<p>There’s another thread about cold-weather clothes for a girl heading off to college, but I would like to get some tips for my son who is heading to Denver. We’ve been in Hawaii for the last 6 years, so he has no idea what young men wear on the mainland, in a more temperate clime. Basically 2 questions - what is the climate really like in Denver (how cold day and night, windy, wet, etc.), and what kind of shoes, sweaters/hoodies, shirts, jackets, etc. do kids wear? We lived in upstate NY for S’s first 12 years, but I hear that it doesn’t really get that cold in Denver (or maybe doesn’t seem that cold because it’s sunny), and he was so young back then, and fashion has changed I’m sure, so we’re pretty clueless. </p>
<p>S lives in jeans/shorts and tees mostly, and lightweight sneakers or flip-flops. He likes lightweight interlock polos for dressier occasions.</p>
<p>Will flannel-lined jeans be too hot? Will he need a parka? What kind of shoes/boots? Sweaters? Will he need a suit jacket/tie for anything, as a freshman? (job interview for part-time job?) Do kids wear hats? ???</p>
<p>What stores do guys shop for clothes? We only have Walmart and Macys here.</p>
<p>You don’t have to buy anything until he gets to Denver since it will be warm when school starts.
REI is a good store to try on a wide variety of outer wear and brands and price points.
Layers is the best way to go.
As the temps fall he will probably wear regular jeans/pants with a fleece or a soft shell jacket like
<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/874924/the-north-face-apex-bionic-jacket-mens-extended-sizes”>http://www.rei.com/product/874924/the-north-face-apex-bionic-jacket-mens-extended-sizes</a>
Add a thin puffy jacket like Patagonia Nano Puff as temps drop.
Then outer layer will be a raincoat type parka for the wet snow days and to use if he skis.
<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/875110/patagonia-storm-jacket-mens-2013-closeout”>http://www.rei.com/product/875110/patagonia-storm-jacket-mens-2013-closeout</a>
Tennis shoes, then hiking boots when it is wetter.
REI has a good return policy so keep the receipts even stuff he has worn or used, no questions asked.
Membership is $20 but everyone in the family can use.
You can shop REI online and have him pick it up at the local store if you need to help him shop as winter comes.
Guys get their clothes at various places like Gap, Express, H+M, Zara, American Eagle, J Crew, Banana Republic the usual mall stores.
Don’t make the mistake of buying clothes he won’t wear( corduroy pants) or are too hot ( scratchy wool sweaters) because you are worried he will be cold.
Trust that he can take care of himself and use his common sense to stay warm and dry.</p>
<p>Layers, layers, layers. Really common to have a couple of inches of snow in the morning that turns to a warm afternoon and then a cold evening. </p>
<p>I see a lot of college kids around here wearing North Face polar fleece jacket – but no need to buy much of anything before he gets here. There are plenty of stores (including an impressively large REI) downtown or in Cherry Creek. The fleece jackets with wind-block protection is really nice; this area gets some wicked winds. I see guys wearing hiking boots (gore-tex kind) a lot in sloppy winter weather; otherwise it is mostly athletic shoes. Black caps seem to predominate, but they’re easy to find. I’d wait on that.</p>
<p>Will he be rushing for a frat? That might involve some additional clothing. </p>
<p>Is he outdoorsy? Will he want ski/boarding clothes?</p>
<p>Don’t be surprised when he tells you that half his male friends wear shorts around campus any sunny day when the temp is above 10. It’s a western thing.</p>
<p>It is also a humidity thing, as in lack-of-humidity. 40 degrees and sunny is pretty comfortable, even in shorts, unless there is a wind. (True even at ridiculously low temperatures in the antarctic.)</p>
<p>My son spent a year and a half in Denver working after he graduated from college on the east coast. He found the climate to be milder than he expected. There were definitely some bitter cold days- and some big snows- but also a LOT of sunshine and mild afternoons. I think the advice you got above is pretty good. A Northface fleece, maybe a puff jacket, some hoodies, some sort of boots… Probably not the flannel lined jeans unless he’s going to spend some time up at the ski areas or hiking around the mountains in the winter. </p>
<p>OK, thanks for all the tips. We’ll plan on hitting REI when we get there, and maybe some other stores. He’ll be doing the picking, not me - I’m just the traveling wallet. He’s actually looking forward to getting some new clothes (believe it or not…)!</p>
<p>Kind of what I expected on the weather, but thanks for the confirmation. Good to hear that it’s not “bitter cold” (unlike Ithaca, NY, where I remember nights below zero, and many days below 20).</p>
<p>One more question - any chance there’ll be skiing opportunities before Thanksgiving? He used to ski back in NY and is looking forward to it, and we have skis that he can use, but he’ll have to get new boots and get the bindings adjusted. Wondering if we should ship them now or wait until he goes back after winter break (which runs from before Thanksgiving until Jan. 1). When does the ski season start around there?</p>
<p>Not generally great skiing before Thanksgiving, but it is possible.But, there’s a great ski sale (boots, gear,…) called Sniagrab in September, and most of the other gear shops also have great deals at that time. So, I’d send them out with him, and then he can get the binding put on and ready to go early this fall. (College students can usually get highly discounted season passes, I believe.)</p>
<p>I would suggest you wait to hit REI. Your son might want to see what sorts of things are actually worn by others BEFORE he shops. Send him with a fleece of some sort…and a hoodie or two. He can figure out what to get later on…and go to REI or elsewhere to get it.</p>