<p>It’s going to be in the high 30’s in MA this week. There is snow on the ground, from yesterday, but the day before I already had spring fever.</p>
<p>I don’t think he should worry about clothing choices, just because it is the East Coast. He should just wear what he would wear on the West Coast, except for the difference in weather, for which the jacket would be fine.</p>
<p>I don’t think I could persuade S to abandon his cargo pants. He wants as many pockets as possible! </p>
<p>There are profs who put on a suit to lecture and others who show up in jeans (or cargo pants), T-shirts (I saw one with an objectionable design on it), plaid shirts and the like.</p>
<p>He should wear what he normally wears (plus added coat for warmth) and then see if the schools he’s visiting makes him feel out of place. The idea is not to re-shape him to fit the school, but to find a school where he fits in best. Doesn’t mean he can only go to schools populated by skinny-jeans wearing hipsters, but he should be looking for the school where that kind of dress/personality is okay. </p>
<p>If he’s doing interviews, bringing slightly nicer than normal clothes is good, but again, in most cases don’t go overboard. Interviewers want to get a sense of who kids are, so they don’t need to be wearing suits and ties if that’s not the way they normally dress. That being said, they should wear something clean and neat, no wrinkles, stains, clever slogans or holes. If they wear t-shirts they should wear their “best” t-shirt, and dress it up with a long-sleeve underneath or a jacket over. Jeans are fine, but then go for a dressier top like a polo or button down. Khakis are okay too if that makes them more comfortable.</p>
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<p>This made me :D. I can’t tell you how many stand-offs S and I have had over “regular” t-shirt v. “nice” t-shirt.</p>
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My older son (college junior) only wears khakis. He doesn’t own a suit - in his business (computer science) it would be way overdressed. My younger son only wears jeans. (Though he will dress up in a suit and he has black pants and a white shirt for orchestra.) My husband would love to only wear cargo pants (for the pockets of course). He does have a few nice pants. When he dresses up he likes to wear a collarless shirt and jacket. </p>
<p>From what I see at our high school - pretty much anything goes.</p>
<p>My kids attend private school - no jeans, so yes, we see lots of khakis and cords.</p>
<p>DougBetsy: LOL…and what constitutes a “collar” shirt. He seems to think if a knit shirt has a button placket or any kind of neck detailing, it’s a “formal” shirt. OKAY!</p>
<p>"For the other east-coasters on this thread - do your boys really wear khakis? "</p>
<p>I’ll weight in for the CT area. Yes, my S wears Khakis as often as he wears jeans to school, but they are not your Docker-type khakis. They are called Chinos and the material looks kinda worn (i.e. AE Chinos, American Eagle brand). He wore these to his college visits with collared shirt. In this area skinny jeans are not widely seen–usually worn by kids big into skateboarding.</p>
<p>J Crew sells a skinny chino and several other fashionable styles - they are actually chinos, and khaki is the color of the fabric. We’re not suggesting that teenaged boys wear Dockers!</p>
<p>I think his clothes sound fine–just be sure he has a warm coat for NYC and Boston. It’s 33 degrees in the Boston area right now and, according to reports I heard, should stay that way until the end of next week.</p>
<p>At one of the schools, we just found out he will be meeting with a Chem/Pre-Med professor and the head of a department in a specialized business major …his two interests. Also, he has already been accepted to the school…</p>
<p>I can’t talk him out of the jeans but what would be more appropriate…white tee under a flannel shirt or gray t-shirt under a nice gray Volcom thermal. Since this is a sports visit he is limited to 48 hours so he is packing lightly.</p>
<p>And…what about hats, he has been wearing baseball (trucker like) hats but he also like stocking caps…</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>If he likes stocking caps and doesn’t mind the unexpected “hat hair” ruining his look,
he’ll be much warmer in a stocking cap. Also he can toss that into his bookbag as soon as he gets inside a building. A stocking cap (I think I know them as “ski caps”) can also be pulled down over his ears when he walks between buildings.</p>
