How do grad students dress?

[LittleDarlings]

So this is a weird question I assume but I always wonder, how do grad students dress? In undergrad I wore yoga pants and hoodies practically everyday except when I wore leggings and a hoodie or leggings and a t-shirt with uggs and leg warmers. I pretty much bummed it up every day of UG (except first days of the semester).  Do graduate students dress up for class? I know in my program I will have to do work out in the field so of course those are dress up days but do people dress nicely for classes?

[MoJingly]

I think it varies by program.  I'm in the hard sciences and I can say that most people wear jeans daily.  I never see any in sweatpants or yoga pants.  I think the safe bet is the think, "would I be willing to run into somebody important in this outfit?" We are entering the professional arena... time to dress like it. 

[ss2player]

Agree with the above. I refuse to do the "jeans and t-shirt" thing either at work or school unless I'm coming in on the weekend and not going out afterwards (i.e., no one of note sees me). 

 

I saw one guy in sweatpants, a hoodie, and sandals for a campus meeting with the school president. Don't be that guy.

[raneck]

I'm in CS, and its pretty much jeans/t-shirt/hoodie for most people.

 

So long as you "match" with the dress level of other students you should be fine.

 

Sweats/yoga pants probably aren't going to cut it.

 

However, IMPORTANT NOTE:

 

Keep some slightly dressier clothes (business causal or better) within easy access at all times.  Or you may find yourself in a super awkward situation. I had to attend the reception for one of my committee members who was receiving an endowed professorship... in jeans and a bright green hoodie.

[pears]

Bumming a la undergrad: nope. Nope. A thousand times nope. My program & field of work (archaeology) are both extremely casual; we're not known for our high fashion, seeing as we mostly frolic in the dirt or end up elbow deep in dead &/or old stuff. Professors wear khakis, modest skirts or dresses, boots (western or snow) or flats, sweaters/cardigans, etc. That seems to be about par for the course for PhD students & candidates who teach, too. MA & non-teaching students wear jeans (dark navy, black, charcoal) & corduroys, & t-shirts that fall on the nicer end of the design & material spectrum. In general, archaeology is very casual, as is my department. That said, the only time I ever wore sweats to class was because I had to run across campus from the gym to be on time; I'd rather be in sweats than late.

 

I think MoJingly did a nice job of covering the key point: don't wear anything you wouldn't wear in front of an important person. Also, I think dressing in a business casual manner is a sign of respect: grad school is either effectively or quite literally a job for everyone who's there, so wearing proper "office"-type attire is the most basic means of showing your respect for your cohort, your professors, & yourself. Beyond that, you just have to suss out what the norm is in your program, & incorporate that into what you would feel is appropriate for a workspace.

[dat_nerd]

It really varies by field. In computer science, I usually go for a casual button-up and jeans.

 

Keep some slightly dressier clothes (business causal or better) within easy access at all times.  Or you may find yourself in a super awkward situation. I had to attend the reception for one of my committee members who was receiving an endowed professorship... in jeans and a bright green hoodie.

I second this. I've started keeping a blazer in my desk drawer, just in case.

[m-ttl]

I think ultimately you have to look clean, put together, and capable. No sweats, no yoga pants. Button downs, slacks, dark washed straight cut jeans (or skinny cut), knee length skirts, blazers, dresses nice blouses (not t-shirts), polos, khakis, etc.

 

There's plenty of room to be comfortable, a quick glance around the room is a mixed bag, but certainly I don't feel out of place in my grad seminar at the moment (wearing skinny dark wash jeans, and a jersey black dress as a tunic, scarf, ballet flats, and I have a light hoodie for outside. It's definitely casual, but not schlumpy, or athletic.) If you're a woman, buying dresses and be incredibly time saving. I don't need to do much to wear those with stockings, tights, or leggings. The jersey black dress I'm wearing now falls under LBD - I could easily belt it (it's a shift with a cowl neck), switch into pumps, and wear a blazer/finer jewelry and be ready for a much more formal event. I intentionally dressed it down for class. Buying jersey shift or wrap dresses makes life a lot easier. 

 

Other students are wearing cardigans, blouses, khakis/slacks or dark jeans, button downs. A few are wearing studio wear -- jeans covered in clay/paint, but that's because this class is full of a mix between art historians and MFA students. I wouldn't show up in uggs, in any case. 

[LittleDarlings]

Yeah I have a feeling I am going to have to buy so many new clothes for school.  Specifically shoes, I pretty much only wear boots, in the winter and maybe TOMS in the summer, or cowboy boots.  I am not fully comfortable with my body (I'm not fat but I don't like how I look) so dresses are not likely for me yet lol! 

