<p>Hi everyone. It's been a while since I've posted, but my mom just said that she's giving me $350 to buy clothes for next year for fall/early winter (Until Christmas Break). This includes shoes, pjs, and formal wear. It may seem like a lot, but trust me - I've been looking through online websites, and I'm not even sure how far it can take me.</p>
<p>I come from a public school so my wardrobe pretty much consists of jeans, t-shirts, and converse. I need to get the most mileage out of everything I buy. Plus, I probably won't have time to wash my cloths more than once a week.</p>
<p>Do you have any suggestions? It can be stores or certain things I should buy that fit many looks/occasions. Oh, and I'm going to Peddie, so the dress code is basically no jeans, no t-shirts with prints or logos, etc. They have formal dinners where I have to dress up too.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what your style is, but the store Anthropologie has formal but really pretty clothes. The regular clothes are pretty pricy but the clearance section sometimes has some nice stuff. A lot of sale items in most stores aren’t in stores but instead are on line. You should check there.</p>
<p>Before you pay for anything online google the name of the store and ‘coupon code’ or ‘free shipping’. Very often you’ll get hits for sites that list unpublished codes that you enter for additional savings. Watch the dates for expiration. It can be very hit or miss, but we rarely pay shipping around here and usually can find an extra discount. My kids now know to look before they tell me an estimated cost of something they want. Lower estimate is more likely to get a yes. ;)</p>
<p>Good luck, and happy shopping! Good for you for trying to ‘shop smart’!!</p>
<p>I suggest looking for a variety of formal wear! I can’t stress how much you’ll need it. Have a casual outfit, semi-formal, very formal, and everywhere in between! I came from public school too, and while there was a definite change in styles, there’s still a big chunk of the class who can always be found in jeens and t-shirts. At my school the following are popular: Abercrombie, Forever 21, Wet Seal, J-crew, Ralph Lauren, UGG…that type of thing. A bit of a variety. Though my school is cassual dress code so that makes a difference. I’d invest mostly in things that can be worn interchangably, skirts, blouses, and the like. Check sales and clearances in high end stores, you can usually find some good deals. </p>
<p>My biggest tip though would be to save some of the money until you get there and see what other girls actually wear, that might help you make decisions.</p>
<p>I’m with Samantha. Forever 21 has really a wide variety of cute, relatively inexpensive clothes. Other stores to check out are Ross, Nordstrom Rack, and Joyce Leslie. For the latter 3 stores, I do not believe have online websites. Hope it helps!</p>
<p>I already started shopping for boarding school (I will be attending NMH next fall as a freshman girl), and i shopped at abrecrombie,joyce leslie,rugby…I bought a pair of topsiders at zappos.com and you can get other shoes there for discounted prices…good luck :D</p>
<p>Oh good…I needed this thread. Phew!
I’m from California coming to the east coast next year, so in addition to formal class attire, where does one buy winter clothing? And what do people actually wear on a day-to-day basis in the winter (since my only clothing associated with snow is a ski jacket)?
THANK YOU ALL :)</p>
<p>Also going to Peddie…yeah! I would say that the stores I’m focusing on for next year are:</p>
<p>Delias, Abercrombie, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Old Navy, Target, American Eagle, Gap, Ralph Lauren, Journey’s, Zappos, DSW, Justice?, Hollister?, Aeropostale, Nautica, J.Crew, Lord and Taylors, Nordstrom’s (have this amazing anniversary sale in August, so will definitely check that out!), Burberry, Armani, Forever 21, and Brooks Brothers.</p>
<p>Hope this helped! I’m sure you’ll find lots of clothes. Just start looking now!</p>
<p>martay0 I think I can help you with your needs lol. Most ppl in the northeast wear jeans and sweats during the winter for the pants and stuff. idk if you’re a boy or girl (sorry lol) furry shoes/boots like uggs, mocasins, etc. are worn by many kids. Lots of people go with the hooded sweatshirt or windbreaker as well, which are usually fuzzy or insulated. Other than that, it’s kind of your preference. good luck with shopping :D</p>
<p>For the winter (at my school at least) you can find a lot of tights, skarves, North Face, UGGs, lined thick coats, wind breakers, that stuff. This was my first year ever in cold weather (I’m from Florida) and I survived, so that goes for something!</p>
<p>Clearance sales are the order of the day. It just passed but Coldwater Creek, for instance, had a 50% off the clearance price plus additional 30% off of that. So I ordered a box full of clothes for D for $80 by the time the discounts added off. (i.e. something that once was $70 became ($35clearance -50% - 30% = $13)</p>
