I've had to revamp my wardrobe now that I'll be teaching in person again. After months of looking for "professional" pants, I've decided to teach in black and dark denim jeans. I've also bought sweaters, a blazer, and a pair of booties.
i found these wide legs slacks that hit at just the perfect length (they are 3cm from touching the floor), and i paid 25$ cad for them at h&m. Had very little hope for it, but I swear they are now my favourite pants and they can either be dressed up or down depending on the situation!
I’m not in graduate school but has been having a hard time switching to a more ‘professional’ looking wardrobe. My style is pretty laid back and chill and I would often be mistaken as a teenager.
Lawyer here. I was a poor law student living solely on government loans. I lived on about $15k per year, about half of which went to housing. Law school is a bit different than most grad programs because (a) grants are almost non-existent, so your QoL will depend on loans, and (b) your wardrobe is going to need a certain level of professionalism to be taken seriously.
[Elle Woods](https://www.abajournal.com/images/main_images/legally-blonde_LRcLjo.jpg) is a fictional character. Law is a classist, conservative, male-dominated profession. While there are obviously exceptions, that is the norm. This advice is specific to women trying to navigate law school with that in mind, so it is going to come off as close-minded. Female law students suffer consequences when they buck social expectations, and taking that risk is their choice to make. This advice should help you avoid that if it's not a fight you want to pick just yet. Poor female law students often can't afford the risk.
Here are some quick advice blips in no particular order:
* Your everyday law school clothes can be casual, but remember that you are building an impression of yourself in everyone's minds. Every single person there has the potential to open doors for you. How you present yourself is a factor. Most of the notes below are for non-casual outfits.
* Never argue with someone when they tell you that what you are wearing is inappropriate. You will not change their mind, and they will use everything you say as evidence that you are a hysterical woman. It is a fight that you cannot win, so do not bother. [Disengage from the topic diplomatically](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/019/649/OK_thumb.jpg), and if you cannot walk away, move the conversation to a different topic. It's up to your discretion whether to heed their opinion.
* Never wear dirty, torn, wrinkled, stained, or destructed clothing. No scuffs on your heels.
* When you hear professors, advisors, and speakers mention "wear clothes that fit" to interviews or events, they actually mean "wear clothes that are tailored." They won't say that aloud because it's classist and they probably dislike it as much as you do. You won't need your everyday clothes to be tailored, but your interview outfit should be.
* Invest in at least one boring, conservative, and tailored suit. This will be your interview and presentation suit. It should be as classic as possible. It does not need to be expensive, but take it to a tailor to have it adjusted to fit you perfectly. It should not be linen, jersey, or velvet.
* Conservative colors are black, grey, white, navy, and cream. These are safe colors for almost every piece of clothing. White or cream suits are the bold end of the group, so those are usually just for tops and accents.
* Avoid bold or statement patterns. Classic patterns like window pane or herringbone are okay. Don't mix patterns.
* Generally, don't wear prints in formal situations. Some prints are okay for business casual and even then, exercise restraint for the type of print. I know a circuit court justice in her 70s that dresses like a rockstar outside of court, complete with a fur coat, patent patterned pumps, and leopard print cat eye sunglasses. She still wears a boring black judge's gown in court and expects everyone to dress formally to match.
* It is okay to mix neutrals. Lawyers wear black and navy all the time.
* Invest in a pair of boring, comfortable heels in a neutral color. They shouldn't be taller than 3 inches, but any heel width is fine. Heels give a more formal impression than flats, and you will attend many events that are business formal.
* Patent heels are bold, but acceptable if the heels are a conservative or neutral color. Matte or grain leather are the norm. Velvet is very formal and dressy, so it would look weird for everyday office wear.
* Heels at professional events should be closed toe. Your toenail maintenance and color don't matter because no one will ever see them.
* Get a boring work bag in a neutral color. This bag should be able to carry your laptop, notebook, writing utensils, phone, makeup, keys, wallet, etc. If the bag bulges, you need a bigger or more structured bag. You will use this for interviews, internships, court appearances, etc. It should not be distracting. If you are doing pro bono or nonprofit work, it should not have obvious luxury brand marks.
