<p>Attending a very preppy college. Need clothes for men. Title says it all. I Need some new clothes that help me fit in but I don't have a gazillion dollars that I can spend on 200 dollar polos or whatever, I need advice on clothing : types brands Ie shoes shirts shorts pants accessories etc</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it, wear the clothes you already have, buy some new stuff if you want some new stuff. But there’s no reason to replace an entire wardrobe. If people are shallow enough to judge you based on what shirt you’re wearing, they’re probably not worth your time.</p>
<p>Also, I doubt people’ll be wearing expensive clothes or polos to class everyday… most people just wear whatever they’re comfortable in.</p>
<p>Are you attending a very preppy college or WILL you be attending a very preppy college?</p>
<p>Failure622: Many students don’t have the cultural background or don’t want to look FOB.
In addition, at some colleges, young men do wear shirts, ties, and blazers.</p>
<p>failatlife: how many “appropriate” clothes do you own right now? Are you international or first-gen? have you been to campus before?
Can you tell us the college or at least the area, because weather will affect our answers and “preppy” in VA is not the same as “preppy” in the Midwest. :)</p>
<p>basics would include “khaki pants”, belted, and a dark (navy blue) polo shirt, dark socks and non-sport shoes.
(type “kahki pants” in google)
However even preppy colleges would have students in long/baggy shorts, tee shirts, and flip flops :)</p>
<p>Cargo shorts… can be from Target, Kohls, or other cheap places.
/thread</p>
<p>I have like 4 polos khakis 3 , 7 informal dress shirts, a pair of boar shoes, a couple other stuff I mostly wear sports attire( tshirts of NBA MLB NHL jordan Nike shorts etc stuf like that) thats why I’m asking.</p>
<p>Also school is in va</p>
<p>Also I will be attending but I have never visited but from everything I’ve read and sen online everyone where’s preppy clothes all the time</p>
<p>Never wear cargo anything. Ever. Otherwise, just google it. Brooks Brothers, Polo, VV, Southern Tide are all good starting point</p>
<p>You’re good to go for the winter, but make sure you have “dress casual shorts” and polo shirts in both long sleeved and short sleeved versions. In VA, you’ll be wearing shorts and short sleeves in September, April, and May at the very least (maybe more depending on where you’re from and your understanding of “mild” weather. I remember kids from ND wearing shorts as soon as temps hit 40 :p)
Make sure to pick a tie (not one with Mickey Mouse on it :p) and don’t forget the belt. Pants must always be worn belted. Watch the local habit before you wear the shirt inside or outside (typically, these days, it’s outside - except with a blazer).
If you do not own a blazer don’t worry, a polo shirt will do just fine, and then adding a sweater in winter will be good too.
You can accessorize, too: cut offs with a polo shirt, or a belted pair of khakis, socks and shoes, but a funky tee shirt (worn inside the pants probably unless it’s very baggy).
For all pants pick flat front. One pair of cargo shorts or cargo pants can’t hurt 
For shoes, look at the shoes worn when you google image “khaki pants” - some are converse all stars looking.
Brooks Brothers, etc, is out of your price range.
If international: Ask your college’s international counselor whether the school organizes a “shopping trip” to the nearest stores for internationals.
If not and you are flying (= can’t bring too much stuff), ask your admissions officer what stores are nearby.
In any case: Target, Eddie Bauer, Gap, JC Penney’s, Macy’s, etc, would be good enough - you can even shop at the Goodwill or charity shop in your town’s wealthiest district (super wealthy people’s cast offs are everybody else’s great find).
However make sure you bring your favorite, most comfortable clothes. If your school is preppy don’t go for the ripped clothes look everyday, but if that’s what you like, you should feel free to wear whatever you want. Wear preppy clothes on the first day (so that you can observe how others dress), on the first day of class (same thing) and for special occasions, but don’t go “all preppy all the time” unless you’re comfortable with it.</p>
<p>Thanks. This helps a lot </p>
<p>One question : why does everyone hate cargo pants?</p>
<p>Cargo pants are just ugly. As far as I know, that’s the only objection most people have to them. They’re functional yes, and good for traveling in places where you’re better off having dozens of pockets, but for everyday…ugh.</p>
<p>I would personally suggest TopShop or American Apparel. You can get very simple clothes that I think are more on the preppy side but you can still look unique enough to stand out.</p>
<p>I think you have some pretty good answers but I’d like to add some stuff.</p>
<p>The first thing to know is that you probably won’t be wearing preppy clothes every day. There’s probably going to be a few “off days” where you’re hungover, don’t want to get out of bed, feel sick, got no sleep, etc etc. It happens to everyone. There’s not one person I know who can consistently be stylish every day. No one will judge you if you do this one time or something… if they do, they aren’t worth your time. </p>
<p>Speaking from a girl’s perspective, I think Macy’s has a nice selection of decent, inexpensive men’s clothes that are kind of preppy and in the springtime, pastel colors that are desirable in preppy clothing. I’m really stretching it here with cheaper preppy stores but honestly AE is not that bad for what you’re looking for. Just don’t get anything flashing the AE logo. Some of their clothes are a bit juvenile so be careful with what you pick. Old Navy and Gap are known for inexpensive preppy clothes. You could try H&M as well.</p>
<p>Another company that is quite popular with college guys (frat boys especially) is Chubbies. They sell shorts online. (I’m pretty sure it’s just chubbiesshorts.com.) The shorts aren’t cheap but they aren’t crazy expensive. They’re pretty popular so if you’re willing to spend $50 or so on a pair, I’m recommending them as well. You can also look at the pictures they have on the website to get an idea of some preppy fashion. I think one thing that hasn’t been mentioned by someone else is pastel colors. Pastels are really popular - coral, orange, light blue, light green, stuff like that. Khaki and navy blue are very nice preppy colors as well.</p>
<p>I almost forgot winter clothes - L.L. Bean and Land’s End are acceptable for outdoor clothing in case you have bad winter weather. V-neck sweaters are a good choice for the preppy gentleman.</p>
<p>If you’re going to wear jeans, always pick dark wash. Distressed jeans are a no-no and almost as bad as cargo shorts. Absolutely NO cargo shorts (as has been mentioned).</p>
<p>Also remember that preppy is not just about clothes but also about how you present yourself. Make sure you are always well-groomed (except for the off-days which I mentioned earlier). Preppy men keep themselves groomed - this includes hair (usually no facial hair), face (take care of any horrible acne), body (go to the gym). Pick a good cologne, look presentable, and remain classy. It defeats the style when your attitude doesn’t match your look. A lot of people can pull off the look but they tend to be cruel and not classy. TBH make sure you’re not a complete ass.</p>