@bc12345 there is a whalebouse sale in Lawrence! Maybe one will be going on when you come for a visit. There is also an outlet about 45 mins From PA in NH. They also have pretty good sales with additional % off with coupons on their website.
That’s the other thing… the epic growth spurts that happen between 9th and 12th. One year K1 grew out of most of his clothes between drop off and Christmas break. Brutal! Don’t buy anything that doesn’t have room to grow!
@momof3swimmers - My boys love bow ties, too. 
@bc12345 - That’s wild!
Two questions: Are the beds TWIN or TWIN XL? (in general). Do we use name tags for clothing? If so, iron on, sew in. . .any suggestions?
Our were XL, but check your handbook. We used iron on tags, but a marker does a fine job too.
In general, XL, but schools vary.
Sharpie. Black sharpie on light-colors; silver on dark.
@sadieshadow we never used labels for clothes. We never had an issue with any of our 4 kids.
We didn’t use labels either. DD was offended by the very thought… “What am I, a Kindergartener?”
DD used labels, because in her experience people borrow clothes from one another all the time. It helps to know what belongs to whom. She uses a sharpie or those stick-on labels - Mabel’s Label’s or something like that. She also likes to have a supply of the non-clothing stickers, for other items. But this is the same girl that “files” her paperwork pretty regularly, so she may be more compulsive than most ;-). No one ever locks their room and things are just left around all the time (viva Cate’s honor code!) so having labels helps ensure that items find their way back to their owner.
I wouldn’t label ALL of his clothes but many kids will have the same school apparel for things like sweatshirts, athletic equipment, bags, water bottles, etc. so I would send him with a couple labels or some sharpies for those types of things because they can get lost or taken very easily.
It’s definitely a good idea to label things like outerwear, which is going to be hanging with dozens of others that are identical, at the dining hall, etc. I’d also recommend putting something (not necessarily a name tag, but something distinctive ) on a backpack as these are often thrown in a pile when students gather (events at the auditorium, etc.) Things tend to find their way back to owners, but it is easier if someone other than the owner can identify them.
Contact the school directly about beds. Hills are regular twins. As far as labeling, first year we went the marker route, and usually just initials since his are pretty distinctive. Since then, we haven’t labeled anything. No problems that I am aware of…
For camp I’ve gotten stick-on labels from LabelLand.com (I think that’s right). They are small and unobtrusive and less time consuming than hand-writing. They’re great for clothing and any personal items. I’ll probably use them for most clothing items. From his current school, DS is used to being able to just throw his stuff anywhere and kids and teachers pretty much knowing what belongs to whom, so he’s going to have to be a bit more responsible.
Stuck on you was our iron on source. They also make ones for shoes, etc. Never worried so much about that, but we did learn that it’s a good idea to put labels in eyeglass cases…
Also not a bad idea for those things kids might not immediately recognize as theirs because of less frequent use. Ski goggles, winter gloves, for example.
+1 on Mabels Labels. My penchant for labeling sort of declined over time, though…now I’m sort of like “You lose it, you replace it.”
So…do boys really need a blue blazer? He has a nice jacket that he wore for his interviews but it is not blue. He will be at SPS and dress code isn’t super formal.
I was thinking 5 prs “dress” shorts and 5 prs slacks. Is this enough? Too much?
Although it might change, my son much prefers comfort over style so I’m pretty sure he will only wear these things to class and will wear his regular shorts, sweats and running pants all other times.
That’s fine. I only said navy since that’s the default for anyone getting a first blare. But if the kid already has another blare/jacket, it’s fine.
Unless, he’s really a kid who wears shorts, 5 might be too many. But if he’s always in shorts, it’s fine.
Another +1 on Mabels Labels - without a logo. LOL
Sign up for email and wait for one of their frequent sales! They should be gearing up for summer camp sales right about now.
Just went shopping/looking with GMCkid to get an idea of what he might need. He’s a city kid coming from a progressive school, heading to St. George’s with a formal dress code. He’s trying to figure out how to maintain his personal “vibe” (i.e. not traditional) yet stay within the school’s guidelines. We decided that if he can find one style of pants/shorts & one style of shirt that he likes, we can just buy them in multiple colors and stick with that. No need to make it complicated. He is really excited so we had a fun excursion!
@GMC2918 , fun socks may be in your future.
That’s what I suggested @gardenstategal !!! Great minds think alike 
Ready for his response? “Mom, try to stay focused here - I’m just not into whimsy.” I’m really going to miss this kid next year…