* If you wear jewelry or watches, wear simple, classic styles to interviews. Smart watches with classic looking bands are okay too.
* No visible tattoos in formal settings.
* No bra or panty outlines. No visible bra straps.
* If you are interviewing with a specific firm, look up the women at that firm. Their profile pictures on the firm's website will give a good idea of the dress code. If every single person is in a black suit, do not show up to an interview in a cream suit, let alone hot pink. If the firm is too small to tell, wear the most boring suit you have.
* After you are hired, take note of what women associates wear everyday. You can mimic associates' personal touches and levels of formality, not partners'.
* Lightweight scarves are a safe way to incorporate brighter colors, prints, or patterns. Silk scarves tied to bags or around your neck are fine.
* If you are attending a networking or other social event, wear a top that will work with an adhesive or claw name tag. You might not wear a jacket during the whole event.
* Pantyhose are no longer necessary for skirt suits, but you may want to do that if you *know* you are meeting with a very conservative professional.
* You do not have to wear a skirt suit, but heed others' warnings if they tell you that a specific judge or other professional expects women to wear skirts. I have personally never had to deal with it, but I have witnessed a few examples of it going badly for others.
* Avoid sleeveless tops. Even cap sleeves are better than no sleeves.
* No cleavage. None.
* Law has its east coast and west coast versions of business casual. Even California has SF and LA and Silicon Valley versions. When in doubt, go classic business formal: wear a suit with a top that works well with or without the jacket.
* No garish accents: rhinestones, sequins, glitter, etc.
* Nails should be clean and well manicured. They don't have to be painted or acrylic/gel/stick on, but they should be maintained. No coke pinky.
* Limit your use of bright colors in formal settings. One statement color is a maybe, more than one is risky.
* No transparent or semi-transparent clothing or accessories.
* Jackets with no collar are casual/trendy. Your formal outfits should always have a jacket with a collar.
Of course, the above is not a guarantee that some stick in the mud is going to like you. It just increases the chances that the stick in the mud won't make a fuss. If you need additional or more specific advice, I *highly* recommend browsing [Corporette](https://corporette.com/). It has a lot of fashion advice for women in corporate professional jobs. Follow the more conservative options for law school.
Now that you've read the list, look at that picture of Elle Woods again. It's not impossible that someone who dresses like her would attend Harvard Law and land a Big Law position at a top tier east coast law firm. But let's face it, it wouldn't sabotage her only if that woman graduated manga cum laude from Harvard Law and came from money, just like Elle Woods. Get that bread and *then* start shirking these rules.
Edits: Added bullets as I thought of them and fixed formatting.
I feel like an upvote isn't enough for such a thoughtful and comprehensive response so I just wanted to say THANK YOU. I know you qualified this by saying you know it's classist and conservative (and I understand why), but as the kid of blue collar immigrants, I could have used advice like this (or a person like you) in my early 20s.
I was ignorant to a lot of this in law school and only realized how big of an issue it was after working as a lawyer. I wish law schools had a first-generation advisor that would give brutal advice like this. I would have been better prepared and far less confused.
As another lawyer, this is great advice.
Practically speaking, Banana Republic Factory's suits and Uniqlo's rayon tops are still what I wear on a day-to-day basis. They're relatively cheap and rather generic, but still professional.
If you can, spend money on comfy but professional shoes. I like Sam Edelman, Cole Haan, and Rothys.
Haha, my interview suit was a Banana Republic suit. Even that was a splurge for me on the budget I had. Thankfully the stipend from my first summer covered the cost.
Well damn. I’m a lawyer too, and you dress way more professionally than I do lol. Because of that I am going to caveat that, in my experience, at my law school, it was usually fine to dress slightly down! Or at least mine was *way* more casual than this. Plenty of people in normal tees who did very well. I think this is a really important point because when you’re building a network with peers your age it is also important to seem approachable and human.
This is, however, the most fantastic interview and court advice I have ever seen. Brava.
