<p>Just FYI…those iron on tags pull off very easily. So…if someone really wants to steal your Northface fleece, it won’t be hard to pull the label out.</p>
<p>We still have some washcloths and towels here that have name labels in them…and twin sheets too. They went to camp, and they went to college.</p>
<p>But no, we didn’t put labels in the clothes.</p>
<p><em>Having flash back to sewing all those labels every summer for 8 years.</em> </p>
<p>I agree everyone had a black fleece or down jacket.
But what you need is something more conspicuous, because most likely it will be an accident that someone else takes your jacket or you take theirs.
Just like you add a fluorescent tag to your black carryon.</p>
<p>I don’t suggest labels, but something like a colored mark on a tag or initials someplace you wouldn’t see unless you were looking is not a bad idea. But it’s only going to help someone trying to return something. My son had his laundry (hoodies only, not his pants), and even though many of them were unique enough to notice if someone else was wearing one, he would not have challenged anyone over anything like that. </p>
<p>Clothing labels? Not another HYP thread! I mean Hermes, YSL, Prada! :D</p>
<p>This has to be a joke post, right?</p>
<p>D chose a laptop with a bright pink cover and put political stickers all over it. No one would touch that laptop even when it was sitting unattended in the common areas. </p>
<p>When my S came home after freshman year, he had quite a bit of anonymous clothing, including underwear. He just washed it and continued wearing it. Boys just really aren’t that picky, IMO. His soph year roommate is twice his size, so I don’t expect much clothes intermingling, but you never know. On the other hand, his school (a music conservatory) expects all the guys to have matching tuxes purchased from the same vendor, so I’ve noticed that those items get initialled. </p>
<p>I marked son’s new NF jacket, but it was stolen. I’m sure the thief didn’t care what name was in it. My encouraged son to pick a more distinctive color for the next one. </p>
<p>I discreetly marked a few of my kid’s things that were ubiquitous. Small marks on laundry tags or inside shoes. Fleeces, Rainbows, Bean boots, Jack Rogers, etc. I didn’t expect that it would stop a thief but I hoped if there was a pile of shoes or jackets somewhere my kids would be able to find their belongings.</p>
<p>Please don’t do iron on tags.</p>
<p>I bought my daughter pink towels and had them monogrammed with her name. (Monograms were free that week.) She still has them. She graduated in 2007. I bought the towels in 2003. </p>
<p>Okay. Thanks, I get it. No labels</p>
<p>My daughter’s friends told my son to take a cheap coat to wear at parties because people always grab the wrong one when leaving the party and if it is his “good” coat, it will be gone then. Once someone has taken your crappy coat, then you just take someone else’s and that’s your new “party coat”. I thought that was the weirdest advice ever but I don’t know what the answer would be to keeping that from happening. (Don’t go to parties doesn’t seem like it would be advice that would be followed!)</p>
<p>I do the “inconspicuous mark” thing with my D’s stuff, but only because she has had trouble with kids accidentally (?) picking up her jackets, yoga pants, etc. after a dance practice or sleepover. She claims to be done with Uggs but that is another item that everybody has and all looks the same.</p>
<p>I agree with not letting good coats out of your sight at a party or bar but not with taking someone else’s if it happens!</p>
<p>My kids never wore coats to parties! Or boots.</p>
<p>And if your dorm room is crowded, don’t put your drying rack out in the hall overnight. It might be empty in the morning. </p>
<p>This thread is hilarious!</p>
<p>On a serious note, I agree with the idea of buying college kids’ coats and similar stuff that in colors that stand out. Of course the kids may object to your choice of color. Lake Jr. said no when I offered to buy a bright red LL Bean Parka. So what does his mother buy him? The ubiquitous navy-colored North Face parka. </p>
<p>“My kids never wore coats to parties! Or boots.”</p>
<p>If it is too cold to get to the party without a coat, some kids would get a dedicated “fracket” at a Goodwill. :)</p>
<p>@BunsenBurner That is exactly what these girls were telling my son he should do- pick up party jackets at Goodwill. I don’t think an inconspicuous mark would help in this situation because you’d need something conspicuous to make sure someone else didn’t take your coat. My biggest concern is that he doesn’t leave anything in his coat pockets when he goes to a party if the coat may disappear!</p>
<p>Just in case you need a way to identify clothing look at this:
<a href=“http://www.namedropperstamper.com”>http://www.namedropperstamper.com</a></p>
<p>My SIL bought these when my 3 nieces started going to camp. Saved loads of time and is permanent. </p>
<p>If it’s something used for camp, I would boldly suggest it NOT be used for college. This is an 18 year old, not a 12 year old.</p>
<p>Fleece and hoodies seem to be interchangeable among college kids. Both kids seemed to pick up new ones, lose old ones, borrow or share them. S2’s favourite hoodie is the cast-off of D1’s ex-boyfriend (4 yrs ago!!). It is totally trashed, which is probably why no one takes it. And it still has ex-bf’s name in it!</p>
<p>And another reason to wear an old coat to a party - someone will spill something on it. D1 learned that the hard way with a suede jacket. </p>