rbk mama Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 What does DS need? We had been thinking that a few dress shirts and dress pants (and maybe a tie), and one pair of dress shoes, would be sufficient. But now I'm wondering if he needs a suit or blazer? He is used to living in shorts and Tshirts and pulling out a polo shirt and khaki's very occasionally. He'll be in upstate NY, so in addition to good winter coat and boots (and warm layers), now I'm also wondering if he needs a dress coat? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Much depends on what types of activities he might be involved in. Will he be in a major that would have events that require business attire? (For example, finance majors may be invited to a special meeting of professionals and would want to wear a blazer.) Some fraternities require members to wear dress clothes on certain days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 29 minutes ago, HeighHo said: Is he going to be doing activities where a suit or blazer is needed? Interview for co op job, presentations, formal dinners, .... Yes to probably all of those. Should he have a full suit? Just a blazer? Both? I don't really know what is required for these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 2 minutes ago, jdahlquist said: Much depends on what types of activities he might be involved in. Will he be in a major that would have events that require business attire? (For example, finance majors may be invited to a special meeting of professionals and would want to wear a blazer.) Some fraternities require members to wear dress clothes on certain days. He is not planning to go Greek, but I know that he will have a few formal events related to his scholarship and research programs (engineering at Cornell). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Often, for a freshman, a nice blazer, dress shirt, and tie will do. Many people realize that boys that age can still be growing and may not have a full suit. If you are buying something new, however, (especially if he is someplace where it will be difficult to shop for dress clothes on his own if he needs something in a hurry), you might consider investing in a suit just in case. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 For DS22 (econ/management majors) we bought a "good enough" suit and a sports coat that would go with the suit pants. A couple of dress shirts and ties and a decent pair of dress shoes. Between various formal meetings, interviews and internships he more than got our money's worth out of them over his college career (and of course he/we have added to them over his college years). For DS19 (poli sci/criminal justice majors) we didn't buy anything dressy to begin with, but we did have to outfit him with some business casual clothing for his internship this summer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 It depends quite a bit on major and whether or not he will be in any type of organization that requires business formal. My engineering ds only needed a suit for interviews. My physics ds was part of an honors research group that did formal research presentations and he neede a suit for that group. My Dd who was majoring in international business had to wear business formal multiple times even during her first few weeks as a freshman. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 My ds is an accounting major. He is involved in other clubs on campus. He has frequent need for khakis, with a nice polo or button down. He has also needed to wear a blazer and tie with khakis for some things and has worn his full suit several times. He has dress shoes that he wears with suits and then more casual shoes he wears with his khakis. He goes job fairs, accounting school receptions, alumni functions, and other events he is meeting with professionals and potential employers. He has had interviews for scholarships and internships. He is in a fraternity now but even his freshman year, when he was not, he did get invited to sorority formals and needed his blazer. Ds actually has two suits. One is a more conservative style. The other one is a little "younger". He wouldn't absolutely need both but he has used them. My ds likes to dress up so he could likely get by with less. Will your ds have a dry cleaner he can use conveniently? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Generally, I think a sports coat with a couple of good pants, shirts, and a tie should cover anything. Sports teams have a surprising amount of dress-up activities. The only clothes we purchased for dd2 in her first year were dressy things. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 I would buy a dark suit, two or three dress shirts, three or four ties, and a sports coat or navy blazer and a couple of pairs of pants to go with that. Along with a pair of dress shoes. I think of khakis as being more youthful, and those would be fine for some collegiate events. But, for anything business-y, I tend to prefer gray/charcoal/black. A sports coat can also be worn with dark jeans for a more casual but pulled together look for certain types of events. I would probably hold off on an overcoat, and see if he feels he needs it. If he decides that is something he would like, it could be a Christmas gift to take back after the break. We found a wide range of prices on suits at Men’s Wearhouse. They are very good about fit as well. Penney’s sometimes has nice suits as well, but if he needs fitting/alterations, I would go a bit higher end where you can get some good tailoring. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alewife Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 10 hours ago, rbk mama said: Yes to probably all of those. Should he have a full suit? Just a blazer? Both? I don't really know what is required for these. Fwiw, we bought our oldest son a full suit when he started college. He has never worn it. In every interview he has had, he has been told that wearing a suit and tie are not necessary. He has worn dress pants and a sweater to every interview he has had. We went out last week and purchased the clothes he needs for his summer internship: dress shorts and collared shirts or button-downs. He left for his internship on Monday and left his expensive suit along with his assortment of ties at home. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Depends VERY much on the field. In physics, students do not need to wear suits to present. There will be one or two who do anyway, but the culture is very casual, and even most professors don't wear one. My DH has worn a suit three times during the past 20 years, dress shoes maybe three times a year. Our interview candidates don't wear suits. OTOH, the engineers wear suits all the time. DS didn't need any formal clothes his freshman year. Dd bought a suit late her senior year to wear for a job interview. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 I was in an engineering program and I don't think I dressed up until I interviewed for internships in year 4. LOL. I had no interest in Greek life. I think it depends on the kid, the major, the campus, the city of the college, clubs of interest, etc. My kid that's looking at a music major is probably going to need 2-3 dress up outfits at college. I could see business majors needing some options too. My kid still has a 28 waist and I hate to buy too much before he starts filling out! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 Thanks so much, everyone! This is helpful. I am referring DH to this thread so that he can feel OK with all the shopping ahead! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 If you decide to get a dress coat, we've had great luck with those at thrift shops and have never spent more than $10. They're so expensive brand new and usually only get a handfull of wears per winter. I actually always have a men's overcoat because they're great for long walks in the winter with long coverage and can take lots of layers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 FWIW, I think it very much depends on the young person's personal style and how much variety they think they need in their dress up clothes. My daughter just finished her second year at Princeton, which some consider an exceptionally preppy school. She's never actually dressed formally, though we did send her prepared to do so. There does seem to be a variety of dress styles, even for events that are considered formal. She has a particular dress in her wardrobe that she prefers, and it does seem to make a number of appearances.On occasion, she has needed to shop for something, but there are plenty of options, online or otherwise, for that. She doesn't wear winter boots or an exceptionally heavy coat in New Jersey...but her home state is Alaska, so she's probably more tolerant of winter weather than most, haha. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 Wow, I had no idea that some kids dress up so much. We bought ds a suit his senior year of high school. He wore it once for a scholarship interview before starting college, but has never worn it there. It hangs in his closet here. He has worn dress pants, shirt and tie for a couple of job/internship interviews, but all have specified they were casual and he didn't need to dress up. He has never dressed up for a presentation. I don't know if the other kids in his classes do or not. I never thought to ask. I would have said one pair of dress pants, one dress shirt, one tie, and maybe a sports coat would be more than enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted June 11, 2018 Author Share Posted June 11, 2018 My mom wants to give him a long wool overcoat that used to be my uncle's. DS's comment: Great! I'll be all set for when I make a presentation in the snow! ? I'm guessing there may be more than a few items remaining untouched at the back of his closet, but I still would rather he have them just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 My ds wore suits ofte because of his participation in Model UN. There were also formal events on campus where the boys wore suits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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