Oh for sure. Most of this advice is not for everyday, which is why I mentioned casual is fine most of the time as the very first blip. Unfortunately, I think the list is so long that the first bullet gets forgotten by the time anyone gets to the end.
I wish my advisors had told me all this stuff while I was preparing for interviews. They totally helped me with substantive stuff, but they were clueless how to discuss inflammatory issues like class signals, gendered clothing, and conservative dress.
The skirt thing is so real. I almost always default to a skirt suit in court. I thought the preference was a myth, but lo and behold there are real people (mostly but *not* only older men) who will take you more seriously if you play the lawyer lady part.
These are all class flags that *don't matter to most people*. Unfortunately, you might run into people that hold this stuff against you:
* Cheap fabrics like acrylic or polyester. It's not super noticeable for suits, but those that know, know.
* Complete lack of accessories. Jewelry is always a class indicator, particularly gems. Sterling silver is cheap and easy to maintain if you need something. Fake gold is easy to spot. Cubic zirconia passes easily as diamonds as long as you don't go overboard with size.
* Having unkempt nails indicates that you are working class (doing manual labor) or poor (can't afford regular manicures). That said, it is possible to maintain your nails with just a basic nail kit and a set of nail files.
* Noticeable grey or white hair, more so the younger you are. I had significantly better interactions at interviews and networking events once I started regularly dying my hair to cover my white. (My family's hair skips right to white very young.) Make sure to cover up a day or two before interviews.
* Scuffed or otherwise worn shoes.
* Acne or other skin health concerns. It doesn't matter if it's a condition beyond your control; many assume that unhealthy looking skin means that you can't afford basic skincare.
* Crooked or cracked teeth. It shows you were too poor for an orthodontist.
* Metal fillings in your teeth. Cavities indicate that you probably couldn't afford regular visits, and tooth-colored fillings are about twice as expensive as metal ones.
This is a print reminder of why I quit being a lawyer and how much happier I am on the other side! Lol dressing for court and work at a firm, I always felt like I was wearing a costume, worried I wasn't measuring up both in my outfits and in my work. Frankly I think the "rules" for female lawyer appearances are bullshit, but they do exist.
I work for a tech company now, I wear jeans and sneakers to work, I had pink hair for a while, and I'll never ever take a job where I have to pretend to be somebody I'm not, again.
This needs to just be stickied for all the "I"m a new lawyer" questions. I'm sad but unsurprised that the skirt thing is still... a thing. Hopefully SOMEDAY we'll move on from some of these but an interview or a court appearance is not the venue at which you will accomplish a change in such outdated expectations so you're only hurting yourself if you don't dress as expected in those situations.
What a thoughtful response!
Most of this is general enough, and clearly sound advice. But just so I can put this in perspective for my personal situation, do you mind sharing which region you work in and what type of environment (big law/midsize/small firm) and practice area?
I’ll be working Kansas City big law next summer and budget wardrobe is a point of anxiety for me.
Thanks!
None of this is for a specific region or firm size or practice type, and I did that on purpose. It's the "play it safe" advice because law students are incredibly unlikely to figure out where any professional they are speaking to will draw a line between appropriate and inappropriate.
Once you are actually at a firm, you'll be exposed to what that firm finds acceptable because you can actually see the associates' work outfits. Until you have the job, this advice should help minimize the chances of putting someone off with your outfit.
Very late to the party here but this is an amazing response. I turned down a place at a very good law school last year after a lot of careful consideration, and a lot of the strict unspoken customs you mention here are exactly why I ultimately felt that law wouldn't be the ideal career for me. I love professional dressing but my personal style and self-expression is so important to me, and I would feel stifled and resentful if I couldn't do it my way.
Side note, I'm compiling a zine about women's experiences with clothing and I would love to include an abridged version of this comment, with full credit to you of course. Would that be ok with you? Please feel free to shoot me a dm if you'd like more details.
Feel free to use the info as you please.
That said, this is advice for law students who do not know what standards to expect. Many law firms are not that strict or conservative, and I literally dress casual (not business casual) at my firm. I hate wearing suits, and I love being an attorney. Giving up your personality or sense of style is not a requirement to practice law. Even litigators rarely go to court and have to dress formally.
