<p>Unless you have a fastidious, organized freshman son, I would not spend any kind of money on blazers and ties. I did and never saw them again. In my experience, boys are much worse than girls and will just grab whatever jacket or tie is lying around the dorm before they race off to whatever special program requires it. Seriously, they don’t even care if it fits. The girls, on the other hand, make a point to trade everything back before the end of the school year and come home with almost everything they left with.</p>
<p>I just figured out one more thing. Name tags for laundry, etc. I found a lot of companies on the internet selling them online for a reasonable cost. I ordered 100 iron-on silk name tags with a music symbol and my daughter’s name. Most companies were selling packages of different types for $20-30 or less: no-iron tags, shoe tags, etc.</p>
<p>Forgot that might be something useful to order before she leaves.</p>
<p>says this mom who is silently crying that the move-in date is so close - sniff sniff.</p>
<p>Re: Labels</p>
<p>We use Mabel’s Labels and love them.</p>
<p>I am now into my second round of BS clothing labels and both times I have purchased from an etsy seller that I love! Super fast turn around and shipping.</p>
<p>[Custom</a> Couture Label Company by customcouturelabelco on Etsy](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■/shop/customcouturelabelco]Custom”>customcouturelabelco - Etsy)</p>
<p>Plus I got everything for under $25.</p>
<p>I bought silk labels from a company called It’s Mine! before I saw the posts here. </p>
<p><a href=“Welcome itsmineusa.com - BlueHost.com”>Welcome itsmineusa.com - BlueHost.com;
<p>They haven’t arrived yet. We’ll see how they compare. Thanks for the tip! I bookmarked that and Mabel’s Labels for reference.</p>
<p>We’ve been happy with “Stuck on You USA.” [Stuck</a> On You - USA](<a href=“http://www.stuckonyou.biz/usa/index.asp]Stuck”>http://www.stuckonyou.biz/usa/index.asp). I think they’re plastic. They stay stuck. It’s a good idea to label socks.</p>
<p>If the labels are large enough, and your name’s short enough, Sharpies also work.</p>
<p>@Peri: I did have an issue with Sharpies coming off on other clothing (“What are all these little black dots?”), though it could be because I didn’t use the clothing-specific kind of marker.</p>
<p>Ralphlauren.com has great items on sale right now - especially if your son can still fit into boys’ sizes. Like khakis for $12.99 as an example. Free shipping currently, too. If you do plan on placing an order, PM me and I can send you a code for an additional 10% off - or you can find one online.</p>
<p>You should check with another parent of older student or older student. Each school has their own “code”. In fact, it has been suggested in the past not to buy more than several outfits or dresses for the first week until you s/d can see what they need. The dress codes are different at each too.</p>