Help, I have no clothes.

[citygirlsmom]

<p>and you need at least one pair of 'dressy" pants, a decent top and a blazer, because you never now when you will need to dress up a bit</p>

<p>my d was picked to speak in front of an alumni luncheon..strick dress code because of location...no jeans allowed and khakis wouldn't cut it</p>

<p>fortuneatly, she has a gray h&m pinstripe suit she can throw on....that lunch, its all about the networking, and having one presentable outfit for unexpected interviews, etc is a must</p>

<p>so, dont' think you need just all casual clothes...you need to be ready to step it up</p>

[anon43256521]

<p>
[quote]
$40 - pair of skinny jeans
$30 - vans or similar sneakers, red black or blue get bonus points.
$20 - v neck shirt, band, striped, artistic, etc.
$15 - big sunglasses or wayfarers.
$20-40 - accessories, if you a girl, bracelets, pendants, rings, earrings
feeling of looking wayy rad - priceless.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>what about the feeling of being entitled to look down on abercrombie-wearing high schoolers because you pay $10 more for pre-fab pseudo-hipster junk at, ahem, urban outfitters? what does that cost?</p>

[jackht27]

<p>i don't get why people always say that. style is defined by what people are wearing. just because your style is "pseudo-hipster" doesn't mean you can't be original!! urban outfitters isn't much more expensive than your average clothing store iin the mall. sure you can find some expensive clothes there, but if you are looking you can find some good deals. same with h&m.</p>

<p>and urban outfitters has great clothes. the overall style is just too alternative for a lot of people (i.e the girls who wear uggz with PINK victorias secret sweats, and the guys who don't even care what they are wearing)</p>

[MidwestMom2Kids_1]

<p>shirts. 12 short sleeve. 3 long sleeve. 3 hoodies.
3 jean shorts. It will be shorts weather the first month or so of school, even if you are in, say, Minnesota. a few sleeveless tops, too.
pants. 5 blue jeans. 1 pair khaki pants for no-jeans situations. 1 pair dressy pants for say, an interview or a more serious situation.
a dress for a dance if you have something at home you like, but I wouldn't buy a new dress - heaven only knows what dress up occasions will come up in college.
sweaters. If you like to wear sweaters a lot, bring more, but 2 or 3 should do - most people will wear hoodies more than sweaters.
1 northface type jacket
1 windbreaker type jacket (big enough to fit over the north face is nice, so you can layer them)
shoes. 1 pair of boots, 1 athletic shoe, 1 leather shoe, 1 dressy shoe, some flip flops.
underwear. 20 pair will last 2 weeks.
socks. 20 pair will last 2 weeks.
1 warm winter parka
2 pair warm wool socks, 1 pr gloves, 1 pr waterproof mittens and a warm hat, 1 pr long underwear.
dorm pants/sweat pants 2 pair
sports shorts 1 or 2 pair</p>

<p>Shop at Marshall's and TJ Maxx if you can.</p>

<p>Advice for a guy: Elsewhere on this board, I have seen a suggestion that a young man should bring a "suit bag" with a dress shirt, tie, belt, and dress socks all zipped inside - and a blazer/sports coat if you have one. (You may not ever need the dressy clothes, but this way, if you need them, everything is there, and all together - we'll assume you have a pair of non-athletic shoes in your closet but if you never wear anything but athletic shoes and sandals, what the heck - drop a pair of dressy shoes into the bottom of the zipper suit bag if you have them.) If you don't have a blazer, get to college, and find you need one, I have a friend who is a strong advocate of buying men's blazers at thrift stores - try that first.</p>

[andreaaaaaa]

<p>

@2blue

I chuckled over the 40 pairs of sock and 40 pairs of underwear. Sounds like a trip on an ark, . Realistically, I think doing laundry more often won't be a problem, and finding that much space in your dorm room will be. Figure out how often you want to do laundry and add a few extra pairs of socks and underwear to get through mid-terms, finals, etc.

</p>

<p>haha okay. i just hear all these stories about college students never doing their laundry, so i wanted to be prepared.</p>

<p>

@Student615

Not bringing much to school meant, for one thing, that I had the freedom to buy what I wanted when I needed it. I've never been a big shopper, and I didn't have a car in college, but somehow a good deal of time got spent at the mall. Everything accumulated in a workable fashion</p>

<p>If you have enough clothes to get you through 1-2 weeks at a time, or however often you feel like doing laundry, plus a little extra in the way of socks and underwear, (cross-posted with 2blue), you're fine for now. I did laundry every week my freshman and sophomore years, every two weeks or so by my junior and senior years.