[overworkedta]

I'm ABD so I don't have coursework.  When I did, though, I wore nice jeans and tops to days where I just had class and nice outfits to teach.  I'm young and short, so I have to be pretty aware of how I look to the students who aren't much younger than I am.  Some people wore really casual stuff for teaching and got away with it but I just couldn't.  For days where it's only office hours and I know I won't have anyone in my office hours, you will see me occasionally slumming in yoga pants and sweatshirts.  I would say that's pretty consistently normal for female members of our department (grad students).  Jeans and a t-shirt is pretty standard for everything but teaching, though.

 

We aren't dressy people.  I am often told I am overdressed.  I would much rather be overdressed any time I have to actually talk to faculty members than wearing a pair of sweatpants with PINK on the butt (as comfy as they may be).

[Lifesaver]

Your days of yoga pants and Uggs are over.

 

I'll admit that I've done it (in grad school), but my work schedule is unforgiving, so those few times, it was unavoidable.

[dstock]

In general, for me I dress casual (but try to look put together) and NOT sloppy.  Typical is dark jeans with a nice but casual sweater (or blouse/cardigan combo) and flats.   Instead of jeans- khaki or olive pants etc.  Sweats/leggings I have never seen. 

[FestivusMiracle]

I kinda go back and forth on this one. Some days I'll go full on J Crew dressed up just for the heck of it; most days, jeans (JCrew jeans, nonetheless) and a T-Shirt/jacket. When it was really really hot I went in shorts (and by shorts, I mean athletic shorts) a few days. Obviously it depends on what everyone else wears (all over the map at my school, but usually pretty laid back; some professors wear extremely casual stuff so it kinda sets the tone that you can wear whatever you want), but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Focus on doing well academically, and I don't think anyone will care how you dress. But if dressing up makes you feel good, do it! Even if no one else dresses up, who cares. IMO it's almost impossible to be overdressed (Despite this, I tend to be underdressed).

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

Don't you have to wear a button on your shirt at all times? At my school it's just a big "G."

Edited February 11, 2014 by Gnome Chomsky

[FestivusMiracle]

A button? I'm lost...

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

A button? I'm lost...

To let people know you're a grad student. 

[FestivusMiracle]

Ah...gotcha. I just try to blend in. I feel like a big enough dork as it is.

[Boba felt]

Bump it up to jeans and a non-tshirt option and you'll always be safe. Girls often wear black tights with dresses (should hit top of knee) with uggs or comfy shoes and look slightly dressy while being super comfy. Or black leggings for pants and a decent shirt.

[EngineerGrad]

I have a very fun story on this topic.

Last month when I went for my interview at UC Berkeley, I was looking for my POI when suddenly I hear someone saying my name: "Bob!"

I was really surprised because that was my first time at berkeley and I didn't know anyone on campus.

That was my POI and when I asked her how did she know jt was me, she replied: "well, you look like a grad student :-)"

I was wearing brown slacks, a blue button up checked shirt, blue retro new balances, and my reading glasses. And I also had a beard! :-)

[St Andrews Lynx]

If you dress like a lazy undergrad in grad school...you'll feel like a lazy undergrad in grad school. 

 

If you dress sharp, smart and professional...you will feel sharp, smart and professional. And other people will treat you as if you are sharp, smart and professional.  

 

Burn the Uggs.

[juilletmercredi]

I'm an advanced grad student and I wear UGGs about 30% of the time.  They're comfortable and you can dress them up.  Don't do UGGs + sweatpants or yoga pants, but some skinny dark jeans tucked into UGGs is okay.

 

I usually wear nice jeans (no holes/rips/distressing, no fading), a nice top (button down, sweater, semi-dressy) and flats, Keds, booties, sandals, or UGGs depending on the time of year.  It was 19 degrees today and I live in NYC, so hell yeah I wear UGGs.  They're warm and comfy.

[VioletAyame]

Bump it up to jeans and a non-tshirt option and you'll always be safe. Girls often wear black tights with dresses (should hit top of knee) with uggs or comfy shoes and look slightly dressy while being super comfy. Or black leggings for pants and a decent shirt.

I'm a big fan of leggings with shirt dresses/sweater dresses and low-heeled boots or flats as casual yet classy female attire. It's comfy and easy to dress up/down as well. Plus I'm short and I don't look that good in fancy pants. I would wear a semi-formal or office dress for interviews/conferences and cute, trendy ones for every day wear. Nice jeans and tops would work as well, though I've seen T-shirts in a more casual setting.

Edited February 12, 2014 by VioletAyame

[Fiz]

Yoga Pants mad da ass look amazing!!

No complaints about da yoga pant wearers!!!

[DeafAudi]

^^^ That picture is SO disturbing...

[ginagirl]

^^^ That picture is SO disturbing...

but actually 

[Fiz]

I have a condition okay!

Accept me for who i am!!