<p>Wait until your S gets to Cambridge. He can see for himself. I would use my S as an example but he is the least fashion-conscious person I know. The Northface is a popular brand and is easily available from local shops or online. There are a few formal events (such as the freshman formal) for which he would need a suit and good shoes.</p>
<p>Guitars101- Fleece is the jacket, vest, or pullover made of fuzzy poly often used as a liner in mountain jackets; sweatshirts are cotton knit with cottony pile linedâtwo distinctly different items. The cotton sweatshirts are only good through October, as the November chill arrives, New Englanders will don their fleeces, layered over long sleeved Ts or turtlenecks.</p>
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<p>Never underestimate the determination of a Californian. My SoCal born and raised daughter made it though the first round of Boston snow storms in her flip flops her freshman year. But eventually even she had to break down and get some proper shoes to wear in the snow. I was amazed she didnât lose any toes to frostbite.</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice re: clothes. Our daughter also likes to wear her flip flops and shorts all year round (!)Any advice as to what dorms are preferred (they all look great to me!)? Also, what is this Gen 13 on the thread?
:)</p>
<p>Itâs best not to become attached to any one freshman dorm, as they are randomly assigned. There are so many different configurations and sizes of rooms, even within the same dorm, that anecdotal stories vary hugely. Many first-years are initially disappointed if they are assigned âUnionâ dorms, the three that are slightly off the Yard (East of the Faculty Club, which used to be the Union.) However, they (Pennypacker, Hurlbut, and Greenough Hall)are much quieter as there are no church bells, Mass Ave traffic, or underground rumblings of the T, like some Yard dorms.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, Northface is very popular but the ubiquitous black Northface Denali fleece gets easily lost at parties and such. Either get a unique color, or get a different option (Patagonia R4, a softshell of some variety, etc). </p>
<p>Your son or daughter should be able to get by during the first 3-4 weeks of school without buying specific cold-weather clothing (sweatshirt will do fine). I would recommend that you wait to purchase anything until your son or daughter gets up here to scope out the scene and figure out what they want to wear/what is popular. There are plenty of stores up here that can accommodate them (probably with a better variety than youâll get in a warm weather climate).</p>
<p>This is one of our favorite sites ⊠great for shopping the Denali, etc. You wonât find friendlier people to deal with!</p>
<p>[North</a> Face Jackets | North Face Fleece Jackets | Burton Jackets | Arcteryx Jackets | Patagonia | North Face Backpacks |](<a href=âhttp://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/]Northâ>http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/)</p>
<p>fauve,
Thanks 
I guess living in Ca. we donât have much use for fleece. Sometimes on store advertisements they mention fleece same as sweats. </p>
<p>Thanks for the info. Itâs greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>coureur,</p>
<p>I know what you mean. Good to hear that my son isnât the only one Iâm glad to hear that they finally come to their senses and get appropriate shoes. Thanks again for the cute story, it help a mom with the worries</p>
<p>Thanks h-bomber. Good advice</p>
<p>YIKES, those prices are much higher than I anticipated. Weâve never had to buy really nice warm jackets. They should last, shouldnât they?</p>
<p>They will last for many years. I recommend putting name labels inside (I know, donât ask permission from the S or D, just discreetly insert)âthere are many that look alike and are easily mixed up, also it will deter chilly kleptomaniacs at parties or dances.</p>
<p>I actually would recommend going with the name brand labels, just ones that arenât necessarily the popular ones. Outdoor clothes command a premium because they are manufactured to much higher standards than sweatshirts or cheaper fleeces. They have windstopper capabilities (which you MUST have in boston, the wind is deadly in the winter) sealed seams (keep water out) higher quality zippers (last longer) and no-pile fleece (last longer). If your talking about a rain-coat or softshell the differences are magnified even more. </p>
<p>Iâm not saying you need to go out and buy an Arcteryx jacket (unless theyâre on sale or you get a pro-deal itâs probably not worth the price) but itâs a pretty good idea to invest in a really good jacket that will last you your whole time in Boston. Good reviews can be found on outdoors websites, which are more geared towards a good mix of price and durability than the average shopping review site. Keep in mind that living in a walking town and being outdoors for a good portion of your time each day in the winter is an entirely different experience than living in a town where you drive most places and only get out of the car to walk from the parking lot to wherever youâre going.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. Iâm so excited for my son to start this new adventure in his life, but Iâm also worried that heâll need me Maybe thatâs just wishful thinking on my part. Heâs my first going off to college. I really appreciate all the advice and help that everyone is giving us.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your helpful notes. I guess we will wait to go to Cambridge to buy her outerwear. Will check the websites as well as we get closer. :)</p>
<p>When we visited Harvard the first week of April of this year the young women wore long down parkas over Harvard hooded sweatshirts, jeans, and rubber rain boots. Totally un-chic, totally adorable.</p>
<p>For those of you considering waiting to shop, a bonus is that Massachusetts has no sales tax on clothes ( I think individual items over $175 are taxed?) When we visit family in Massachusetts I always shop there because of this⊠it adds up. I double checked by googling it and found the following.
MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts Exempts the sale of food and clothing from sales tax. Everything else purchased with a CAC is taxable.
Massachusetts Department of Revenue 1-617-887-6367 or [Massachusetts</a> Department of Revenue](<a href=âhttp://www.dor.state.ma.us%5DMassachusettsâ>http://www.dor.state.ma.us)</p>
<p>mwlmom, I too would recommend waiting to get to MA before buying a winter coat, in addition to tax,selection and sales will better and I found when I lived in Florida that they just didnât sell jackets warm enough for New England winters. If you have a few days there are some outlet malls within a 45 minute drive. I will ask my aunt specifically where. I remember when we moved to a cold weather place from Florida, my kids really bucked wearing coats and buying a coat that was actually warm enough for the weather (wasnât fashionable enough!) They learned on their own that you really do need a good winter jacket! They really wonât need a really warm jacket till probably late Oct or Nov. (until then fleece and layers will do) so another option would be to wait till Parents weekend to figure out what is âinâ.</p>
<p>EAO, nice to hear about the tax on clothes, I wish it was my dtr going to school in Ma instead of my son (who doesnt care about the latest trends )</p>
<p>OK, we are arriving from Ca. on Friday night (night before move in wkend) so what do you all think we should do on Saturday morning? Do we get our rental car and just sit in the lines (Iâve heard they can be long)? Will we be able to park our rental car at school and go with our son to see where his room is? Would it be best to have him take the bare mininum and then after he gets settled in we all go to Target and buy the necessities? How early in the summer will he get information on his roommates so they can start communicating before move in weekend? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance</p>
<p>^^You drive into Harvard Yard in the morning where you are allowed to stay only long enough to unload. While the stuff is being carted upstairs to the room, one parent usually drives the car off to be parked. They direct you to a parking structure that is normally a staff/faculty lot but is open to parents on move-in day. </p>
<p>Meanwhile student and the other parent cart the belongings to the room. Once all roommates are present, beds, dressers, desks, and closets get picked and everyone can start unpacking and putting things away - which may take most of the rest of the afternoon. That evening or the next day you can make a run to Target with a list of stuff the room needs.</p>
<p>After the Target stuff has been delivered itâs pretty much time for the parents to quit hanging around and move out of the scene. The student will be eager to get on with it, but the parents may wish to hang on a few hours longer. Say the tearful goodbye and go do some touristy stuff in Boston. Your student will be fine.</p>
<p>Wow! Didnât know about the sales tax! We will wait to get clothes! This CC is very informative-- I really thank you all for all of your input. We are also coming in on Friday during orientation. Our daughter was hoping to be part of the Dorm Crew for pre-orientation but since she was accepted only a few weeks ago she is waitlisted (!). Do any of you recommend the other prefrosh orientations? :)</p>