Dress Code

[profound_g]

(Inspired by Emilee's thread below)

I did a search and all the results discuss dress code for visiting prospective schools. How about once you are there, doing daily things? Has anyone encountered special requirements?

[rising_star]

My experience has been that no one cares what you wear to your office and to class, but there are expectations about what TAs will wear when teaching. At my MA program, TAs were not supposed to wear anything above the knee or strappy tank tops (shoulders covered was a must) when teaching, or have visible tattoos or body piercings. This is probably because most of us were 24-28 and they didn't want students viewing their TAs as attractive. It was also meant to keep people from wearing shorts while teaching (mind you, it was HOT for several months here and people would just change into jeans or khakis in their offices before teaching). None of this applied when you were attending class, though it was often cold in the building which would dictate what people wore.

My wardrobe has actually morphed in the four years I've been in grad school and become slightly more professional looking. This is a change I made, rather than one that anyone told me to make. As far as what people wear to class, it ranges from pants with holes in them and Chacos to business casual (khakis and a polo) to casual (jeans and a t-shirt) depending on the person and what they wear. At my current program, almost everyone rides a bicycle to campus, so that can affect what's worn (you don't see a lot of skirts or dresses, though that could be for style reasons too).

[mudlark]

I found that when I started TAing, I automatically started dressing more nicely on campus every day. You just feel more 'visible' as an instructor, and I didn't want to run into one of my students while wearing a bandanna and a schlubby shirt. My current school is much dressier than my MA school. Here, there are lots of women who wear dresses every day, and have very distinct personal styles. Even so, the baseline seems to be the same: clean, grown-up clothes, no shorts, no t-shirts with writing on them. People wear dark jeans or dress pants with basic tops--solid colour ts, button ups, long sleeves--and frequently a sweater, blazer, or cardigan.

I think it's a good idea to dress more formally than your students on teaching days. I knew a few people who TAed in super casual clothes, and it definitely hurt their ability to control the room.

[Eigen]

Even my boss usually wears cargo shorts and t-shirts during the spring-summer-fall (It's New Orleans, it's hot here!), so I don't feel bad wearing the same. Come to think of it, I think that's how most of the professors in our department dress, although there is one who favors Hawaiian shirts and shorts, so it's not completely uniform....

I try to dress up a bit more when the weather allows (slacks and a nice shirt), but when it's over 105 here, there's no way I'm wearing long pants, and thankfully, no one in the department feels that I should.

I dressed up a good bit more on my graduate school visits, however- slacks and a button down shirt. I think it's a good idea to conservatively overdress until you see what everyone else wears, and then dress down to a level you feel comfortable with.

[Eigen]

That's exactly what happened to me, actually.

I was in slacks/shirt/tie, and overdressed compared to everyone else. I wasn't in a group visit, but the grad students I met with were wearing shorts/t-shirts everywhere I went, in addition to a large portion of the professors.

Being overdressed was a bit embarrassing, but it was better than a bad first impression from being under dressed.

[repatriate]

Because I am in a field that involves human subjects research, it is common for graduate students to dress somewhat professionally--or at least neatly--any time they are at work. When they won't be near subjects, students might get away with a t-shirt, but this is less common.

[UnlikelyGrad]

(Inspired by Emilee's thread below)

I did a search and all the results discuss dress code for visiting prospective schools. How about once you are there, doing daily things? Has anyone encountered special requirements?

I think it depends a lot on your field of study. I can't wear shorts or sandals because I'm not allowed to have that much bare skin in lab. Some of the other profs are a little more lax about letting their students wear shorts, sandals, etc in lab but I'm sure they don't do this when they have OSHA inspections.

The geologists I know, on the other hand, seem to wear shorts all the time. Even the profs, sometimes.

[Eigen]

Our OSHA inspections seem ok with shorts (assuming they're longer cargo shorts) as long as there is full foot coverage (no sandals, ever).

