<p>Quicksilver is cut really thin; expensive, but S still wearing cacki shorts after 4-6 years.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure Old Navy has size 28 as does American Eagle.</p>
<p>OK…no time to read the whole thread so I apologize if this has already been said. Most kids do not need a suit or sport jacket in college until they are at the point when they are interviewing for internships or jobs. Having said that…DS is a music major and he had two tuxedos, a black suit, sport coat, gray suit, navy suit and all the ties and trimmings for those while at college. He says…the only students who USE this attire while in college are the music majors who must wear them to perform. If you live near a Syms store, go there. They have very well priced men’s dress clothes. I bought DS’s white (wool, designer) dinner jacket there for his summer festival for a mere $79. And while some folks here poo poo Goodwill, I will say, it all depends on your local store. Some are dumps and some are terrific. Ours is terrific, and was the source for a designer tux and set of tails ($25 each including the pants and jacket), and blue blazers (don’t remember the cost…but it was inexpensive). If your freshman really insists on “dress clothes”, get the blue blazer someplace. OR…you could wait until the kid gets there and he could talk around. He’ll either find he needs this attire at which point you could buy it, or he doesn’t…and then you will not have wasted your money.</p>
<p>Well, I guess it was me who dissed Goodwill, so I will make it more of a conditional caution. You can sometimes find a really good deal at places like Goodwill, but it usually requires that you know quality when you see it. If you know what works and what doesn’t then you might luck out and find a real gem. For a kid who’s never owned much beyond t-shirts and jeans, it might better serve them to do some shopping and/or fitting in a good quality mens dept first to get an idea of what they should be looking for before just heading out to the Goodwill.</p>
<p>We got an LL Bean Traveler catalog yesterday and on p44 is a men’s Tropic Weight Blazer for $89 that comes in many sizes and is machine wash and dry. The picture shows the guy wearing the jacket with jeans and an oxford cloth collared shirt. jmho, this is a “dressier” casual look for a guy that could easily take a college student to a play, musical, restaurant dinner, show, lecture, anything where a jacket might be rqd, w/o feeling over dressed or uncomfortable. It’s just a jacket and a nice shirt, but personally I think it steps everything up a notch and presents a more grown up, no-longer-in-high-school look. Where we live, a lot of the young guys like this blazer/jeans look. anyway, my 2 cents.</p>
<p>another vote for navy blue blazer. You can wear it in most any situation and dress it “down” a bit with khaki pants or dress it “up” a little with gray slacks. Navy blazer is a classic and cornerstone of any starting wardrobe.</p>
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Maybe in theory, but at least in khakis I could never find many. (Mathson won’t wear jeans.)</p>
<p>The Lands End website has khaki pants in the boys section with a waist of 28 inches.</p>
<p>JC Penney has IZOD khakis in boys sizes that would fit a 28 inch waist.</p>
<p>I was also going to suggest the boys dept. My husband wears a 28 and I buy them when I see them. We just got a pair of olive khakis from Costco, Tommy Hilfilger that were a 29 that ran small.</p>
<p>Strange to say boys’ slacks and jeans are usually cut wider than men’s. My son’s waist is his widest part!</p>
<p>I lurked on this thread, followed advice given OP, and son was happy with his first suit we bought in July. DS left to return to fly to school this AM, late last night told me packing was “under control” though I saw no evidence he had started. Just cleaning up the debris in his room and sure enough find the suit hanging in the closet…grhh</p>