<p>Don’t forget at least one outfit that can be worn to interviews, etc. My DS has had 2 occasions to wear a suit. We did go to the shirt shop and buy a bow tie with Alabama As on it!!! GREAT shop but a little expensive. He took 1 suit and a couple pair of “dress” khakis and a blue sport coat. He has worn all of them at some point. AND he is not in a fraternity. Any other time, he is in khaki shorts, t-shirt and nike flip flops.</p>
<p>Are bow ties OK nowadays? They are so much easier to deal with than regular ties!</p>
<p>Is a suit necessary, or will a navy blazer with dress shirt/dress pants/tie do just as well? I’m kind of partial to the hop-sack blazer Lands’ End offers – it’s good for year-round. </p>
<p>Also, I just went to DavidYurman.com and looked up the prices. I-yi-yi–now I’m really glad I don’t have girls, LOL!</p>
<p>Ladydianeski, my DS could have gotten by with a navy blazer and dress pants. No problem! He LOVES bow ties. He ties his own. He was a page for the Virginia House of Delegates and wanted to go a little outside the required dress code. He was the only page wearing bow ties. He loved it. So now every dress occasion requires a bow tie. I must say that in his last interview they even asked him if he tied his own tie! They just reinforced his passion.</p>
<p>navy blazer and good khakis, tie, button down and sperry-style shoes… good to go.</p>
<p>Are bow ties OK nowadays?</p>
<p>Have your son practice tying a tie a few times…after a few attempts, he should be able to get the hang of it.</p>
<p>To reiterate a lot of what was said in this thread, you can really wear that which makes you comfortable and confident. That being said, because the in-state population tends to be upper and upper-middle class, you may see a lot of brand name clothing. Interview attire is strongly recommended, because chances are that you will interview for something your Freshman year. And having a pair of Sperry’s can’t hurt; they’re really comfortable.</p>
<p>Bamafana, I love Shirt Shop! Yes, it’s pricey, but fantastic! I have a Vineyard Vines tie from there with a bunch of little elephants on a crimson background.</p>
<p>Let me jump in about the rain boots: I bought D an adorable pair of houndstooth rain boots at Target last spring. About $25-$30 dollars. UA gets a pretty good amount of rain (at least this year.) By about the beginning of November, D said her Target boots started leaking. So when she was home for Christmas break I took her shopping & sprung for the much better quality Sperry brand boots (which D assures me have held up exceptionally well during the past few weeks of monsoon like rains.)</p>
<p>Pretzeldude, my DS informed me that EVERY Bama girl had a shirt from The Shirt Shop one day while we were eating at Mugshots. I told him that I was a Bama girl and I didn’t have a shirt from The Shirt Shop! I now own a VERY comfortable sweatshirt from The Shirt Shop!LOL</p>
<p>My D is headed for Europe this summer, and planning on doing a TON of walking. She is not athletic at all (pure academic.) Anyway, she is normally a Converse/flipflop girl so I have NO idea what kind of good walking/athletic shoes would be appropriate on a college campus these days (she will be using them at UA as well.) Anyone with a D, or a current student that could point me to some fashionable, supportive, comfortable shoes??</p>
<p>Thanks in advance! You guys are the best!!!</p>
<p>I have a great pair of Merrills, awesome support while still a sandal look.</p>
<p>When I’ve talked with some track and field types about shoes, walking and running, many agree that New Balance has some excellent walking shoes. That’s if you are looking for an athletic shoe.</p>
<p>I personally LOVE Merril and Keen, but D says they look like grandma shoes:(</p>
<p>New Balance? Any particular kind? I just don’t want to fork over big bucks for shoes she never wears again.</p>
<p>THANKS!</p>
<p>My D and I both have several pairs of Toms…light weight…they wear well…super comfy…plus they give back :). hope she has fun in Europe…we spend two weeks there every year! This makes me want to go now…alas will just have to settle for the beach in July.</p>
<p>Sanuk Sandle Surfers are popular out here. Not sure if they are in Bama, though. I did notice that they have a houndstooth pair! The soles are made from yoga mats, so they’re very light-weight and comfy!</p>
<p>My daughter who is a junior in college has been abroad since August. She is in Sweden but has traveled all over. She has low Converse sneakers, boots and when it is warm sandals. She kept telling me that high top Converse were all the rage in Sweden. Of course I didn’t believe her. Lo and behold, my family traveled to Sweden and Berlin this Easter break and everyone was in high top Converse. Young, old and in between. They wear them with tights and shorts when it is warm (60ish). There are entire stores for buying Converse sneakers. They were really, really expensie in Sweden, kinda like a status symbol. Swedish women have a very chic way about them. They always look fabulous, and than you look at the feet, and its boots or Converse. I saw the same thing in Berlin.</p>
<p>Your daughter will hav a great time. Just wear something comfy.</p>
<p>apimommy: D has a few pairs of Toms (even wore them to her prom 
but I was concerned that they wouldn’t be a good walking shoe for England. And nicollec: my D feels the same about the merrills & keens as well. Maybe I’m overthinking the shoes and the Toms will be fine.</p>
<p>About Converse: younger D lives in her Converse BUT has informed me that they make her feet hurt if she’s doing serious walking. She says not enough support. Her brand for walking around kicks are her Simple Shoes.</p>
<p>Any shoe that doesn’t have a big ole sole is a killer on cobblestones…that being said wore my Toms all throughout Rome this past March and they did great…I was pleasantly surprised!
RobD…did your D wear the pink sparkly ones…we bought a pair Saturday as well as a black sparkly pair and the ones that had elephants!</p>
<p>She had the silvery sparkly ones 
By the time she realized that she wanted to wear Toms (her school was doing “Toms for Proms” plus she was still recovering from her knee surgery) she couldn’t find the black sparkly ones. And she has solid black and the red distressed ones now. Guess we’ll see how they hold up with all the walking in Disney…</p>
<p>So DD has Tom’s and Converse high tops. These and flip flops are what she lives in, but she also says the Chucks are not comfortable for extended walking, and is afraid the Tom’s she plans to wear with nicer outfits won’t offer enough support (she will have a 30 pound backpack.) She said she should just get some tennis shoes, but when we lived in Italy you could pick the tourists every time because they had American sneakers on LOL!</p>
<p>Maybe I am just over thinking it. Those Sanucks look comfy,(and fun) but I fear, like the Toms, may not offer enough support.</p>
<p>Keep the ideas coming:D</p>
<p>Is vera bradley popular on campus (ex. tote bags/ ID holders)? I haven’t really seen many of them up where I live recently but got one as a gift and was wondering if it’d be okay to use for classes or if they’ve gone out of style there</p>