But then, we're *supposed* to wear lab coats, too.....

[poco_puffs]

The town and university where I'll be relocating is known for it's counterculture element, so most of my friends and family keep assuring me "Don't worry, you won't have to trade in your nose ring for loafers." I wasn't so sure, so I dressed up fairly nice for the visiting week in March. Also, I think there is a more forgiving middle ground between too casual and too formal for women, so maybe I was a little bit lucky. Anyway, one portion of the visit was having five grad students present an overview of their dissertation and how they worked within the school to get to that point. Two of the guys were in polo/blazer/slack mode, one of the girls was wearing slacks (I think) and a vintage shawl/sweater, one of the girls was in something along the lines of a t-shirt and jeans, and the last guy had dreadlocks, a nose-ring, torn jeans, a puffy vest like Marty from Back to the Future and some truly awesome sneakers.

I wore a lot of cardigans and plain tanks and long-sleeved tees at my undergrad, and I don't see that changing all that much for grad school now that I know how casual the university is in general. The jeans will get nicer, I'll bring some more slacks and skirts into the mix, but I'm not worried at this point. The biggest improvement needs to be the shoes, since I never got out of converse/sneaker mode.

Then again, all that isn't stopping me from picking up some great blazers and whatnot on sale. I don't even teach my first year, but I'm starting to buy some quality pieces early on so I can space out the wardrobe buying over a year. I do plan on looking like a professional when I start leading recitations-- without that blazer I'll look the same age as my students.

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

I wore a lot of cardigans and plain tanks and long-sleeved tees at my undergrad, and I don't see that changing all that much for grad school now that I know how casual the university is in general. The jeans will get nicer, I'll bring some more slacks and skirts into the mix, but I'm not worried at this point. The biggest improvement needs to be the shoes, since I never got out of converse/sneaker mode.

These will be my shoe solution once I feel like coughing up the money (or asking for them as a gift): http://www.shoes.com/Shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?p=EC1213294&pg=5116713

[UnlikelyGrad]

Our OSHA inspections seem ok with shorts (assuming they're longer cargo shorts) as long as there is full foot coverage (no sandals, ever).

But then, we're *supposed* to wear lab coats, too.....

I only wear my lab coat when working with concentrated nitric or when around undergrads. I consider undergrads the far more dangerous of the two!

[American in Beijing]

These will be my shoe solution once I feel like coughing up the money (or asking for them as a gift): http://www.shoes.com...3294&pg=5116713

Oooh! Those are hot! I'll definitely be asking for them as a gift as well!

When I start grad school (only two months away, :D !), I'm going to try to start strong and dress at least presentably. In the end though, I'm probably going to wear the same kind of comfy stuff I wore in undergrad. However, when I start TA-ing I'm definitely going to start bringing out the professional attire. I feel that your choice of clothes not only has an influence on those around you, but on your own mindset as well. If I just wore the same jeans/sweatpants/T-shirts I wear every day, I feel like I would appear to be just another one of the students. However, if I dress professionally, it would set me apart from the students, and be a visible signal of how seriously I take my job (slacker undergrads, beware!).

[mmm35]

My impression has always been that grad students are more casual and sloppy than undergrads. I've been buying fitted t-shirts and sneakers to get ready for school and ditching my slacks. But then again I am an engineer . . .

[DJLamar]

In my field, from my undergrad research, it seems pretty clear that there is no dress code. You just wear whatever. There also doesn't really seem to be any expectation of a dress code for the professors in my field, for that matter. I'm also doing an internship in my field in Germany right now and the only rule there is to not wear shorts and don't look absolutely horrible.

I love researchers in my field.

[Beck]

The biggest improvement needs to be the shoes, since I never got out of converse/sneaker mode.

My solution to that - sorted out today - is totally plain black Converse.

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

When I was an undergrad I rocked design t-shirts, jeans, sneakers or Docs, and hoodies. I remember needing to run out and buy a button-down shirt for my first public presentation!

