What to wear in a conference?

[reinhard]

Just curious, what do you guys wear at a conference? Is causal okay? The one I am going to takes place in a hotel, so I was thinking of formal wear?

[GeoDUDE!]

It depends, at geology conferences you see people in polar tech/ hiking gear. Its all field dependent. Ask your advisor!

[fuzzylogician]

Normally I stick to what I would wear when teaching, so not casual but not too dressy either. When I'm presenting, I might also wear a jacket. It depends on the conference, really. The small ones tend to be pretty informal. Large ones, especially those held at hotels or convention centers, tend to be more formal. It also varies some by subfield, for me. So yeah, if this is your first conference, ask someone who's been there. If you're not sure, err on the side of formal but layered so you can easily switch to looking more informal if everyone around you is dressed that way. By the second day, you'll figure it out. 

[rising_star]

Totally depends on field. Entomologists wear jeans and hiking boots to present, anthropologists tend towards more business casual clothes. Talk to senior grad students in your field that have gone to the conference before and seek their advice.

[Igotnothin]

I like to play hockey but I don't wear ice skates to conferences.

[TakeruK]

I was in your field, reinhard, and my new field is very similar. The dress standards are very low. But whether it's fair or not, people will judge you based on how you look and as junior people in our field, it's always better to err on the side of dressy than sloppy. Tenured professors might give talks in a t-shirt and shorts, but I think us graduate students should take a little bit of extra care to look nicer when we don't have a long CV to back us up! That is, if you dress sloppy, you risk someone pre-judging you to be a sloppy scientist, but there is basically no harm in dressing a bit nicer.

 

I think a good dress standard for a presentation at a conference for a male graduate student is a dress shirt, no tie, khakis/slacks (not jeans), dress shoes and matching shoes (i.e. don't wear your white gym socks with nice black dress shoes!). Jacket is optional. On the days where you are not presenting, I think it's okay to dress down to a polo or other nice shirt (i.e. don't need to wear dress shirts every day). If you are attending the conference banquet, make sure you dress up--don't be "that guy" in tshirt and shorts at a banquet with a dress code. 

[GeoDUDE!]

I was in your field, reinhard, and my new field is very similar. The dress standards are very low. But whether it's fair or not, people will judge you based on how you look and as junior people in our field, it's always better to err on the side of dressy than sloppy. Tenured professors might give talks in a t-shirt and shorts, but I think us graduate students should take a little bit of extra care to look nicer when we don't have a long CV to back us up! That is, if you dress sloppy, you risk someone pre-judging you to be a sloppy scientist, but there is basically no harm in dressing a bit nicer.

 

I think a good dress standard for a presentation at a conference for a male graduate student is a dress shirt, no tie, khakis/slacks (not jeans), dress shoes and matching shoes (i.e. don't wear your white gym socks with nice black dress shoes!). Jacket is optional. On the days where you are not presenting, I think it's okay to dress down to a polo or other nice shirt (i.e. don't need to wear dress shirts every day). If you are attending the conference banquet, make sure you dress up--don't be "that guy" in tshirt and shorts at a banquet with a dress code. 

 

 

I agree with Takeruk, but I'd also add that nice black/ dark blue jeans also work, as long as they are tailored(or fit very well). Getting a few sets of tailored clothes, that fit perfectly, really do add that zip that you want at a conference (or on a date, tbh). 

[TakeruK]

I agree with Takeruk, but I'd also add that nice black/ dark blue jeans also work, as long as they are tailored(or fit very well). Getting a few sets of tailored clothes, that fit perfectly, really do add that zip that you want at a conference (or on a date, tbh). 

 

Good point -- for some reason, when I think "jeans", I think ripped/faded blue denim (sometimes pre-faded/ripped) that were popular in the 90s...not the more dressy kind that most people wear nowadays  

[music]

My usual conference attire is a skirt, opaque tights, and a nice top or blouse. If I'm not presenting I might sub in black trousers or a smart jumper. I also tend to adjust on day 2 based on what others wore, to some extent. A major consideration is that I don't want to have to think about clothing once I get there -> no white tops, always a spare jumper in case of a lunch-related incident, comfy shoes in case of blisters, a light scarf in case of the nervous rash I sometimes get on my chest area...you get my drift.

 

I think your gender/ethnicity/age plays into this somewhat. As a younger female I feel somewhat obliged to make significantly more of an effort than I see more established male conference attendees making. Some non-white colleagues have stated that they feel in a similar position. I would always rather over-dress than under-dress at a conference, especially when presenting. Older men in my field have this tendency to 'dress the part' - being in ethnomusicology, you sometimes see people 'going native' with their choice of clothing. Definitely not a move I will be making any time soon.

[prospecting]

Just curious, what do you guys wear at a conference? Is causal okay? The one I am going to takes place in a hotel, so I was thinking of formal wear?

 

I am not sure which program/discipline you are with, but if I may suggest looking up past conferences' picture galleries to get an idea from past participant attires. 

[reinhard]

I was in your field, reinhard, and my new field is very similar. The dress standards are very low. But whether it's fair or not, people will judge you based on how you look and as junior people in our field, it's always better to err on the side of dressy than sloppy. Tenured professors might give talks in a t-shirt and shorts, but I think us graduate students should take a little bit of extra care to look nicer when we don't have a long CV to back us up! That is, if you dress sloppy, you risk someone pre-judging you to be a sloppy scientist, but there is basically no harm in dressing a bit nicer.

 

I think a good dress standard for a presentation at a conference for a male graduate student is a dress shirt, no tie, khakis/slacks (not jeans), dress shoes and matching shoes (i.e. don't wear your white gym socks with nice black dress shoes!). Jacket is optional. On the days where you are not presenting, I think it's okay to dress down to a polo or other nice shirt (i.e. don't need to wear dress shirts every day). If you are attending the conference banquet, make sure you dress up--don't be "that guy" in tshirt and shorts at a banquet with a dress code. 

Too late lol. I was in my hoodies.

[kotov]

I typically go with a shirt, tie, khakis and either a blazer or a matching sweater.

[Igotnothin]

I agree with Takeruk, but I'd also add that nice black/ dark blue jeans also work, as long as they are tailored(or fit very well). Getting a few sets of tailored clothes, that fit perfectly, really do add that zip that you want at a conference (or on a date, tbh). 

 

Clothes that fit... let me write that down...

[kotov]

I should mention that the first couple conferences I went to (e.g., ASEEES 2012) I wore a full-on three-piece suit and felt like a complete dork. I went tweed jacket/shirt/sweater vest in the UK a couple weeks ago and looked like literally everyone else going to a professional-ish job on the Tube, so I felt a lot better. At least I fit in or something.