<p>I’m a T-shirt, athletic shorts guy. Like literally every day. I own a few polos and another nice button down but rarely wear them. I don’t exactly plan on changing this either. Do you think I’ll be okay here?</p>
<p>My kids did not pledge. They mostly wore T-shirts/polos and khaki shorts, or T-shirts and jeans. They wore flip flops when warm. Sperry’s when the weather started turning (but not when cold/cold)</p>
<p>Hoodies and long sleeve Ts/polos in the winter. They did have a number of waffle weave henleys that they’d wear under hoodies in the winter. For footwear when cold, they wore Clarks waterproof, shearling-lined high tops.</p>
<p>I do think my kids wore athletic shorts to school on some days, but that may have been on days that they had a 'sport class" to go to (jogging, physical conditioning, etc). They had some “longer leg” athletic shorts with zipper pockets (athletic shorts are notorious for being slippery and causing people to lose things in their pockets). On cold days when they had a “sport class”, they would wear nike athletic pants over their gym shorts. </p>
<p>Your clothes are probably fine, however you may want to buy a couple of khaki shorts. You probably already have some casual pants (jeans and such). </p>
<p>Does your mom belong to Sams Club or Costco? If so, you can get a couple pairs of khaki shorts for cheap. Or watch the Kohl’s sales. </p>
<p>What do you wear when it’s cold? Do you have any regular shorts?</p>
<p>My mom LOVES Sam’s and Kohl’s, so I don’t think she’ll have a problem picking some stuff up for me. I didn’t think of honors college stuff, so thanks for mentioning that. When it’s cold here (usually late November- March [cold to me is high 30’s low 40’s]) I wear sweats or shorts and rarely jeans. I am not style conscious at all and usually don’t like dressing up, though I do realize the importance of appearing professional in certain situations.</p>
<p>One other thing you might want to think about is getting a suit. It’s easier to do now while you can get a second opinion on how it looks and get it tailored if necessary. Even as a student you will probably need a suit to wear for internship interviews, presentations or some club or society activities. Young men can be hard to fit off the rack as they are often slimmer than the standard sizes that department stores carry. I’ve found that the Marc Anthony collection of suits at Kohl’s is reasonably priced and has some hard to find sizes.</p>
<p>Wow this thread has been informative. S is probably bama bound in the fall. We are from a small town in the midwest and that’s very different than here. His wardrobe is mostly tshirts/hoodie and either jeans or shorts (jeans or other casual). He has khaki pants and black dress pants. His summer internship in IT at major insurance company was polo shirts and usually jeans or khaki pants. Tennis shoes all the time except for occasional black dress shoes. Even church here is jeans and tshirt. He will be Honors college but probably not Greek. He’ll be in engineering. He doesn’t own much brand name clothes. High end designer brands aren’t that popular here and he could care less. I don’t think he’ll change a lot. I wouldn’t have thought he would need suit. I guess I need to look for more khaki shorts, a few more polos, and a pair of sperrys possibly. Not sure I could get him in flip flops. He’s never liked them. Also some Gingham shirts maybe. I’m more worried he has something appropriate for events he needs to dress for than class. I doubt many college guys in the midwest need a suit until they are job interviewing as seniors. He’s actually wanted a suit but not had an occasion to where one.</p>
<p>Mom2collegebound, your son sounds a lot like my current soph. engineer major suburban-Chicago son. Please don’t go out and buy your son a lot of new clothes that aren’t “him”. He may want different things after or while, or he may be like my son and content with his jeans and tees. </p>
<p>My son needed a suit HS senior year for this PLTW presentations, so he had one to bring to campus and he brought a few nicer shirts, khakis and dress shoes, but he’s only had to dress up on a few occasions. Remember too that the students may gain weight at college, or lose weight at college. Some even lose enough that the suit they wear for their CBHP presentation looks like they dressed up in dad’s clothes. </p>
<p>As for the Sperrys and Clarks, to each his own, but many do not care for either of those.</p>
<p>Re: a suit. I would not buy a suit for a freshman. A navy blazer, a tie, a dress shirt, khakis should cover any dress-up occasion. Maybe Dad has a blazer he can “inherit,” or you could find one at Kohl’s or Steinmart or, heck, even WalMart or a thrift/consignment store. He may need it at least a couple of times for Honors College stuff…frankly, if he’s not in a fraternity nor in Honors College, he probably won’t need the blazer.
