What are typical outfits someone would wear at a BS or private school with no uniform?
What are some popular stores that I could buy these clothes from lmk thanks!
For girls*
anything goes these days, I’d say durable, comfortable clothing and good walking shoes, winter boots and maybe rain boots. You will end up paying a fortune on all the “good” dresses/footwear they need for Convocation, Winter Ball, Spring Ball, etc. all the “dress up” occasions.
Got it! But do you have any particular stores that would be good to get my daily clothes from?
My kids love urban, j crew, lulu. For boots, they love sorrels, tretorn and almost anything. Now they are both on the west coast and shorts and flip flops rule.
Haha great! Thank you so much
This has been covered a few times over the past few years, and there is some good info available if you search for it.
As the father of two girls who went to (or are currently in) BS, I think there is a distinction that needs to be made between “no uniform” (very few US boarding schools have a uniform anymore) and “formal” vs. “casual”/not formal dress code.
My older girl went to St. Andrew’s (DE), which has a more formal dress code (jacket and tie for boys, equivalent attire for girls). My younger one went to Masters and is currently at George School which had looser dress codes, George I think being the loosest.
What dress code you need to conform to for the school you are going is important to know before anyone can answer.
And I say this to everyone…don’t get hung up on stores or brands — what’s important is that your parents can afford a particular item of clothing and that it is within the dress code requirements for your school. It does no good for me to say “J. Crew all the way” if your parents think spending $89 on a single pair of pants is insanity (which, after some thought…it is!).
J Crew has lots of sales and some stores like Madewell give student discounts.
My post #6 aside, I think that, if I had to pick one store/brand that nails the prep school aesthetic in a more modern, fashionable way, I would agree with @preppedparent: J. Crew.
I think that’s what the Cinaders were going for when they started the company back in the day. Interestingly, the brand is not doing very well financially.
In our household, we run the gamut from Barbour, Brooks Brothers, J. Crew (for selected, more evergreen pieces) to Uniqlo, Gap, H&M, and Target. FWIW, I’m not a huge fan of Abercrombie’s marketing, so have largely steered my kids clear of it. Also never bought my kids Uggs (they don’t strike me as that durable nor do I find them that attractive).
My younger kid is more “fashiony” of the two and has been known to mix in street style brands like stuff from Opening Ceremony (on sale, of course).
Great, thank you so much for the info!
@njgirl1218: Care to clarify what sort of dress code the school you will be attending has?
Another thing that’s very important, IMO, is do YOU like/feel comfortable in the clothes? As long as it conforms to dress code, you feel comfortable (enough) in it, and your parents can afford it…those are really the things that matters. More than what brand or where you buy your stuff from.
If you feel like wearing what the other students are going to be wearing will be important to you (and I’d argue that you shouldn’t worry about it and be your own person), I would buy the minimum and wait until on campus for awhile to add to your wardrobe.
I would suggest checking out the school’s Instagram accounts if you want to get a feel what kids are wearing. But I would agree that you shouldn’t feel too constrained by what others are wearing. Part of this journey is about self-discovery and being true to yourself, and not all kids in casual dress code schools dress alike.
@SevenDad @doschicos Thanks for the suggestions, I am worried about the dress because I am transferring from a public school so I am a little lost on what the “normal/everyday” attire are for school. I don’t really care specifically about the brand names, but I just wanted to get an idea of what other students are wearing right now.
The dress code states “appropriate and respectful…casual” and other specific guidelines. The school is Peddie or Princeton Day School (undecided) in NJ.
@njgirl1218: Does either school allow jeans?
Looking at social media accounts for the school - facebook, instagram - can give you an idea of attire.
I think so, but just not ripped or distressed
Thanks for the suggestion, I will check it out!
@njgirl1218: That opens things up considerably. The only thing I’ll add at this point (again, as a dad of two BS-attending girls) is that I think prep schools in general favor a more modest style than public schools…though there are of course, people who push the boundaries regardless.