<p>Tell him that 80% of all body heat is lost through the head, so it really helps the entire body relax to wear any hat. Problem with basball/trucker hats is they really don’t add any warmth, just more for sun protection. So those are popular in the Northeast in 3 seasons but not as much in winter, although I see some.</p>
<p>Smartest thing is for him to toss the stocking cap in his travel bag and wear the baseball hat on the plane. Then he can figure out which he prefers during his visit.</p>
<p>If his coat is loose around the neck, a lightweight wool scarf will close things up and keep him feeling more comfortable. Remember, too, he can buy a scarf on any corner store or on campus. You could mention it to him and he can figure it out as he walks around whether or not to add that as he goes. My S in NYC gave up on scarves, just too many pieces to remember, but he buys a close-fitting neck on his outerjacket. </p>
<p>Lots of people wear sunglasses in the winter, because the sun reflects off the snow, so that should be familiar territory for you son.</p>
<p>I agree, let him look West Coast! In terms of style, for a visit like this, he should dress so he feels like himself. If he ends up studying here, he’ll figure it out over time.</p>
<p>For now, you’re doing fine to just pay attention to keeping him warm enough when walking outdoors so he doesn’t shut down to decide it’s too cold for him to handle longterm.</p>
<p>Layering is the key, as many said above. Encourage him to take layers/pieces with him in bookbag each morning, so he can decide as he goes along through his day, using the bookbag to stash skihat, gloves or scarf when they feel like overkill. Sometimes you need more by morning and night than mid-day; or it’s a quick dash between 2 buildings. Decide on-the-spot.</p>
<p>People here take things on and off all day; it’s very exciting.</p>
<p>Has he thought about jet-lag? Take it into account when flying west-to-east. The day he lands he’ll be 3 hours off schedule. Some people prepare by altering their bedtime hours as much as feasible before leaving home. Young people cope much better than middle-age re: jetlag.</p>
<p>If he’s wearing a hat for fashion or warmth, he should plan to take it OFF for any interviews he is having. So…it really doesn’t matter which he chooses. </p>
<p>Re: the clothes…like I said earlier…clean, properly sized, no holes. Jeans are fine as long as they fit (my opinion)…for an interview.</p>
<p>He’ll probably be a lot warmer with the thermal than with the flannel, and if he gets too hot and wants to take it off, better that he should be wearing a nice t-shirt underneath than just a plain white t-shirt (white t-shirt and jeans, veering close to looking like a fraternity pledge). But I think jeans are fine (no hat indoors), after all, he’ll be wearing jeans to his classes more than likely and he should dress in a manner that reflects how they will see him every day. Plus, he’s already accepted and that isn’t going to be rescinded based on what he wears.</p>
<p>If he’s been accepted, he can pretty much wear whatever he wants. He should look neat as a sign of respect for the profs; but they probably will be wearing jeans a plaid shirts, too. My H wears corduroys or twills to work and is the most dressed-up person in his company (full of Ph.D.s wearing jeans, whether they’re in their 20s or 60s). S’s advisor–a famous prof-- wore cargo pants everywhere.</p>
<p>Layers, as others have said. If he has gloves, a scarf, and warm socks he will be fine. The scarf won’t take much room but can really add to warmth and “wind-proofing” the neck of that board jacket.</p>
<p>This thread is too funny. OP all this thread does is tell you that there are many styles and your son will be fine as long as he’s clean and comfortable (and warm) in his clothes.</p>
<p>Well I guess we will see if a CA kid can handle the cold, and if he wants to. He also was accepted at University of Arizona so if he wants warm…he will have that option also. Haven’t heard from any CA schools as of yet…</p>
<p>Thanks all…he is on the plane</p>
<p>D1 is in NYC today for her last round of interviews. It’s around 30 here. She said coming from Ithaca with temp from 5-15, it’s down right tropical in NYC. It’s all relative.</p>
<p>Another CA native who did the East Coast college trip last fall. I had a huge fight with my D about flip flops, (probably a non-issue in Feb, however) and as it turned out plenty of kids were wearing them–even on a rainly chilly day.</p>
<p>What we found is that while outside was obviously much colder than CA, indoors tended to be much warmer than what we’re used to in CA, due to heating/insulation systems that really work. I’d keep the warm sweaters to a minimum.</p>