<p>Kind of an odd question, I know, but since I come from way out in California, I'm expecting dress styles might be a bit different (especially because winter wear is definitely much more necessary). I'm sure there will be a period of getting used to how everyone dresses, & I'm sure others will probably still dress like me, but it would be nice to get a little heads up. So what are some essential clothing items for a UW student? Are there any super popular clothing items or styles most people have? & what stores do a lot of people shop at? I know it's a huge school with people from all over, but I'm assuming there is probably some sort of common dress. Having a little heads up will probably make me feel more comfortable at the school. Thanks :D</p>
<p>A lot of people are from California lol so you probably won’t stick out much. People honestly wear everything. Literally. For winter, I’d say the traditional dress for girls is Ugg boots, black leggings, and a North Face coat. But people seriously wear all kinds of things. I don’t really buy many clothes in the campus area and I don’t know many people who do. But honestly I would say there are many styles on campus.</p>
<p>Don’t know about the name brands but students from Wisconsin will be from all sorts of economic backgrounds and some will be into fashion, others not. No matter what you choose that is weather appropriate (warm/cold) you will most likely find others with similar tastes. Do have closed, ie non flipflop style, shoes for colder days and bring your California “winter” clothes. You can figure what to wear for really cold weather once you are at UW and talk to people- plus visit the local stores for a selection of true cold weather outerwear plus other clothes next fall.</p>
<p>My D did accumulate a few UW T shirts and a few “freebie shirts” from events etc. There is an Urban Outfitters right on State street. However, my D shopped at the Goodwill on State Street and got some amazing deals. She needed dress clothes for Engineering events and got amazing top name suits coats, slacks and dress shirts for next to nothing that are almost brand new. Got shorts and stuff too. I know they took a bus to a mall not far away too. So, clearly she felt comfortable in whatever she had or picked up and she came from the “other” coast. We did buy her winter coat in Madison, they have a much better selection of REALLY warm and water resistant ones there than we could get in NJ.</p>
<p>Pretty much anything goes. I’d say most just go with jeans and a Tshirt or sweatshirt (often UW related) most of the time except when going out. A good-sized minority do the leggings and North face thing. Some (mostly girls) get more dressed to go out to the bars or parties. Whatver you are comfortable wearing seems fine. I would not call it a really styling dressy school. More on the utilitarian side.</p>
<p>People certainly do wear a lot of UW stuff so you can never go wrong with that. I’ll disagree with barrons (as I am a current student and he is not) that a minority girls will be wearing Uggs/leggings/North Face in winter. It’s most girls that will be wearing that. Some obviously don’t, but it’s probably a majority. Dress up to go out - dress up more if you’re going to bars than parties.</p>
<p>I disagree with you RoxSox. The kids from WI who attend UW are mainly NOT into fashion like you seem to be. From your other posts you hang out with a different crowd than those I know of. You may be a student but you know only your segment of the student population. Not all girls/women dress as expensively as you do, especially those on a budget. </p>
<p>btw- freshmen aren’t allowed in bars- drinking age rules… </p>
<p>You find Columbia brand jackets around here in most stores- North Face also available at higher end/sports stores. Ugg is available but so many other choices. People wear what they already own. T shirts and jeans… Shopping in various WI malls teens I see are casual.</p>
<p>Son is a runner and wore T shirts from HS events plus many acquired at UW. Basic jeans. Running shoes, other athletic shoes- brand that fits your foot best. You may love flipflops but you will get cold feet eventually.</p>
<p>The bottom line is to bring/wear what you have been wearing that is comfortable and for colder weather eventually. Shorts in hot weather, long pants in cool/cold. Most people won’t care- plenty of people to be with who are not worried about what you wear, those that do aren’t worth your time.</p>
<p>JerseyProf has some good points. You can buy your winter jacket/hat/gloves et al in Madison this fall after you know what to buy- and leave them there when you go home for winter break. The cold weather clothes are sold appropriate to regions. One test for warmth is to put your arm up the sleeve (from the cuff) of a winter jacket and see how warm it feels- a trick learned for a toddler but applies to all ages and useful in a warm store.</p>
<p>I’m actually from Wisconsin, lived in public dorms with a variety of people. I am in a “coastie” sorority so I do know a lot about that segment of the population, but the people I hang out with on a day-to-day basis are mostly from Wisconsin. I know what both kinds of people tend to wear.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t consider myself much into fashion, just calling it as I see it. I also don’t dress expensively at all, so thanks for making assumptions. I don’t actually wear a North Face because I can’t afford one. You don’t have to be in a certain segment of the population to see what people wear walking to class. Columbia jackets are somewhat popular too. People do wear a variety of things, but even students from WI aren’t completely ignorant of what looks nice, as you seem to be hinting. People don’t look like they shop entirely out of fashion magazines, but there are definite trends that MANY people do follow - people aren’t fashion slaves but most people do care a little bit, just like most people who are college-aged. It’s not a preppy campus by any means, but it’s not a sloppy one where no one cares what they wear, either.</p>
