What not to wear Forum

[colleen]

I'm going to BC for a class visit tomorrow. Anyone have any thoughts on what I should wear? I'm not sure what's appropriate. Can I wear jeans or is this something I should dress up for? Thanks.

[Pearalegal]

I would just wear khakis and a nice sweater. Don't look dressed up, but look like you care.

[YCrevolution]

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[fl0w]

I'm going to BC for a class visit tomorrow. Anyone have any thoughts on what I should wear? I'm not sure what's appropriate. Can I wear jeans or is this something I should dress up for? Thanks.

when i visited a couple of schools (late fall / winter) i wore jeans, a collared shirt with a sweater over it. i wore a tie too, but that's just because i love a good tie.

some students were in their pajamas.

I also went to visit the b-school for kicks (my GF is applying to B-schools and was with me) and some of them were wearing suits, but most of them were at least business casual.

Interesting, the difference!

[Pearalegal]

I think when I was in undergrad I would have worn jeans, but now I'm so damned used to business casual I think I put it on out of instinct.

I just wouldn't wear jeans if you're sitting down to talk to an administrative person, but thats personal preference and probably doesn't make one damn of a difference, as long as they're dark, nice jeans.

[YCrevolution]

..

[fl0w]

I'm going to BC for a class visit tomorrow. Anyone have any thoughts on what I should wear? I'm not sure what's appropriate. Can I wear jeans or is this something I should dress up for? Thanks.

when i visited a couple of schools (late fall / winter) i wore jeans, a collared shirt with a sweater over it. i wore a tie too, but that's just because i love a good tie.

some students were in their pajamas.

I also went to visit the b-school for kicks (my GF is applying to B-schools and was with me) and some of them were wearing suits, but most of them were at least business casual.

Interesting, the difference!

On that note, though, PJs are outlandish. Personally, I'd wear a polo shirt or dress shirt and khakis, but that's often my standard mode of attire anyways.

I completely agree on the nay-no to pajamas. It's grossly unprofessional even if you are just going to class as a student. People did it in undergrad too and it made me angry every day.

... although the girls that wore those juicy sweatpants.... they looked nice on the booty.

[colleen]

Thanks everyone. Don't worry, I wasn't planning on wearing pajamas

[vanwinkle]

When I visited BC, I wore like a button-up shirt and some khakis, and there were people there just wearing T-shirts and jeans on the same tour. I'm glad I didn't dress down that much, I like trying to make at least a decent impression, but it's really not that important.

[Pearalegal]

I completely agree on the nay-no to pajamas. It's grossly unprofessional even if you are just going to class as a student. People did it in undergrad too and it made me angry every day.

People who have this attitude make me angry (though not everyday, because I generally think this attitude is too silly to get upset about on a regular basis). Why on earth does it matter? You're a student. You're not a professional, yet. Walking into work in PJs is grossly unprofessional. Walking into class in PJs (esecially in undergrad) may be a little shlubby, but who cares.

[fl0w]

I completely agree on the nay-no to pajamas. It's grossly unprofessional even if you are just going to class as a student. People did it in undergrad too and it made me angry every day.

People who have this attitude make me angry (though not everyday, because I generally think this attitude is too silly to get upset about on a regular basis). Why on earth does it matter? You're a student. You're not a professional, yet. Walking into work in PJs is grossly unprofessional. Walking into class in PJs (esecially in undergrad) may be a little shlubby, but who cares.

i care. it's a personal thing, for sure. If someone wants to go to class in PJs they have every right to, but all i'm going to think of them is that they are a slob or they don't respect the classroom enough to at least wear acceptable clothing.

I also (again my opinion) think it is disrespectful to come to class in PJs when your professor is dressed for work.

[Pearalegal]

i care. it's a personal thing, for sure. If someone wants to go to class in PJs they have every right to, but all i'm going to think of them is that they are a slob or they don't respect the classroom enough to at least wear acceptable clothing.

I also (again my opinion) think it is disrespectful to come to class in PJs when your professor is dressed for work.

I guess. It always baffles me when other people care about what other students around them are wearing. I'd care if I didn't feel comfortable, but unless someone walks in dressed like a hooker, I don't take notice. I care if someone says something moronic in class, not if they decided to come to class after working out or what have you.

Actually, no one has ever come in looking life a hooker, so I can't say that for sure. Pretty sure I'd judge on that one though.

[twert]

i care. it's a personal thing, for sure. If someone wants to go to class in PJs they have every right to, but all i'm going to think of them is that they are a slob or they don't respect the classroom enough to at least wear acceptable clothing.

I also (again my opinion) think it is disrespectful to come to class in PJs when your professor is dressed for work.

I guess. It always baffles me when other people care about what other students around them are wearing. I'd care if I didn't feel comfortable, but unless someone walks in dressed like a hooker, I don't take notice. I care if someone says something moronic in class, not if they decided to come to class after working out or what have you.

Actually, no one has ever come in looking life a hooker, so I can't say that for sure. Pretty sure I'd judge on that one though.

dressing poorly is like spelling badly or using too much slang. it just gives people the impression that you don't care. i care. i like to be around people that care. i don't think sloppy people are bad people. i just think they are disrespectful and rude.