In my first year of grad school it was really easy to tell whether I was teaching that day or not. Tuesdays and Thursdays were blazers, button-downs, slacks, and sweaters (though nothing low-cut, out of my own sense of pride!). The other days of the week were back into t-shirts, etc.

Now that I'm getting into my second year and thinking about the PhD, as well as having a GA instead of a TA, I'm considering dressing up every day I come to university. Some days it may only be a nice blazer over a concert t-shirt and clean jeans, but at least it demonstrates effort. I do think there is some merit to the "Climbing the Corporate Ladder" concept of dressing as if you are already in the position you desire.

[Eigen]

I think lab sciences or not is also a deciding factor.

Even the professors look at you strangely if you dress up to go play with concentrated acids, work in the machine shop, or change the oil in your vacuum pump.

Wearing clothes you don't mind ruining, however, often means you're on the low end of the looks/professionality spectrum.

[BearcatPA]

Your work is more important than wardrobe quite honestly. Prada purses and armani suits don't get publications.

[poco_puffs]

Your work is more important than wardrobe quite honestly. Prada purses and armani suits don't get publications.

Of course work would take priority over wardrobe, but I don't think anyone here was suggesting a wardrobe improvement as some kind of shortcut to success-- some "blind them with your clothing so they won't notice you slacking off" sort of thing. We're talking about how to dress in certain situations to meet the expectations of social and professional roles that are very new to the majority of us.

Who mentioned Prada and Armani? Who can AFFORD Prada and Armani? I can barely afford to buy shit at Target, let alone a nice store, let alone anything designer.

I seriously hope your post was meant with less condescension or---god, whatever that was-- than it appears.

[LockeOak]

Well, when I'm in the lab (which is most of the time) I'm generally working by myself so it's whatever that won't get me hauled off as a vagrant or gives off fumes that would kill my cell cultures. I can go weeks without seeing anyone else in the lab, so grooming sometimes suffers. If I'm teaching, I try to shave occasionally and wear a clean shirt. When I'm in the field (marine ecology in the tropics) it's either a wetsuit or swim trunks, Columbia fishing shirt and a sun hat. If I'm at a conference, the uniform for coral reef biologists appears to be Hawaiian shirts and shorts.

In short, at least among the ecologists, no one cares how you dress. The only times I wear a shirt with buttons is at committee meetings and (some) conferences.

[Postbib Yeshuist]

In both Masters, I've simply worn "t-shirt, shorts, flip-flops" and it's been fine. I probably don't look "serious," but my contributions to discussions and my papers offset that. Granted, I was working during my Th.M., so I took any chance to NOT wear "business casual." I think overall, your dress isn't critical. School is school. Dress in what feels comfortable so you're at the top of your mental game, instead of fiddling with a too-tight tie.

[Infinite Monkeys]

I anticipate it not being too terribly different from how I dressed for classes in my MA program: jeans or khakis, t-shirt or long-sleeved shirts in good condition, and running shoes. But then again, I was actively tutoring throughout, and it was a matter of both looking a little more "together" than the students and dressing a little more like an authority figure, which some of the students (re-entry students, our contingent of nuns) kind of expected. When I covered a class for someone or had to proctor a test, usually the above with the addition of a blazer. It's how my project advisor dressed, so I figured I was fine. (My other advisor was a suit-and-tie type most of the time, but some of the time, he also dressed like that.)

I imagine that I'll have to pull out my "oh crap we have a board meeting all hands on deck" outfits for the big stuff, though. Dress pants, nice blouse, polished business shoes, the whole nine yards.

But unless my department chair says otherwise, I'm not giving up my running shoes. They're in good condition, they have some measure of style, and they help keep the joint pain at bay. Better to be in less pain than to be biting freshman heads off because I can't walk without howling.

[Lillian]

My program is semi-business casual because of TA responsibilities ect. I have noticed several interesting phenomenon’s during my earlier grad visits, conferences, and in the grad program/university I selected.

