<p>wis, even girls learn to wear jeans more than once. When I scooped up D’s jeans from the bathroom counter and put them in the wash, I got a lecture on how overwashing killed the rainforest. That’s what college will do to you. :D</p>
<p>Definitely bring lots of socks and underwear.</p>
<p>“according to H as well as son, clothes can become clean again by just sitting there”</p>
<p>makes me almost wish that I had majored in science or engineering…</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great advice parents!
Oldfort, I’m using the amount of clothes your daughter brought as a sort of benchmark for myself 
I’ll try to cut down the amount of clothes to around that size as I don’t want to lug too many. I actually did NOT think of going shopping over Thanksgiving… and as I’m going back I’ll just bring what I need from home. </p>
<p>btw, when I hear “rain coat” i think of those head to toe yellow plastic jacket things that i used to wear as a little kid in asia… i’m hoping here “rain coat” does not refer to that type of “coat”!!</p>
<p>No, on the West Coast “raincoat” refers to something that you’d find at REI - Northface, Marmot, REI brand, Lole, Mountain Hardwear, Columbia, or Arc’teryx (if you are really rich).
Something like this:</p>
<p>[Marmot</a> Women’s PreCip Jacket | marmot.com](<a href=“http://marmot.com/spring_2009/womens/outerwear/shells/womens_precip_jacket]Marmot”>http://marmot.com/spring_2009/womens/outerwear/shells/womens_precip_jacket)</p>
<p>congrats on Stanford… our D will be a freshman there as well. I think I will show her this thread and suggest she think about how much clothing to bring. We will be driving, since we live in Northern California, and we have a very large SUV. She knows how limited the space will be in the dorm but she still will bring too much. She is going to Old Navy this weekend and replenish her flip flop wardrobe. I feel sorry for her roommate. If you turn out to be her roommate, feel free to wear her clothes- she won’t notice. Just put them back when you are done.</p>
<p>“according to H as well as son, clothes can become clean again by just sitting there”</p>
<p>Ah (smacks self on forehead), so that explains the huge piles of dirty clothes sitting on his bedroom floor. This past year my son, a senior, was responsible for his own laundry. Have not seen the floor since last summer. This sure 'splains a lot. Wear his pants twice before washing? Ha, I’m sure some of them get worn 5 or 6 times before washing. Thank goodness they become clean again by just sitting there ;)</p>
<p>BunsenBurner: thanks for the great link! wow i didn’t realize raincoats were pricey!
emgamac: congrats to your daughter too 
haha i think she’ll make her roommate and her girl friends very happy with her supply of clothes lol. </p>
<p>Reading about how parents get their kids to do laundry reminds me of similar battles at home haha.</p>
<p>darling, check out Ross, TJ max, and Marshalls for the rain coats. D got GREAT deals from them. I’m not sure how the social scene is at Stanford, but at my D’s school, she had approximately 10 occasions that she needed nice dresses. She had a couple, borrowed some, and bought one while on Thanksgiving break. That was our biggest surprise for clothing, so we have been bargain shopping all summer to make sure she is adequately prepared for next year. </p>
<p>As far as must haves, I agree with having an interview suit and also other semi professional clothes for presentations, certain theatre events and such. A nice skirt and thin sweater paired with tights and flats are nice for that.</p>
<p>If you leave things at home that you are not sure of but think you might need mom to ship to you, put them all together on one side of the closet or in one drawer. That way she will know EXACTLY what you need when you call her.</p>
<p>darling - you can also find better prices on rain gear at sierratradingpost dot com or campmor dot com. You might consider just waiting til you’re at Stanford to see if there are brands that seem to be favored. Although it seems kind of dumb to me, my D is willing to pay extra to get a brand like North Face or Patagonia, because those are the cool brands around here for outerwear. She’s even authorized me to buy them at thrift stores if I see them, which is a significant concession for her :)</p>
<p>darling, raingear can be pricey, but you don’t have to buy it directly from the manufacturers. Check out REI’s clearance racks for some good deals (and their online clearance store) - my D got her Marmot coat for about $50. She was very grateful she did get it - it rains a lot in Boston, too. I second everyone who said wait and see what other kids at Stanford wear, although I suspect Northface will dominate the clothing landscape. Tell your mom that the flat-rate USPS priority packages are great for shipping clothes, chocolates and other college essentials. Have a wonderful time at Stanford!</p>
<p>Son did a dry run in terms of packing the car. Found that things did not fit well at all, and he does not want to spend a mint to sent them. So we went to a new plan – we have a huge suitcase that we took on a vacation a few years ago. All socks, underwear, shorts and t-shirts fit in it (he has lots of t-shirts, too), and there’s still room for jeans and polos. He wants to do another dry run on packing today – just to see what he can get in our car. Now this might sound crazy to some people, but do consider the dry run idea. You will be amazed what can and cannot fit, and that way, you adjust plans now rather than the day before you leave.</p>
<p>FYI - Nordstrom has some Northface stuff on sale, including Denali fleece jackets for ladies and raincoats.</p>
<p>Try to pack using garbage bags. Leave clothes on hangers then put a large garbage bag over. Avoid using boxes. Label your stuff, name, dorm name, room, maybe even contact info. Most likely there’ll be volunteers to help you move in.</p>
<p>Great advice! I’ll check out the sales and wait to see what it’s like on campus before shelling out lol. I’m happy that you are all so knowledgable about this kind of stuff :)</p>