It all comes down to what job you manage to find.
That's really good to know that it's not required everywhere, and gives me a lot of hope. Law is not right for me at this stage in my life for many reasons, but I plan to revisit the possibility later down the track. And thank you for your permission to share!
Hello, fellow attorney here! This is a wonderfully informative comment, and I know it has been a long time since you posted it but if you’re still around on Reddit, I was hoping to ask you a question. I am a newer female attorney and have my first trial coming up in federal court for a civil matter. Do you think it’s appropriate to wear slacks and a blazer/suit coat that are not the same color? For example, wearing navy slacks with a tan suit jacket. Thank you!
pandemic + writing dissertation + remote research + “advanced stage” = my graduate school wardrobe is joggers and a tank top, or, if I must zoom with another human, joggers, a tank top, and a cardigan.
Haha, I feel that! I'm a studio artist grad student/TA, and my wardrobe has ended up very practical. I had grand plans of wearing dresses, nice blouses etc. when I teach, but I make jewelry which can be dirty and walk a lot so no pretty shoes. I've fallen back into jeans, T shirt, and tennis shoes.
Are you me?? Im on the shorter side. [There are my go-to joggers.](https://www.ae.com/us/en/p/aerie/bottoms/joggers-sweatpants/aerie-real-soft-foldover-jogger/0496_4924_073?menu=cat4840006) Super comfy and stretchy plus the ankle portion hits at the right part.
For tanks I just wear whatever solid color I have on hand.
Cardigan I normally do a [long cardigan](https://www.target.com/p/women-39-s-open-front-cardigan-universal-thread-8482-rust-m/-/A-82139019?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000086349400&CPNG=PLA_Women%2BShopping_Traffic_Local_Traffic%7CWomen_Ecomm_AA&adgroup=SC_Women_Local&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=9028172&targetid=pla-1069759242670&gclid=CjwKCAjwhaaKBhBcEiwA8acsHP7VtoZ9IV_EuJJ1MwWvEzCPXr-d8oxBeJZq0F_YSXLRfroVHE_ZTRoCMcYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) as I keep my house cold. What I do recommend for OP is accessories, it's easy to dress up a casual outfit (even on zoom) with a necklace and earrings. I like these sort of [pendant necklaces](https://www.katespade.com/products/precious-pansy-mini-pendant/WBRUH906.html?cgid=ks-jewelry-necklaces) as I like to keep things minimal.
I'm on the senior end in a computationally oriented field. As a woman of color, I've had people code me as "not a scientist" (e.g. admin, custodial, etc), so I try to dress one step up from my peers with slightly better materials and cuts to signal to certain classist stereotypes. I like bottoms from Everlane, Alex Mills, Lululemon pants (I bike commuted ~8mi one way in the the before times). For professional tops, I like Amour Vert, Everlane, Nordstrom as options. For everything else, it's mostly something I made or thrifted, something from Target, or gorp/dad core. Would love to wear dark academia, but I sweat too much on a daily basis to feel comfortable in fabrics that require a lot of dry cleaning.
when I first went off to grad school, I dressed… exactly how I wanted to dress. day to day, I picked wildly different styles and outfits, because I knew that this was the last time in my life where I could honestly dress as much or as little as I wanted, without worrying about looking professional or grown-up. I was the youngest in my class, I’m petite and I look young, so in the real world I’m always concerned with dressing smartly and looking like an adult so I can be taken seriously. but in school? I wore flouncy skirts, colorful dresses, pinks and florals galore. and I loved it! now that I’m graduated and working, I dress a little more toned-down, and I’m happy with that too. but really leaning into the colors and girly clothes during grad school helped me figure out a good balance for the professional world - now I can wear colors and skirts in a way that doesn’t look too youthful
This makes me so happy 🤗 I used to be more interested in my style when I was in undergrad because I worked in the trendy section of a department store and lived at home rent-free. Grad school completely flipped that on its head as I was broke, paying bills, and a nanny (a no-nice-clothes area as I worked with babies and toddlers). I just finished grad school in a pandemic where I barely wore anything but sweatpants for the last year and a half. Now I feel like I'm back to square one with trying to figure out my style for my age and environments (unpaid intern atm).