<p>Are you really so naive to think that freshmen really “cannot” get into bars here? Many, many freshmen have fake IDs, so many do go to bars. Generally there’s a sizeable crowd who goes to the bars and a sizeable crowd who goes to house parties. It’s usually dependent upon whether you have a fake. The exception is frat parties, the “bar” crowd goes to those as well.</p>
<p>Well, I was on campus for two long weekends last Fall and I was on the hunt for those wearing the “Coastie” look just to see how common it was. Sure I saw some but not a ton. Under 20% I’d guess. What did impress me somewhat was the number of girls in pretty tiny dresses hitting State on the weekend nights. Maybe this Fall when I return I’ll do a real count and have some stats for everyone. It is possible living on Langdon scews your perceptions. And I’m pro Greeks. But it is a small part of the overall campus.</p>
<p>I don’t live on Langdon, thanks. Nor do I generally associate with many in Greek life, I merely cited my sorority membership to note that I do know what both groups of students are wearing. In fact, I would say I am around more people from the Midwest, as I lived in the public dorms last year, and will be living in an apartment building not known for “coasties” next year. Also, I don’t think the “coastie” look is that prevalent, I was just noting that the traditional garb for winter for girls is often Uggs/leggings/North Face and people don’t generally break it out until it starts getting really cold (ie: not fall). This holds true no matter where you’re from. Why? It’s warm! Clearly not everyone is wearing that, but many girls definitely do. Some people have knockoff boots or jackets, I did for a while (until my jacket was stolen unfortunately). As I said, it doesn’t matter how you dress, you see what people are wearing as you’re heading to class, no matter where you live.</p>
<p>And yes, if you’re heading to State and going bar-hopping, you do dress up a good deal more than if you’re headed to a house party. I myself go to very few bars (don’t have a fake and I’m much more of a party person) and I usually go with a simple top, black skinny jeans, and Converse, honestly. Some of those floors at the house parties are very gross and covered in beer, you don’t want to ruin good shoes. Plus it creates a bit of a less feminine look I rather like :)</p>
<p>"btw- freshmen aren’t allowed in bars- drinking age rules… " </p>
<p>This made me laugh. Ever heard of a fake I.D? Do you know how easy it is to get into some of those bars? There are plenty of freshman at bars if you know which ones to go to.</p>
<p>Anything and everything goes around here - really, there’s so many different types of people walking around campus on a given day that no one will judge you based on what you’re wearing. In fact, I think a lot of people I see walking around on any given day are very stylish (in the sense of unique) dressers… think colored tights, bold colors, chunky jewelry fancier flats or boots, sundresses, even a hat for girls. That’s one side - the majority of people are less fussy and tend to stick to the jeans and t-shirt/hoodie look. Low maintenance and comfort tends to be the name of the game - remember that UW is a large campus, and you’re going to have longer walks to some buildings. If you’re interested in brands, I see a lot of the outdoor lifestyle type brands year round - think North Face, Columbia, REI, Patagonia, and anything similar. I can only speak for the girls with respect to shoes and bags, but I saw a lot of Sperry boat shoes and Toms flats this spring. Perennial favorites include Converse, any kind of clog, and Hunter rain boots. Vera Bradley totes are popular, too. I don’t think UW is a big designer bag campus, although I do see Coach here and there.</p>
<p>For shopping, State Street is the closest place. Some well known brand name stores are Urban Outfitters, Gap, and Bop - Urban is fairly popular. The Bookstore has great Badger clothing, but it can be pretty expensive - they run multiple sales during the year and they always have coupons online. </p>
<p>My comment on the bars - your fake will not get you into any significant bars, virtually none near campus (area surrounding University/State Street). There are of course exception stories, but know that bars in Madison tend to be extremely savvy when it comes to fakes and have zero qualms about taking yours away. I have a friend whose actual driver’s license was revoked at the door of a State Street bar because the bouncer thought it was a very well done fake - she was able to retrieve it the next day, and the bartender was very apologetic about the whole thing. This is, of course, an unusual case, but I wouldn’t bother with the whole mess if I were an incoming freshman :)</p>
<p>I would have to disagree with “My comment on the bars - your fake will not get you into any significant bars, virtually none near campus.” Besides a few of the large ones (Wandos, Brothers, and the KK), the rest are nowhere near “extremely savvy.” Sure they may take it away, but most bouncers are pretty chill and will just turn you down and not let you in. Also, if you are a female you will most likely to into a bar, especially on a night where the male to female ratio is low. And I would totally bother with the case, sure first semester it was fun to large parties, but a house/apartment party with 500 people, paying $5 a cup, and barely being able to walk due to so many people, loses its novelty quickly after first semester.</p>
<p>^Agreed. A huge amount of freshmen go to bars. Seriously, huge amounts. If you can get a fake, it’s worth it - nice to have the option anyways if you’re not down for the whole party thing.</p>