<p>Here’s one option to keep track of deals (reliable - I use their Mac site to track computer equipment prices)</p>
<p>When sales come up they often list them and any coupons or codes you need (J. Crew, Brooks Brother, etc.)</p>
<p>For computer stuff, there’s a pc site but I use this one for Mac stuff and found the Coldwater Creek sale at the bottom of the site in the misc category:</p>
<p>So check periodically to see if there are sales on clothes. Otherwise, shop clearance racks at major department stores since winter and fall stuff from last year may still be around. Don’t pack too much, you may find your needs change once you’re on campus. Try to pack pants and tops that can be combined different ways to make different looks. At my D’s school shirts with logos and brands (even Izod) aren’t allowed. That simplified things a lot since we were transitioning from a “jeans and t-shirts” environment too.</p>
<p>I think you might find some nice but inexpensive clothes at H&M. Also, for an online store, you could try Boden. It tends to be quite pricey, but you can always find clothes on sale. It’s very appropriate for school but at the same time isn’t at all drab You could try T.J.MAXX too. I’ve never shopped there but some of my friends have and say it’s quite nice. There’s also zappos.com - I think someone already mentioned it, but it’s great for discounted, stylish shoes! Anyway, whereever you go, just make sure to get simple clothes that you can wear with lots of things and accessorize. Last year, I made the mistake of buying clothes that were very difficult to wear with more than one thing, and I ran out of outfits within the first couple months ;)</p>
<p>For those of you going to New England, the Uggs are fashionable but investing in a sturdy pair of boots such as the shearling lined LL Bean boots are great when there is 5 feet of snow on the ground is important. Also, Kohls usually has cute dresses. Good luck.</p>
<p>Since you have a limited budget, I think a capsule wardrobe would be a great idea. </p>
<p>Zara is probably your best bet for the essential pieces. You should be able get an LBD, a pencil skirt, some skinny jeans, black pumps, a well-tailored white shirt etc from there that don’t break the bank but still look classy and high quality. And they’ll all be classic pieces that you can dress up or down so that they are appropriate for anything from class/ presentations to parties.</p>
<p>You can hunt around for inexpensive statement jewelry (a chunky necklace, glamorous earrings, a colorful cocktail ring) and a pair of bright, cheery heels/ ballet flats that will add a pop of color to your look and make it fun. If you look carefully in places like Accessorize (for the jewelry) and Aldo (for the shoes) you’ll find a few great pieces at really low prices. </p>
<p>You should also get a couple of cute tops and dresses at Topshop and French Connection, and couple of polo shirts in cool colors from Lacoste. For winter, I think a cropped leather jacket would look cute and a pair of Uggs would be super-comfy.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for cheaper but classy, I would recommend Wet Seal (they have some surprisingly cheap, nice shoes!) and Vanity. At least that’s where I shop. I picked up some pretty cheap pairs of slacks from JCPenny (Arizona brand).</p>
<p>For winter, make sure that you have waterproof boots! Even if they are ugly, in the dead of winter no one will care. You are going to be glad to have dry feet! Also, some simple rain boots might be nice for when it rains and you have to walk to class. A pair of black converse have been my best friend this year because their acceptable for dress code, more practical than heels and flats, and match fairly well with most outfits. A lot of girls here wear long spandex or leggings as pants, especially with long socks, because they fit into boots easily. I’m not sure if that’s acceptable at your school or not, but it seems to be a popular trend.</p>
<p>I’ve spent a lot of my life on an extremely tight clothing budget and I swear by driving to the richest towns I can find and going to their Goodwill/Salvation Army/Second Hand shop. Rich people throw away a lot of pieces that are in perfect condition from some high end labels (it’s the only reason I’ve ever been able to afford anything cashmere!). It’s so easy to find classic pieces, and wildly entertaining to laugh at the ugly stuff. I use jewely and accessories to stay on trend. Don’t be afraid of resale shops–the quality is better than fast fashion shops and the prices are unbeatable.</p>
<p>Great advice Albion. I regularly find top-brand, prep school appropriate clothes in new or nearly new condition at Goodwill. I’ll stop in just about any Goodwill, but the selection is definitely better in towns in the vicinity of upscale shopping. It’s a greener way to go too! :)</p>
You could try T.J.MAXX too. I’ve never shopped there but some of my friends have and say it’s quite nice. There’s also ![http://www.mr-damon.com/photo_album/misc/nasa_space_suit.jpg][color=green]This](http://www.mr-damon.com/photo_album/misc/nasa_space_suit.jpg%5D%5Bcolor=green%5DThis){kind=link}
