For me, the quality of Columbia has been the best.
Winter jackets are lightweight, but have features that reflect their own heat back to them. Coats don't have to weigh a ton anymore, to be warm, thank goodness! And with the Columbia ski pants (and some coats), they have a feature where, in the leg hole, you can let down a seem to give another inch of length when they grow - awesomeness! And the ski pants are often reinforced w/ heavy fabric or even rubbery fabric at the knees.
I also get ski-type mitts, because they are longer than the usual & water-proof. Columbia or Kombi brands often have a nice wide strap that you can velcro at the wrist too, which is amazing.
Hats just slide down, or twist or ride up. We go with pull-on ninja-y type masks - they just have an open circle for the face, but pull up over nose, if they need it, and pull down snug over forehead, if they need it. And, these of course cover the neck snugly and stay put.
Boots. Ugh. We have been through different brands. Kamik have disappointed. Pull-out lining seems cozy, but compacts and wears down, even to holes. We have moved to Sorels, which have a very thick, pull-out liner which can be washed. I pull laces snug at the front, to prevent a huge gap and sloppiness at the top of the boot.
Oh, and the Columbia stuff washes so well.
The 'children's stores' suits are puffy and light weight and may 'look' good, but contain simple, inexpensive materials that don't cut it for 20 and 30 below. They also tear easily.
One last BIG piece of advice - check zippers, up and down, to see they are very good quality. Most aren't. Check that they lock in good at the bottom. If a zipper goes, that's it for that!
Good luck! Wish I knew this stuff before I started out!
