<p>I'm starting school in Ithaca, NY this fall and I'll be coming in from Singapore, where it's summer practically all the time (think 80-95F temperatures, 2-3 rain days any given week and high humidity year-round). This means that I know next to nothing about how to dress for fall and winter climates. At this point, I own no sweatshirts, sweaters, specialized shoes, hats, gloves, scarves, coats or even jackets (simply because you don't need any of that stuff here) and I plan on picking these things up as required when I get to the US. </p>
<p>My questions here are: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Exactly what would a college freshman need or want (I don't mind purchasing 'extras' if they really would help ease me acclimatize) outside of the things I've mentioned above? </p></li>
<li><p>This is probably more important: how many should I get of anything? This question is not limited to the cold weather gear. I'm also curious about how many tees, jeans, polos, dress shirts, etc. those of you in college find appropriate. *</p></li>
<li><p>Which brands are known to provide good quality at a reasonable price and at which retailers will I be able to find the best selection and discounts on those brands? *For a reference, I will have a weekend in New Jersey and perhaps a few hours in NYC before heading to Ithaca, which I'd imagine doesn't offer as much in the way of shopping.</p></li>
<li><p>How should I expect to dress this coming fall and winter? I keep hearing the term 'layering' so what exactly would I be wearing on top of what and at which point in the year? I'd imagine that even August's weather will be pronouncedly cooler than what I've been used to all my life. Does that mean I will be donning warmer clothes long before others have made the switch?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I realize that I'll probably look back on this thread at the end of my first Ithaca winter and laugh at myself but I do think that asking these naive questions will give me some peace of mind. Thanks!</p>
<p>Edit: Just noticed that I never mentioned this anywhere - I'm male, 6 ft., 195#.</p>
<p>Go to an outlet when you shop. There is an outlet in NY State which is called Woodbury Commons. It’s cheaper and has brands such as North Face, Polo Ralph Lauren, etc.</p>
<p>wear the sweatpants/sweatshirt combo</p>
<p>every</p>
<p>day</p>
<p>My wife is Singaporean and she brought over a lot of what we’d call summer clothes with her. I live in NH where it gets quite cold in the wintertime. It is probably a bit colder in Ithaca as it is further inland.</p>
<p>Lots of students wear T-shirts and shorts or light pants when it is warm and then somewhat warmer clothes as it gets cooler. They may go with sweatshirts (hooded or not), technical gear like North Face when it gets colder but not freezing and then all the way to winter coats, gloves and a hood or hat.</p>
<p>My son typically has at least a week of t-shirts, a few long-sleeve casual shirts, several light pants (technical running), shorts, a hooded sweatshirt, a winter/rain coat with a hood and gloves. He has a set of running shoes or cross-trainers and a pair of boots for walking in snow. He also has a pair of dress pants, tie, a dress shirt, belt, dress shoes and appropriate socks for those times when he has an award ceremony or has to give a presentation. Also, underwear and socks. A lot of this is his personal preference.</p>
<p>Some students go more with jeans or khakis and dress-shirts everyday.</p>
<p>My daughter wears a warm-up jacket most of the time for the pockets. She switches to a North Face fleece jacket when it gets colder and will add a rain layer when it gets colder. She goes from shorts in warmer weather to jeans when it is cold.</p>
<p>Ithaca, and upstate NY, has some pretty weird weather. It can be the middle of winter and you can get snow one day and want to take a cool dip in the pool the next…or it can be May and the same thing will happen.
My best piece of advice is to always have one pair of pants/shorts/short sleeve/long sleeve handy no matter what time of year…at least the school year. The weather fluctuates so much and it sucks to be wearing long pants the one day in December when it’s 70 out.
…As for the cold, I think everyone else has pretty good advice about bundling up. A good hoody can be pulled over anything and works great in the winter.</p>
<p>The Mall at Ithaca would seem to have a lot of what you will need. They have a few fashionable stores. You might do a little Googling around to see what shops are available in the area.</p>
<p>You could also order things online once you are here.</p>
<p>Get a couple of hoodies, a couple of sweaters, a nice light jacket, and then a more cozy, warm coat. Youll probably be wearing jeans alot since it will probably be relatively cold in Ithaca so have at least 3-4 pairs of jeans, 3 dark washed, 1 light. Lots of t-shirts (couple plain, others from hollister, etc), a couple pairs of shorts, around 3 polos for going out, 3 dress shirts (also for going out). Might need a suit, and a couple of nice khakis or dress pants. </p>
<p>As for layering, it starts to get chilly in Chicago around september/october, and thats when most start layering and wearing jeans and such. You dont always need a sweater or hoodie on, just wear a warmer jacket (Northface) and wear a t-shirt under so you dont constantly wear the same 3 or 4 sweaters or hoodies.</p>
<p>As for brands, just go to an outlet or mall.</p>
<p>Get a pair of boots. You don’t want to be stuck wearing sneakers when there’s 6" of snow on the ground outside.</p>
<p>Get a good coat thats waterpoof.</p>