<p>Hello, everyone. So I'm going to college in a few weeks and I have yet to purchase college necessities for this year. I know I need a new wardrobe for a couple of reasons: (1) Lack of clothing (period)--I have a few blouses (5 or 6), 2 worn out shorts, and a pair of jeans, (2) None of my clothes are suitable for weather up north, (3) All other clothes are too big on me now (I've lost a lot of weight these past few months), (4) and I'd like to create a new style for myself by repairing my wardrobe. I'll most likely have to throw away majority of my wardrobe as nothing seems suitable or durable for new england weather.</p>
<p>I don't have much money, I am not working, and my parents aren't very well off either, I haven't even bought anything for my dorm in particular. I have a few gift cards for grad/birthday parties (amounting to about $125 for stores like Macys, Marshalls, JCPenny, etc) and a little in savings (about $200). My mother might be able to pitch in a bit of money and same for my father but I'm not counting too much on that.</p>
<p>I don't exactly know what to budget on a new wardrobe or what to buy for clothes and apparel. My fashion sense is vintage, preppy, girly-ish. Lot's of floral prints, patterns, simple yet elegant. I don't have much of that in my wardrobe but those are the clothes I'm much prefer. So my questions are:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How much should I budget on an entire wardrobe for New England Weather (Max. and Min.)???</p></li>
<li><p>Should I wait until I get to school to shop for clothes (My school is about 1500 miles away and I'll be flying there so luggage will be an issue)???</p></li>
<li><p>Where are the best places to shop for trendy, fashionable yet cheap clothing (I'm a bit worried that cheap clothing would not be durable enough for winter weather up north.)???</p></li>
<li><p>Any other advice??</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Actually, you could probably stilll use what you have.</p>
<p>The thing with cold, wet weather in the winter is that you will want to layer. Meaning, tank/shirt, light jacket, coat. As long as you invest in a good coat, you should be fine.</p>
<p>You also will not have very much room to store it in your dorm, so you should be able to take it on.</p>
<p>Since you’re going to bates you will need a coat that will keep you warm and dry. A lot of kids will be wearing NorthFace(not my favorite but it does the job). Dont forget hat and gloves. Also invest in a good pair of rubber boots (check out Macy’s sales) . Hunters are expensive but they get the job done and you will be able to get liners for them which will carry you through winter. Alternatively you can go to the llbean outlet. Jeans will work just fine with everything. Instead of trendy clothing you should look for a few classic pieces and then build on those as time goes on. Do a spot of web surfing of different stores or actually walk into stores to compare styles/prices .</p>
<p>You might want to buy a few clothes beforehand but I think it’ll make more sense for you to do a lot of your shopping when you get to school - if you do, it’ll give you a change to see what other people brought, plus the stores there will have clothes more suited to the climate.</p>
<p>Echoing the advice to bring what you already have to layer with (and you might even use the shorts during the first couple of weeks) and concentrate on basic/classic pieces. You could pick up some jeans at your favorite store, but after you move, your big investment should be outerwear - some sort of lightweight fleece type jacket (Northface does a good one if you don’t mind being part of the crowd!) works for fall/spring/warm winter days, and later in the winter you’ll want a heavier parka, hat, gloves, scarf etc. Footwear is also important, and again I’d wait til you get there to see what’s popular and available.</p>
<p>Forever21 is a great place for layering pieces, they have everything from cute sleeveless tops to cardigans and bigger sweaters to put over them. You just have to be careful and really see them in person because the quality can either be pretty good or reaaallyy bad. Also, try TJMaxx and Marhsalls if you have them near you. They tend to have more expensive brands for a lot less, and you can pick up some great pieces there if you’re willing to do the work and dig (i.e. my sister just picked up a brand new pair of tall Uggs for about $90, where at Lord and Taylor the same pair would be around $200). They also have a great clothing section too which is where I get most of my stuff because it’s inexpensive but they have great stuff!</p>
<p>Check out your local Good Will, Salvation Army and thrift shops. Many, (even in Florida), carry jeans, new socks, sweat pants and shirts, (you can use these for bedtime), fleece jacket/hoodie. A lot of northerners bring heavy clothes to Florida and realize they don’t need them! Your largest expenses will be a wind/water resistant outer jacket, a wool sweater to layer, and heavy/rugged shoes or boots. Start out with 2 pair jeans, 1 sweatshirt, 2 t-shirts, 2 tank tops, sneakers, rain poncho or windbreaker. You can have some pretty hot and humid days in September with cooler evenings. You will need 2 pr of shorts. You can buy most of the heavier cold weather clothes when you arrive and see what the other students are wearing. Don’t forget the thrift stores up North. Sears carries the Land’s End brand, if you have a gift certificate, maybe you could use that towards a jacket.</p>
<p>I was at Gap yesterday and they are having a MAJOR sale on wintery clothes. I bought 2 shirts, one cardigan, one rain coat, and a blazer-like winter coat. This was all for $44! </p>
<p>They had trench coats that were 20% off and some nice sweaters on sale.</p>
<p>Last year I got a nice peacoat for $25 that was originally $80.</p>
<p>$325 dollars.
Do you have shoes, purse, underwear, toiletries, makeup covered?
Get a good haircut a few weeks before you leave home.
That can add up and bust your budget.
This week, ask friends, relatives for any clothes, accessories they do not want or can fit.
Get help from a fashionable friend to go through the hand me downs.
Donate the rest to charity.
Most important:
Versatile warm coat.
Shoes
Jeans, you can dress up or down.
You need to earn money to spend on building a wardrobe.</p>
<p>For the winter jacket/parka, check out backcountry dot com. Name brands, discounted. Both of my kids got their Northface parkas there and one will get a Patagonia from them. Don’t delay trying to get this in Maine, later. There may not be sales then. You wont be close to anything other than WalMart.</p>
<p>Several pairs of jeans, a few t-shirts, a flannel shirt and a fleece pullover. Then see what you have left for favorite styles. When a budget is tight, accessories can do the trick- eg, cheap pashmina scarves can go for $7-10 and come in many colors. You can buy a school sweatshirt, once there, always in stock (my kids live in them, when needed.) It won’t be bitter cold in New England til after Christmas and every building will be warm. Kids tend to do inside activities in the worst weather. Don’t buy name brand winter rubber boots- you can find the same styles for $20.</p>
<p>You should try to have one pair of black slacks or a longer, heavier weight skirt that you can wear if needed for a dressier event. Black slacks can be very versatile, and all you need is a pair of cute flats or a low heeled shoe. Just be sure to HEM the slacks. I see so many girls trying to dress nicely, but then they are walking on the bottom of their pant legs, getting them all dirty or ripped. It looks ridiculous! Your clothes will last longer if you take care of them, that’s for sure! The same for a skirt. Not so long you are tripping all over, but long enough for cold winters and sitting without embarrassment. You could be invited to a professor’s home for a class meal (I had that wonderful, fun experience) or asked to hostess/usher at a fun event of some sort. Usually you just need jeans and very casual clothes, but it will help to know you have one dressier outfit available if needed!</p>
<p>If you are going to Bates in Lewiston, ME then I suggest you get a really nice winter coat. Having lived in ME for most of my childhood, it gets pretty cold.</p>
<p>A good coat is important. You either want some thick, heavy material or one of those puffy jackets (I love those). Flannel-lined jeans also kick all sorts of ass in cold weather, they’re not necessary but boy do they make life awesome.</p>
<p>Finally, get a comfy hat and some gloves or mittens. And a scarf if that’s your thing.</p>