</p>

<p>thanks, this really helped.</p>

<p>

@4321234

that's a lot of money right there. all that can easily cost you $1000+. if you weren't much of a fashion queen in high school, college is a really bad time to start. just shop at places like target and outlet stores (which can sell pretty cheap athletic clothes), and shop during sales. and only buy things you'll truly need. you'll want to have extra money when you're in college.

</p>

<p>that's true. i usually shop at target and other places in the mall when i have a coupon, and also american apparel.</p>

<p>

@OKgirl

If your worried about costs, you could look into a place like Plato's closet (you sell "gently used" things to them and they are pretty cheap).

</p>

<p>thanks, i always hear plato's closet commercials on the radio. i will have to look into it.</p>

<p>

@AUlostchick

Honestly, I have about 4 pairs of jeans that I actually wear/that fit right. Do I wash clothes every 4 days? No, I rewear them a few times each. Trust me when I say lots of people do this.</p>

<p>I would probably do laundry every 2-3 weeks if possible, it gets expensive otherwise! Also, if you are layering when its cold, you could rewear whichever shirt is on top underneath another shirt the next day, that way you get a good wear out of that layer too. I would however get a good sturdy winter coat, gloves and a hat, and about 3 weeks worth of thick socks and basic underwear. Because really, laundry only ever NEEDS to be done if you're out of socks and underwear.

</p>

<p>thanks, this helps. i don't think it is too gross to rewear jeans, but i don't know about shirts. and that is a good idea about rewearing your top shirt. i didn't really think about that, since in washington i just wear one shirt.</p>

<p>

@kwtortoise

I'd focus more on meeting your basic needs right now, and addressing things like a coat later if you don't need it right now. Also, try and find relatives to take you clothes shopping as a graduation gift. You really don't need more than a couple pairs of shoes and a pair of boots, and can get by just fine with one jacket and just layer as needed.</p>

<p>I'd plan for doing laundry every week, and being able to stretch it to two weeks if you get busy. You really really don't want to wash a month's worth of clothes at a time, and by then you'd have used up a few sets of sheets and towels too (you likely will only buy 1-2 sets to save money).

</p>

<p>thanks. from what i have heard, it is reasonably warm in september but then it gets cold by mid-october and november. so i will have time to shop for winter clothes when i am at school.</p>

<p>

@OKgirl]<br> If you wait until it's warmer out you can also get winter clothes for REALLY cheap.</p> <p>[/quote

</p>

<p>yeah, that is true. right after i posted this, i bought a 100 dollar winter jacket for 30 dollars on clearance.</p>

<p> [quote=Narcissa] lmao $100 for sox

</p>

<p>well, i have read on other threads that good wool socks are a necessity, and they are about fifteen bucks each. so thats where the cost of socks comes from.</p>

<p>

@Bigredmed

3) This is a lot of stuff to buy. You need to start shopping NOW. It'll be a lot easier if you buy bit by bit. The sales racks are obviously your friends. You'd be surprised how much stuff you can get for really cheap if you are aggressive about sales - every store you walk into, that should be your first and last stop. I was in the Gap about a week ago and managed to find a great sweater and a plain polo shirt (both things that I know I'll where) for $3.97 and $4.98 respectively.</p>

<p>4) Only buy things you know you'll wear...even if they're on sale. I'm very picky about my clothes but I have a really bad habit of picking up things on sale that I wouldn't normally wear, simply because they're on sale. Then I never wear them. I've ended up with a closet full of things that I never wear...so I'm doing laundry and my roommates are like "dude, you've got tons of clothes hanging there!" It's a waste of space and money.</p>

<p>5) Obviously you want to be fashionable, but there's a really broad spectrum on costs when it comes to that. Look at magazines for things you like and then head to cheaper stores that carry similar things. For example...I'm more than just a little obsessed about stuff from J.Crew, but when I needed a casual blazer, I wasn't about to spend $298 on what they were selling. Instead I went to the Gap and got a similar one for $88 bucks. I do the same thing with stuff from Banana Republic. If you find the Gap excessive, then look towards Old Navy or Target.</p>

<p>6) You can't live with ONLY cheap clothes, so it's certainly advisable to have three or four really great things that you splurge on at higher end stores.

