackets.

The average price of a handmade long down coat is about 240 yuan (US$30), while its shorter contemporary costs 150 yuan (US$19). In retail stores, the same coats start at 300 yuan (US$38).

Many studios also provide retreading services, since down coats usually lose their warmth and get dirty after several years' use. Tailors will replace the down or the outer layer of the coat according to the customers' tastes.

Depending on the quality of the down, the price ranges from 20 to 50 yuan (US$2.50 to 6.30) per gram. Those hoping to keep up with the latest trends can ask studios to update the style of their old coats.

Clusters of these studios can be found in Xinjiekou and Jiaodaokou.

"People line up to get down coats made here, " said Wang Jibin, tailor of Da Xin Textiles. "They can choose their favourite fabric, down and cut and in four to seven days, their coat will be ready."

"I choose to order the down coats as I am too tall to find ready-made clothes that fit at a retail store, " said Liu Lin, a gym coach who ordered two down coats from Da Xin.

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