what do doctoral students wear?

[MinervasOwl]

I'm an international student (don't wear western clothes at home) and am wondering whether I'm going to need any new clothes in the fall. I've got 2-3 T-shirts, a couple of button down shirts (Gap), a couple of Gap sweaters for when it gets colder, along with a black cardigan and 2 pairs jeans and one black pants, I've got one black skirt too. I should mention- I'm female.

So are jeans, t-shirts and sneakers fine for a first year doctoral student or should I invest in more button down shirts and pants instead of jeans? I don't think I can give up the sneakers, I won't have a car.

I don't know why I've got this feeling doctoral students are going to make a bit more effort with their appearance than people did when I was in undergrad and grad school?

[go3187]

I think it depends from school to school, and even from program to program. I usually come to the university in jeans, corduroy pants, or linen pants, with a tee, blouse, or sweater... depending on the weather. I wear (flat) boots, sneakers, or (flat) sandals.

There are some occasions on which you might want to wear fancier clothes, like when you go to a conference dinner, give a presentation, etc. Here are some threads on that:

[MyNamesNotRick]

Essentially what you want. Within reason that is.

So as that you are a doctoral student it is assumed that you are poor.

No one is expecting you to walk into class looking like Liz Taylor.

As that you are female you have much more leeway than us guys.

A t-shirt/jeans/sneakers combo is more than acceptable for going to class.

Things like symposiums, seminars, TAing you might want be a bit more business casual as that in those scenarios you are representing the department.

Again, no one is expecting you to walk in like a movie star but it would be one step up from what you wear in class.

Also pay attention to how all the other students dress. That's your real litmus test.

They way I handle it is I want to look just a bit more presentable than what the staus quo of the department is in regards to appearance.

So I'm not over dressing but I'm also not looking to slum it.

Finally, thrift stores and the internet are your friend when it comes to getting cheap stuff.

Don't spend more than you have to on clothes as that no one is asking you to.

Edited June 5, 2012 by MyNamesNotRick

[ktel]

For the day to day everybody in my department wears jeans. Even if it's a special guest lecture I am one of the few students that might dress up a little more that day. It will totally depend on your department, you will see right away.

[ANDS!]

I don't know why I've got this feeling doctoral students are going to make a bit more effort with their appearance than people did when I was in undergrad and grad school?

Grad students have been some of the worst dressed people I've seen. The young undergrads come to class decked out; mostly because they are on someone elses dole and can afford to spend their work cash on nice things. This is not to say you HAVE to come looking haggard. However when it comes down to priorities, new clothes, when the ones you have are fine, ranks pretty low.

Edited June 5, 2012 by ANDS!

[MinervasOwl]

Thanks, one has to spend so much on getting moved in, pots and pans, a bed, etc that I'm just going to try not to buy anything new for the first semester at least.

[emmm]

Except that with the amount of work you'll have and the amount of sleep you (won't) get, you probably WILL look haggard much of the time ;-)

[SeriousSillyPutty]

On my interview day when I met the current students, they were actually talking about that -- how they always try to dress somewhat nicely, which meant nice jeans and (as this was winter) sweaters. If you're able to, I would recommend emailing one of the current students and asking her what the range of clothing tends to be in the department. I'm guessing the normal rule would be no t-shirts with pictures/writing on them, and only "nice" (not thread-bare) jeans. Wearing dressier shoes can dress up the rest of the outfit, but I know what you mean about needing good shoes for transportation! (I'll be riding my bike, so I'm currently in the process of testing my wardrobe to see what I can successfully ride in!)

And to second NotRick, I love thrift stores (used clothing stores). Some national chains of thrift stores are Goodwill, Salvation Army, and St. Vincent DePaul. (I bet almost any student at your university will be able to tell you where one is, after you get there.)

Good luck with the transition!

[Usmivka]

I may or may not have gotten new clothes since high school (other than freebies from events), and am in grad school after a multi-year work break...but my fellow grad students look just as dated as I do, so I don't feel too out of place!

Edited June 9, 2012 by Usmivka

[wildviolet]

I don't know why I've got this feeling doctoral students are going to make a bit more effort with their appearance than people did when I was in undergrad and grad school?

When I was in undergrad, I once had a class with a doctoral student TA who had grimy fingernails that he would examine during the professor's lecture. LOL, we all thought he was gross!

Anyway, to answer your question, I plan on wearing what I have currently in my closet from 10 years in the workforce--business casual (dress skirts, nice sweaters and cardigans, dresses, dress pants) for teaching and conferences and casual (jeans) for class and RA duties. I like fancy, non-sensible shoes (I own only one pair of sneakers). But, I guess my overall advice would be to dress comfortably. I'm comfortable in three-inch heels and a business casual dress, but I know not everyone is. I don't know if I'll change when I get to campus in August--when I visited in the spring, it seemed like the doctoral students were fairly casual (jeans, fleece vests, t-shirts) for class.

[PsychGirl1]

Depends on the program and school. In my field, we tend to dress up for grad school. You should pretty much treat grad school as a professional work environment, and dress accordingly- even if other people don't.

 

Honestly, I'd spend $100 and go to Old Navy and buy some simple black dresses, black pants, a nice dress skirt/tank/sweater, etc. and get some more basics for your wardrobe that are a tad more professional. Key is to get pieces you can mix and match, in basic colors, that you can also layer. It will be worth the investment into your career.

[mpheels]

People in my programs dress nicely, but they don't dress up.The standard for women is dark jeans and a nice sweater or blouse. Skirts and dresses were pretty common when it was still hot out, and I expect they will show up again when it gets cold enough to wear tights. No sneakers, but no heels either. Most of us wear flats or boots. There aren't any men in my cohort, but the guys in other cohorts wear jeans and button down shirts or sweaters. There is one program in my deparment that requires students to wear suits two days a week when they work with hospital administrators, but those students make up for it by dressing even more casual on their non-suit days.

[PsychGirl1]

^ I'd say I agree with mpheels with what I've seen at my school, across Clinical Psych as well as more basic sciences. It's a "professional" casual more than a business casual. As in, jeans are okay- but not saggy jeans with holes in them with an old t-shirt- more like dark jeans and a nice sweater. And then for more important meetings, or if you're working with clients, etc., then business casual or nicer would become appropriate. Again, I think if you work hard to find some sales at places like Old Navy, Kohl's, thrift stores, etc. (cheap places), you can get a few pieces every month that will help you develop a wardrobe. Start with basics and work your way up.

 

Keep in mind that nobody may say anything to you about your attire being inappropriate, but that doesn't mean nobody is thinking it.

[pears]

OP: what field of study/work are you in, & where? i'm in the social sciences, too (archaeology), in a very "crunchy" small city in the states, & the standard mode of dress is very casual. dark jeans, carhartts, corduroys; hiking boots, cowboy boots, sneakers, flats; t-shirts, sweaters, casual sweatshirts. it gets gnarly-cold & snowy here in the winter, so the expectations for heels, skirts, dresses, or thin dress shirts and blouses seem to have gone completely out the window. nobody wears "field clothes" with holes or stains, but sometimes, it's just a step above.

 

personally, i like it, because i think it keeps all the focus on the academic stuff, & insightful comments are worth a lot more than a personally tailored, newly dry cleaned outfit. that said, i work in a very casual field, at a very casual school, in a very casual city. carhartt, woolrich, scarpa, patagonia, & ariat seem to be the brands of choice around here.