</p>

<p>thanks, this is good advice. i have started buying some things now, because i found some coupons. </p>

<p>

@citygirlsmom

for instance 10 pairs of underwear is more reasonable, unless you have 'issues"

</p>

<p>oh, i definitely have issues, hahahaha. i can't stand rewearing underwear. i think i probably have twenty pairs right now, and i will probably buy more before i go to college. i just feel the need to have a good supply, lol.</p>

<p>

@Perfectedxchaos]<br> 4 pairs of flats?<br> And a lot of your other numbers were pretty high as well.<br> I would recommend getting enough clothing to last you about two weeks without needing to do laundry.<br> So your 40 pairs of underwears/socks is way over abundant.</p> <p>[/quote]<br> </p></p> <p><p><br> [quote=blahfishcakes

I agree with Perfectedxchaos. You only need two weeks worth of socks and underwear at the most. And I think you're taking too many pairs of shoes. What are you going to do with all of that stuff at the end of the school year?</p>

<p>Also, try to look for sales because $36 is a bit much for one pair of jeans. I found a $28 pair on sale for $5. All it takes is some hunting.

</p>

<p>okay, thanks. i try to use coupons and everything as much as i can. i made some of my estimates higher than what i would probably spend, because i want to be sure to save enough. and i try to keep my stuff in good condition, so at the end of the year i would probably just take it home and bring it back next year.</p>

<p>

@citygirlsmom

let me lift myself up off the floor...4pairs of shoes total....yeah, SURE....</p>

<p>i forgot to mention, buy some winter stuff in the spring when there are big sales...</p>

<p>four pairs of shoes is enough? too funny</p>

<p>so, dont' think you need just all casual clothes...you need to be ready to step it up

</p>

<p>haha yeah, i think i will need at least four pairs of shoes. i only have a couple pairs now, but it is really a pain. and i have already started trying to shop for stuff on sale. and i forgot about nice clothes. i will have to add one nice outfit to my list as well.</p>

<p>

@MidwestMom2Kids_

shirts. 12 short sleeve. 3 long sleeve. 3 hoodies. 3 jean shorts. It will be shorts weather the first month or so of school, even if you are in, say, Minnesota. a few sleeveless tops, too. pants. 5 blue jeans. 1 pair khaki pants for no-jeans situations. 1 pair dressy pants for say, an interview or a more serious situation. a dress for a dance if you have something at home you like, but I wouldn't buy a new dress - heaven only knows what dress up occasions will come up in college. sweaters. If you like to wear sweaters a lot, bring more, but 2 or 3 should do - most people will wear hoodies more than sweaters. 1 northface type jacket 1 windbreaker type jacket (big enough to fit over the north face is nice, so you can layer them) shoes. 1 pair of boots, 1 athletic shoe, 1 leather shoe, 1 dressy shoe, some flip flops. underwear. 20 pair will last 2 weeks. socks. 20 pair will last 2 weeks. 1 warm winter parka 2 pair warm wool socks, 1 pr gloves, 1 pr waterproof mittens and a warm hat, 1 pr long underwear. dorm pants/sweat pants 2 pair sports shorts 1 or 2 pair

</p>

<p>okay, thanks for this advice. i wear hoodies sometimes but i also like sweaters.</p>

[Narcissa]

<p>i'm not big on labels, so you mite be different but here's what i would do:</p>

<p>shirts. 12 short sleeve. 7 long sleeve. $250.: hollister short-sleeve shirts are about $10. long sleeve shirts are about $15. that's about $225, but if you go hunting you'll find cool stuff here and there for like $5. but that will take some time.
pants. 5 blue jeans. $180. ** do you have like an old navy around? or a store like loehmann's or daffy's where they sell really expensive ($200) stuff for cheaper because of the change in season or stock? cuz you can easily buy really nice jeans for $15 each or $20 each.
**sweaters. 3 cardigans. 3 heavier sweaters. $230. like hoodies? you can get wooven sweaters @ gap or old navy for $20. and hoodies are EVERYWHERE you just have to look. if there's a sale at, say a&f, you can get hoodies there for even $10. what school r u going to? u mite want to buy some college sweatshirts =)**
lighter jackets. 2 windbreakers. 2 cloth jackets. $300. macy's or sear's...light jackets $30 each.
**coats. 1 northface. 1 peacoat. $200. what's a peacoat...northface COAT alone is $230 around
shoes. 1 pair of boots, 1 converse, 1 athletic shoe, 4 pairs of flats. $350.boots=uggs? otherwise you can easily get ugg-like boots or any furry boots for $20. comfortable sneakers are like $40. and shopping for flats = fun if you have the time, sometimes they're onsale for about $5 a pair...pretty ones too....
underwear. 40 pairs. $125. that's a bit excessive.
socks. 40 pairs cotton socks. 5 pairs wool socks. $100. you can easily get cotton socks for reallyy cheap. like $8 for 15 pairs. i dunno but do u have a local children's wear or something? i hope you don't care about the brand of ur sox rite...
dorm pants. 2 pairs. $50. like sweatpants/comfortable pants? it depends on where you go, but you can easily get them for $10 each
athletic pants. 1 pair. $30. sport's authority. clearance section. $15
athletic shirts. 1 pair. $30. sport's authority. clearance section. $10.</p>