1- Just because the profs dress casual doesn’t mean this is necessarily accepted for grad students. A few friends who have attained positions/tenure/ or retired have mentioned this- in some programs a faculty dress changes once tenure is achieved! Also, that while first impressions count the ones after count even more! Ex- are you consistently dressed appropriately professional? This reflects your ability to organize and maintain momentum- especially when your research and course work are making you crazy and you’ve had way too much coffee !!

These same individuals strongly suggest that grad students (especially those with funding) in less formal attired programs dress one step up- because you never know who is watching or visiting campus that might be a key person to connect with- if you are wearing jeans, a Hawaiian tourist shirt and sandals will this same person take you and your research seriously???

Also- there is a HUGE gender discrepancy folks- especially for TAs! In my experience and from talking with other TAs and professors students (and some faculty for that matter) treat women instructors differently than men- I have noticed that male grad students can come to the office/courses/TA sections dressed in jeans and a polo- and are treated no differently by their students. However, women who wear similar casual attire or even dress it up a bit with khakis and jewelry are in fact ‘demoted’. In other words women still have to work harder to gain respect, even and in some instances more so from their female colleagues. I wore my new blue jeans and a nice dress top into work on a Thursday of TA classes and my own seminar only to be given a look of mild distain while the two male TAs (also in jeans but with frayed bottoms and certainly not new, and t-shirts) didn’t even get a glance by any of the department professors in the room and later the elevator!!

So- what am I venting on about here?

1- Attire and presentation matters!! And regardless of equality in the workplace- gender does play a role! So before we wear jeans ect into the office consider how we are representing ourselves, and our work.

2. I think grad school is a professional job with certain dress requirements- it is sad to say this but change comes slowly and let’s face the facts…regardless of our work….we are the underlings and laborers of our departments! Our attire is but one more tool to ensure we are taken seriously and also shows that we take our work seriously, and are committed to our research and academic careers. If we don’t do this on a daily basis- who then is really to blame if we don’t get the Fulbright, or asked to be a research assistant on that notable professor’s incredibly funded and exciting research project, or asked to join a mixed panel at a conference with travel funding included? Or why the application for research funding is rejected? (Who would you want to physically represent your department at research institutions and conferences?; someone looking like their on vacation or about to pull off some serious research?)

After all this I should admit to being seen on campus in my fishing gear on the way to the river that runs next to my campus… off course this was the last day of classes!!! Hopefully no one can prove it!!

[Lillian]

Of course work would take priority over wardrobe, but I don't think anyone here was suggesting a wardrobe improvement as some kind of shortcut to success-- some "blind them with your clothing so they won't notice you slacking off" sort of thing. We're talking about how to dress in certain situations to meet the expectations of social and professional roles that are very new to the majority of us.

Who mentioned Prada and Armani? Who can AFFORD Prada and Armani? I can barely afford to buy shit at Target, let alone a nice store, let alone anything designer.

I seriously hope your post was meant with less condescension or---god, whatever that was-- than it appears.

OMG- Prada and Armani!! that has to be a joke!! Who has time to maintain such items with grad school!! I have a hard enough time keeping my car clean from my 2 hour daily commuting!!!

But I must tell you Poco that as a mom of 3 I've always had an affection for a good thrift or consignment store. However, since grad school start I've REALLY developed a stronger appreciation! Last fall I found a new with tags (@ $90) Cold Water Creek navy wool blazer for only $15 bucks- love it and wear it about once a week through 2 cold seasons!! I highly recommend these instead of target ect- just think recycle!!

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

Agreed, Lillian, I am a huge advocate of thrift and consignment stores. I wear Gap, Banana Republic, Express, and New York & Co. all the time and haven't paid full price for a single piece (well, except that one dress I had to have ). I for the most part pay retail on shoes and various other accessories to dress up my clothes.