Open House Attire

[lisajay]

No one wants to see me in a kilt.

 

Thanks for the advice... I never would have thought of AC.

 

my pleasure! my office & usually at least one of my classes are perpetually sub-65, so i try to make like a boy scout & always be prepared.

[HHEoS]

Remember you can always dress up a more casual outfit with things like accessories, jackets, etc. Throw a blazer on. Wear a nice scarf. 

 

[ComeBackZinc]

I would rather be overdressed than underdressed, but then I wear a tie almost every day and a jacket more often than not. I do think that there's very little danger of people getting offended at your clothes. It's more a matter of how seriously you take your personal style and how you'd like to look for a first impression. Plan, but don't stress.

[champagne]

No one wants to see me in a kilt.

 

This has never stopped me from wearing mine.

[Troppman]

Be comfortable: the detectability of impostor syndrome is exacerbated when existential angst is mirrored by physical discomfort.   Pro tip: I don't mean wear sweat-clothes; for the long run this entails building a wardrobe of professional attire that you don't dread wearing. 

[ErnestPWorrell]

Be comfortable: the detectability of impostor syndrome is exacerbated when existential angst is mirrored by physical discomfort.   Pro tip: I don't mean wear sweat-clothes; for the long run this entails building a wardrobe of professional attire that you don't dread wearing. 

Pro-tip 2: khakis don't do anyone justice.

[ComeBackZinc]

For the gentlemen: clothes come in sizes. Know yours. Wear them. Not two sizes too big for everything. All of those blousy dress shirts that hang off of you like a tent are not a hot look. Your pants should have very little break, your shirts should cling to your torso. If you easily clasp your fingers around the cuff of your dress shirts, they're too long. If you're constantly stepping on the hem of your pants, they're too long. If you can easily reach over your head in a suit jacket or blazer, its too loose. Fit everything. You'll look much, much better. And that's true if you're a bigger guy, despite what some people assume.

[ComeBackZinc]

(Of course, I dig the fact that academics is one of those rare places where you can generally be you, so take this as somewhat tongue-in-cheek. And my father was well known for teaching class barefoot.)

[dedalus]

Former Villanova undergrad here.  The school (and department) tends to be on the preppy, conservative side, although it's admittedly been a while since I was there last.  But think J. Crew-y.

[ErnestPWorrell]

This might prove helpful insofar it provides a few good ideas: www.refinery29.com/interview-outfits

[dazedandbemused]

This conversation is actually worrying me now. I do not own anything dressy or even remotely business casual that doesn't make me want to change into sweats immediately. My life uniform is Hanes v-neck t-shirts. I think I might be screwed.

[Datatape]

This conversation is actually worrying me now. I do not own anything dressy or even remotely business casual that doesn't make me want to change into sweats immediately. My life uniform is Hanes v-neck t-shirts. I think I might be screwed.

 

Go to Goodwill/Salvation Army.  I'm dead serious.  You won't be able to find something tailored to you, but you'd be shocked at what people give away that you can pick up for a few bucks.

[It's (Not) About Me]

Fine, fine, be a fop ...after you begin classes. All I'm saying is don't give them the impression you care more about your grooming than about your dissertation!

You are severely underestimating the extent to which I can care about both without neglecting either.

[It's (Not) About Me]

Go to Goodwill/Salvation Army.  I'm dead serious.  You won't be able to find something tailored to you, but you'd be shocked at what people give away that you can pick up for a few bucks.

Seriously. I like fashion, but I have next to no budget for purchasing clothes, therefore I live for thrift stores. Both the skirt and sweater I'm wearing today came from a thrift store. Lolz.

[dazedandbemused]

Go to Goodwill/Salvation Army.  I'm dead serious.  You won't be able to find something tailored to you, but you'd be shocked at what people give away that you can pick up for a few bucks.

 

Alas, if I could. I have unbelievable issues buying clothing. I hate gender-specific clothing, so I go for mostly androgynous stuff, but when you're my size, clothes pretty much only come in tent and frilly. I basically gave up a year ago. Though I do sometimes find random useful items at goodwill, I have yet to actually find an outfit. The day people start making men's style suits/clothing for women who aren't a size 6 will be the day hell freezes over.

[ComeBackZinc]

Please don't stress. It's graduate school in the humanities; it's a hive for freaks, geeks, and weirdos. (Like me.) I do think, though, that you'll need a few go-to outfits for interviews, conferences, and similar events. I'm also someone who thinks that how you present yourself to your students does have a lot to do with how seriously they take you, depending on your level of experience and comfort with teaching. I would echo the Salvation Army or Goodwill. Don't look at this as a reason to freak out and worry. Look at it as an opportunity to put together a rotation of semi-semi-formal outfits that you can feel comfortable and confident in. A few pieces can be mixed and matched in ways that give you a versatile wardrobe. And on days when you don't teach or have anything to dress for, you can wear jeans and a hoodie with full confidence.

[dazedandbemused]

Trust me, I'm thankful everyday that humanities people are almost expected to be a bit strange looking. The problem, for me, lies in the utter impossibility of semi-formal/business casual. I pretty much have no way of enacting it without feeling uncomfortable with my clothes and myself for the foreseeable future. So yeah, I'm mildly panicked.

[Two Espressos]

A somewhat-related question: do any of you know good websites for nice clothes on sale?  I've never had much luck with thrift stores, and I need to purchase some new stuff for my open house later this month.  http://www.bluefly.com/ has good deals on occasion, though some of the items on there are exorbitantly priced.

[sebastiansteddy]

http://www.shopittome.com

 

On Shop it To Me, you give them your preferences and then they give you a big list of on-sale items. You can indicate price ranges as well. 

[ErnestPWorrell]

Trust me, I'm thankful everyday that humanities people are almost expected to be a bit strange looking. The problem, for me, lies in the utter impossibility of semi-formal/business casual. I pretty much have no way of enacting it without feeling uncomfortable with my clothes and myself for the foreseeable future. So yeah, I'm mildly panicked.

 

I feel you. Dude, I enjoy getting dressed up but I hate business casual. Most semi-formal wear is 1% interesting and 3% flattering. Anyway, Austin's hip but not dressy. I recommend keeping it simple. A pair of well-fitting cropped, slim fitting black pants (BDG's black jeans pass for slacks) and a classic white button up? Très chic!

[Two Espressos]

http://www.shopittome.com

 

On Shop it To Me, you give them your preferences and then they give you a big list of on-sale items. You can indicate price ranges as well. 

 

This is great!  Merci beaucoup.

[sebastiansteddy]

Merci beaucoup.

 

De rien!

[thatjewishgirl]

Thanks for starting this thread! I know there have been discussions about this on other forums, but it would be nice to hear what the norm is for lit people. Are nice jeans a no? I was going to dress business casual... skirt or nice slacks, perhaps a blazer, black flats. Would a dress and tights be inappropriate? 

 

why would a dress and tights be inappropriate?

[Deadinthewater]

I plan on being so drunk that no one will pay any attention to what I'm not wearing.

[no_foam_cappuccino]

All I know for sure is that wherever I go, I'll be the queer theorist of the cohort, so I'm probably not going to pull a cliche and wear my rainbow sweater. Or should I...?