<p>i don't know if you're trying to spend LESS money or if yolu want to buy expensive brandname clothes. and do you NOT have clothes at all that you needa buy t-shirts? lol. well i dunno that's what i would do :)</p>

[blahfishcakes]

<p>"and i try to keep my stuff in good condition, so at the end of the year i would probably just take it home and bring it back next year."</p>

<p>Are you going to drive home? If you fly, you won't be able to fit all of that in your luggage. You could ship it home or pay for storage, but both of those can be ridiculously expensive. Trust me, I'm having this dilemma right now.</p>

[anon43256521]

<p>Also, Andrea, I wouldn't buy everything at once. Any time I go on a "spree," i.e. buy more than a few items of clothing at once, invariably there's a few that I end up never wearing. A decent wardrobe isn't bought all at once, it's a continuous acqusition of good clothing piece by piece. </p>

<p>If I could do first over again I would probably just have gotten a few pairs of jeans and shirts, socks, underwear and hoodies, and then figured out what I needed as the first semester went on. Then when you realize that you need two more shirts, a pair of pants, etc. you can go out and shop for specific items without blowing a ton of money trying to redo your wardrobe.</p>

[RacinReaver]

<p>Try to find a nice second-hand store. I've found one in my area at home and I can usually pick up a few brand new button-up shirts or rarely worn ones for $3 each (Tuesdays is half-price for mens' clothing) and pants for $4 a pair. If I'm looking for more specific things, Kohl's has possibly the best large and tall selection at a normal store, and I can often find their LT things in the clearance section where you'll never pay over $10 for a nice shirt or $5 for a t-shirt.</p>

[2blue]

<p>And don't forget the flipflops!</p>

<p>In case any relatives, etc. ask your parents for ideas for HS graduation gifts, you might want to suggest to your folks to mention gift cards to stores where you would like to clothes shop.</p>

<p>As someone with cold feet who lives in a cold climate, I prefer Thorlo socks over wool ones and wouldn't make it through winter without my Polartec slippers.</p>

[Perfectedxchaos]

<p>I meant a four shoe minimum. Because if you say four shoes, it will turn into five or six. So it's best to start out with a small number, rather than go thinking you will bring 10 pairs, because then that turns into even more...</p>

<p>When I pack, I tend to overpack... so for me it's best to think lower than what I need. If any of that makes sense, thank god.</p>

[foxdie]

<p>sounds sexy</p>

[historymom]

<p>re rural shopping....I am an expert online shopper becaue I have to be. If you know what sizes you wear at what online retailers, you can shop from your dorm room for the things you need it saves time and money. Pack light shop when you arrive and as needed.</p>

[leah377]

<p>haha i think i have like 15 pairs of shoes in my dorm room, not counting flip-flops. probably 3/4 of them are flats--you can never have too many! i'd say invest in two pairs of black (one casual & one dressy), brown, white, and maybe silver or red. they don't have to be expensive, either--you can go to shoe stores like rack room shoes and get cute ballet flats for like $10-15. :)</p>

[NorthMinnesota]

<p>Ohhhh...we support a fashionista student in Iowa! I also laughed at the four pairs of shoes! I wish she would make due with what has been listed.
Anyway...the only thing I would add is a down vest. They are pretty popular and nice for layering over a sweatshirt for the in between weather we get around here. And don't forget boots! Was on a campus tour this week in MN and everyone had their Uggs on. Any good boots will do.</p>

<p>Look at Nordstrom Rack, BCBG outlet,Banana outlet.</p>