<p>my main advice would be- dress as you do now, (but without writing on shirts) for guys its pretty simple, just shirts and ties. If you’re a girl, bring a few dresses. Don’t buy too much, get more clothing over thanksgiving or christmas after seeing how you want to dress at school.</p>
<p>Bump. In starting our back to school shopping this month, I recently discovered a new-to-me brand/store that stocks some nice “dress code” compliant clothes at a good price point: Joe Fresh.</p>
<p>I think it’s a Canadian brand…they have a few stores in NY and NJ so far. Feels like a lighter, more colorful cousin to H&M. Needed to replace a few of my daughter’s oxfords (dang girl, you are hard on clothes!) and the Joe Fresh versions seem nicely tailored and $24/each. And the sale rack? Khaki pants for $5, etc.</p>
<p>[Joe</a> Fresh](<a href=“http://www.joefresh.com%5DJoe”>http://www.joefresh.com)</p>
<p>My hat is off to you SevenDad for discovering Joe Fresh! the great thing about that brand is the nice quality of the clothing.</p>
<p>A few other preppy brands (off the top of my head) that aren’t as expensive as JCrew, VV, BrooksBros, RL are:
Lands End
Chaps
Nautica
LL. Bean</p>
<p>happy shopping.</p>
<p>I ordered some clothes from a site called WinterSilks. The clothes haven’t arrived yet, so I don’t know exactly what the quality is like, but it had a lot of clothing that would be useful for the cold New England winters.</p>
<p>i run a site called the dress code for exeter that shows what some of what the kids at exeter wear. contrary to popular belief, we are not all preppy!! you guys can PM me if you have anymore questions about clothes, but really, dress how you want. nobody cares if your cute dress is from forever 21 or from lilly pulitzer. really.</p>
<p>One item I and about a quarter of my campus are guilty of wearing is LL Bean Boots. A necessity for those New England winters!</p>
<p>As others have suggested, don’t worry too much. People at boarding school wear all different sorts of clothing and not nearly everyone has the preppy look. Buy some quality clothes that you like this summer, and buy some more over Thanksgiving break (especially winter clothes).</p>
<p>Stores I and other girls buy from: J. Crew, Madewell, Urban Outfitters, ASOS, American Apparel, Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren, J Brand, Uniqlo, H&M, Burberry. Guys like J. Crew, Vineyard Vines, Brooks Brothers etc. (sorry, not too familiar!) Try to find outlet stores with lower prices. Focus on quality, comfort, and your personal tastes. Good luck!</p>
<p>No connection to prep schools, I just stumbled upon this thread. </p>
<p>I just have to say this after seeing people talk about Abercrombie/American Eagle as cheap. You can buy khakis and polos anywhere, and they look the same, though I guess they won’t have the “I am rich!” branding if you buy them at target or something. For anything more interesting, Goodwill and other local thrift stores are your friends. Since kids grow out of clothes before they wear out, everything tends to be in good shape. Non brand-name pants, jeans or formal, tend to be 5-10 dollars where I live. I think brand name clothes tend to be around 20-30, though I avoid them because I don’t want people to even think I spent $100 on a pair of jeans. Also, you tend to be able to find a better size range, more variety, and they’re generally more fun to shop at.</p>
<p>@SevenDad - Loved your Joe Fresh find!</p>
<p>I agree. I had not heard of Joe Fresh but my D came home from visiting her grandmother in New York with some items from there. Her cousin who works for a fashion magazine recommended it. Everything she got looks cute and useful for her “mild” dress code school.</p>
<p>Bumping for 2013</p>
<p>“I had not heard of Joe Fresh but my D came home from visiting her grandmother in New York with some items from there.”</p>
<p>I hadn’t heard of it either, but just saw today that JC Penney is partnering with Joe Fresh, from Canada.</p>
<p>I currently attend St. Paul’s and I would say just dress the way you do now, although without branding on your shirt. For example, the way Abercrombie or Aeropostale place their name on the front of their shirts and hoodies. Other than that, the brands you wear are not important. I know lots of people with everything from Forever 21 to J. Crew in their closets. Be mindful that you will have to dress up a lot more than you initially realize. There are dinners, chapel programs, and other events that will require more formal attire.</p>
<p>Thanks for bringing up this!!</p>
<p>So, at the school im currently at I wear a unfirom and next year I´m going to BS, with no dress code but I live in a really hot area of my country and I’ll be moving to Northern Mass.</p>
<p>I have no probles with buying a new closet but I dont want to throw a lot of money just for clothes. how much would you consider a good budget for shopping?</p>
<p>Ps. Im a boy</p>
<p>I think it depends on your style, you know, the kind of clothes you wear. And also where you shop. But, maybe $300 or $400? You will need to get a good winter coat and good winter boots. Lots of kids, including myself, wear Bean Boots (by L.L.Bean). They aren’t too expensive, last forever, and keep your feet warm. Other than that you should just have to buy cords and sweaters for the winter, assuming you already have jeans and chinos. Hope I helped!!</p>
<p>You did, Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>How many clothes should you pack? </p>
<p>I have 3 solid colored long-sleeve shirts, 2 solid colored sweaters, a pair of white jeans, a pair of flats, and a pair of boots…but I’m guessing I need to buy more. X_X</p>
<p>Well I’m not sure where you’re going, but at St. Paul’s we have class six days a week. Just think about how many clothes you need for one week and how much variety you’d like to have.</p>
<p>It depends on the space I’ll get and I really dont know what I’m taking haha but I guess that just to start</p>
<p>8 Tshirs, 3 solid color Tshirts,4 Polos, 3 formal shirts, 2 solid sweaters, 5 jeans, 5 chinos (I think in different colors? haha), 4 pairs of sneakers, 2 pairs of formal shoes, a pair of boots, 2 sweat shirts…That’s all I can think of by now… I think its a lot, and I think I’ll need more :(</p>