Now for a junior or senior, YES, he’ll need a suit for internship and job interviews, but by then most of his growing will be done and he’ll have attained a little more of an adult body .</p>
<p>I know that my son has had many occasions to wear a suit as well as a tuxedo. If any of your sons are involved in “Music”, as either a major or as a performance group, they may need a tuxedo and very dressy shoes. That is usually the performance attire. </p>
<p>Suits may not be necessary but are always a good “go to” option for any dress-up occasion. Sons may be asked to escort a young lady to a dance or gala, they may even decide to join a fraternity, or they may be required to do a presentation. Who knows? </p>
<p>Anyway, if you buy a suit and expect some vertical growth…get the pants cuffed, and then you will have some room to spare, since the cuffs can be taken down and steamed so no line shows. Also if the suit needs to be altered (taken in) ask for the extra fabric to be left in the seams just in case an alteration is required at a later date. This way you will have extra fabric to play with. Don’t forget a pair of dress shoes and I suggest rubber soles for wear.</p>
<p>Some students do wear dressier clothes on a regular basis for class (think shirt and tie), others go the strictly casual route. It is really a personal preference.</p>
<p>Don’t forget rain gear, it can rain really hard and they will need some suitable clothing.</p>
<p>I’ve had to buy a myriad of suits over the past few years and I cannot recommend Goodwill enough. If you check in every week or so you are bound to find a suit that fits, and is likely the same or higher quality than you would have found in a store. There’s no shame in thrift shopping, especially on a college budget.</p>
<p>Chiming in to support buying a suit or blazer for a college bound boy. Perhaps the south is just dressier, but both of my high school age boys each own a suit and blue blazer and the younger also owns a tux. All get worn regularly and I expect them to take their suit/blazer/tux to college.</p>
<p>I like that this is turning somewhat into what to wear/bring (as opposed to what not to wear), so here’s a thought: my S has had occasion to wear several dressy things - this is because he is involved in both music and theater, so he has both a tuxedo and a suit, as well as myriad ‘costume-y’ things. At Christmas, for example, the Music Dept puts on “Hilaritas”, a traditional holiday show at UA since 1969. “Hilaritas” is a Greek word that translates loosely into “Live joyfully, and be proud of what you are.” This year (as in every year) there were wild costumes, where small groups of musicians dress as the music they are playing. There were students in taco costumes for Feliz Navidad, and others dressed up as Christmas trees and presents. The best group of 4 (IMO) was the “Four Calling Birds”, wearing bright plumage, each in the colors of 4 mobile companies, e.g., AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. I have no idea where they get these things! If you have a student who is involved in celebrating Halloween or themed parties, you might consider packing a few simple items to have on hand (a black cape, a silly hat or two, or a foam sword or similar). Thrift stores are great for this sort of thing, of course. :)</p>
<p>Thank you Class2012Mom! Your comments were what I was thinking was right for us, but really had no experience to verify it. I am thinking that dorm rooms are going to be on the small side. I want my D to pack as lightly as possible.</p>
<p>Aeromom- Where in the world do students keep all of these things? Foam sword was the last thing I would think would be on the list of things to bring to college. Then I picture Miley Cyrus. D is NOT bringing the sword. I do not want to see her on YouTube doing something that will make her famous!</p>
<p>FWIW - My son does have a suit with him that he wore a few times last year (his freshman year). He attended the fall and spring job fairs on campus looking for internships, although he did a phone interview for his internship - he wore his suit the first time he went into the office to complete the necessary paperwork, his major’s professional organization has occasional business tours or meet employer events to which he’ll wear his suit.</p>
<p>However I knew he’d only be wearing a suit a few times and didn’t want to pay for a new suit, so as Edjumacation recommended, my son found his suit at Goodwill. We paid just over $10 for a suit in very good condition that fits him very well. While working his internship this summer, he picked up a second suit at a yard sale, so now has 2. I did offer to buy him a new suit his senior year when he is ready to interview for jobs, but for the next few years these should meet his needs.</p>
<p>From what I’ve seen, confidence is the key to pulling off a successful outfit. On a daily basis, students will wear all types of clothing. With the exception of certain classes, UA has no dress code and does not require shoes to be worn. Still, many students prefer to dress in a way which is both comfortable and somewhat fashionable.</p>
<p>I do suggest waiting to buy a lot of clothes until a couple months after arriving on campus. Some popular clothing items at UA are hard to find outside of the South. Otherwise, check Amazon and have a list of clothing the student might want in case you see it at a good price. Macy’s often has great sales towards the end of each season where 80-90% off after coupons is not uncommon. Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls are also great sources of affordable clothing and will often carry some “southern” styles of clothing even outside of the South.</p>
<p>As others have said, be prepared to lose or gain enough weight such that you will want to buy different sizes of clothes. </p>
<p>As for shoes, boots, though typically not of the hiking variety, are very popular and can be worn with jeans and khakis. Except during rainstorms and the 2-4 cold weeks during each year, flip flops can be worn throughout the day. Buy a comfortable pair.</p>
<p>For those who haven’t had great luck at their local Goodwill stores or want to pick up a new suit for their interviewing/graduation student, Jos A Bank is having a great sale on some of their signature suits - $74.</p>
<p>As I’ve probably mentioned upthread, my D is a t-shirt and jeans/shorts girl. She is not at all fashion conscious. As tempted as I was to do so after reading this thread, we did not go out and get new clothes before D headed for Bama (mostly because D refused to do so). Once she got there, she did pick up a couple game day dresses and a collection of Bama t-shirts, but that was about it. She still wears t-shirts from her high school (many of them) and nothing bad has happened. She did get a suit this year (she’s a sophomore), and she has needed it. While I would definitely pick up weather related stuff, like rain boots, if your child has a style he or she likes and doesn’t otherwise need new clothes, I’d wait and let them buy new stuff in Tuscaloosa if their tastes or needs change.</p>
<p>Saw several mentions about guys needing suits for Honors events. What about for girls? What type of business attire do they need? What type of events?</p>