[Pearalegal]

i don't think sloppy people are bad people. i just think they are disrespectful and rude.

Wheres your line for a bad person? A disrespectful and rude person = asshole to me. PJs/gym clothes to class =/= asshole to me.

[fl0w]

i care. it's a personal thing, for sure. If someone wants to go to class in PJs they have every right to, but all i'm going to think of them is that they are a slob or they don't respect the classroom enough to at least wear acceptable clothing.

I also (again my opinion) think it is disrespectful to come to class in PJs when your professor is dressed for work.

I guess. It always baffles me when other people care about what other students around them are wearing. I'd care if I didn't feel comfortable, but unless someone walks in dressed like a hooker, I don't take notice. I care if someone says something moronic in class, not if they decided to come to class after working out or what have you.

Actually, no one has ever come in looking life a hooker, so I can't say that for sure. Pretty sure I'd judge on that one though.

back in undergrad (over 5 years ago) there was a girl that dressed like a ho in my calculus 3 class. i almost failed that class because all i did was stare at her. if something like that happens again i might just buy the girl a sweater from the campus store.

[twert]

i don't think sloppy people are bad people. i just think they are disrespectful and rude.

Wheres your line for a bad person? A disrespectful and rude person = asshole to me. PJs/gym clothes to class =/= asshole to me.

i don't have a line for bad people. i don't think clean lines can easily be drawn around that. i do think you can be rude without being an asshole.

[sarahd]

I guess. It always baffles me when other people care about what other students around them are wearing. I'd care if I didn't feel comfortable, but unless someone walks in dressed like a hooker, I don't take notice. I care if someone says something moronic in class, not if they decided to come to class after working out or what have you.

Actually, no one has ever come in looking life a hooker, so I can't say that for sure. Pretty sure I'd judge on that one though.

I'm with you...I don't care what others do and I certainly don't care what people think of what I do. I am old so that may be why, but I can't imagine even noticing let alone judging people based upon what they wear in the classroom when it has no bearing on me. I am also old, so I can't get away with PJ's...or looking like a hooker for that matter. There is a big difference between being a sloppy dresser and being rude...one is what you wear the other is a behavior associated with interaction. Dressing sloppy can be disrespectful to an environment if there is a dress code requirement, but never rude.

[Pearalegal]

back in undergrad (over 5 years ago) there was a girl that dressed like a ho in my calculus 3 class. i almost failed that class because all i did was stare at her. if something like that happens again i might just buy the girl a sweater from the campus store.

Haha, I guess I just consider someone's chest and butt hanging out to be a little different than PJ pants.

[j.wellington]

Do these visits really matter other than for your own information? Is anyone on an admissions committee really going to remember you when they review your application?

[dakatz]

I went in a sports coat and was definitely overdressed. I would say wear some khakis and a polo or sweater. These things are very informal and you don't want or need to stand out in that way.

[drsomebody]

I've taught a number of college courses at different universities and I've found that there is a correlation between how much effort somebody puts into dressing themselves and the quality of their work. Some of my worst students were the ones who wore pajamas and sweats to class. Conversely, students who wear odd or outlandish clothes (the kids who dress like douchebag-hipsters) actually tend to be on the higher-achieving end of things.

Go figure.

I'd like to say that what a student wears doesn't influence how I treat them, but at a subliminal level I suspect that's not entirely true.

[fl0w]

back in undergrad (over 5 years ago) there was a girl that dressed like a ho in my calculus 3 class. i almost failed that class because all i did was stare at her. if something like that happens again i might just buy the girl a sweater from the campus store.

Haha, I guess I just consider someone's chest and butt hanging out to be a little different than PJ pants.

but are you familiar w/ those Juicy pants (often worn as PJs to class by college co-eds)? man those are distracting! In undergrad I think I got lost on campus in the first couple of days because I was just following a girl wearing those. When I finally looked up I had no idea where I was.

[Pearalegal]

I've taught a number of college courses at different universities and I've found that there is a correlation between how much effort somebody puts into dressing themselves and the quality of their work. Some of my worst students were the ones who wore pajamas and sweats to class. Conversely, students who wear odd or outlandish clothes (the kids who dress like douchebag-hipsters) actually tend to be on the higher-achieving end of things.

Go figure.

I'd like to say that what a student wears doesn't influence how I treat them, but at a subliminal level I suspect that's not entirely true.

So you're basically saying the time put in to someone's clothes seemed to matter more than them actually looking respectable?

[drsomebody]

So you're basically saying the time put in to someone's clothes seemed to matter more than them actually looking respectable?

At least in terms of the quality of their written work and how well they did on tests, I've found this to generally be the case. There are, of course, exceptions. You do get the occasional brilliant slob or overdressed idiot, but it's a pretty interesting correlation nonetheless. Perhaps it's because people who obsess about their clothing also obsess about their studies? I don't really know.

Now, if your goal is to have people take you seriously, looking respectable might be something to consider.

[Pearalegal]

but are you familiar w/ those Juicy pants (often worn as PJs to class by college co-eds)? man those are distracting! In undergrad I think I got lost on campus in the first couple of days because I was just following a girl wearing those. When I finally looked up I had no idea where I was.

As someone with those juicy pants, I assure you I never wore them not knowing the affect they had.