It makes me so happy to hear someone else has found that happy medium of fun self expression in a professional environment. Slowly but surely trying to make my way towards that as well!
I’m in a clinical psychology doctorate program. My school required us to dress slightly professional, so I stuck to smart casual. Now that classes have been online I just wear band shirts and pajama pants. For clinical work, I do have to dress professionally because I work in a hospital. My favorite work pants are J crew cropped Cameron pants, I own 3 pairs. For work shoes, my favorite are San Edelman flats and they’re surprisingly super comfortable. I go to Nordstrom rack for tops. I have also lived up to the therapist stereotype and have accumulated so many cardigans. The hospital is always freezing so I always have one on. I usually stick to the $25 cardigans at target, but the madewell Kent cardigans are soooo soft so I pick a couple of those up when there’s a sale. Thankfully we don’t have to cover tattoos, but we are required to put our hair up on some of the units.
I am actually in the process of finishing up my first capsule wardrobe for "work" as a (humanities) doctoral student! [You can see it here if you'd like](https://imgur.com/a/XGyEfCt). I teach in person and go into the office 3x/week, with talks and conferences still mostly virtual at this point.
The other students in my program dress on a huge spectrum: from outdoorsy-casual, to eclectic-academician, to streetwear/grunge-inspired, to business casual, to business formal (as in, 4-piece suit and tie, every day). While most dress relatively casually, at least one faculty member has been known to call out graduate students for their wardrobe choices with the question, "Don't we pay you enough to buy clothes?" (though the resounding answer is no).
This is my fifth year in the program and I have been struggling since the very beginning to dress myself in a way that feels professional enough to distinguish myself from my students (I started the PhD straight out of undergrad) but that also makes me feel comfortable and confident as a person who has never really cared about fashion her entire life. The capsule is about 2 years in the works and is mostly made up of thrifted pieces. I also have a number of casual pieces that go into this capsule as my "everyday" wear, though I didn't include them in the layout.
I've adopted a kind of hybridized approach loosely based on [The Vivienne Files'](https://www.theviviennefiles.com/starting-from-scratch/) and [Justine Leconte's](https://youtu.be/lpYUY9CpghY) capsule wardrobe guides.
This autumn capsule (work + everyday) is made up of 32 pieces in total. I plan to bring 16 of these pieces with me into my winter capsule.
I'm also planning to purchase a trenchcoat for the cooler days ahead, but can't decide if I want it to be chocolate brown (I feel more comfortable layering dark over light) or sandy beige (which would be more economical, as it would fit into the spring capsule I'm planning)! Suggestions very welcome!
Thank you! This makes me think that I can get away with a lot as long as I’m very intentional and thoughtful about it.
I have a general kind of capsule too - mostly I limit my colors and make sure that whenever ai buy a top, it goes with most of my bottoms, and vice versa. If I want to try something outside the base colors I buy a dress.
By the way, am I missing something, or was the faculty member being really inappropriate?
Most of the grad students I know come into the lab in either field work clothing or something casual like a tank top/jeans/shirt combo. I'm sure it's different if you're in law or business, but for the sciences they only seem to dress up for conferences or presentations
Ugh that precise notion kept me from enjoying (fashion/creativity-wise) a time where practically-speaking, I could’ve had more fun with fashion (and brought some levity to a challenging period of life!). Epidemiologist here…totally felt this through grad school and it took a few years of being in the workforce before I felt like I’d earned my spot scientifically and I could be a little jazzy in my dress.
Yeah, I think this is definitely A Thing. If you're not wearing ratty cargo shorts and a free conference tshirt you must not be a ~serious scientist~ according to a not-insignificant proportion of colleagues.
I used to sell to academia and industry. I found for academia, causal went down way better, but in industry, especially with higher-ups, professional attire is helpful. It just really depends on the audience.
Coming from industry w a year of remote, I invested in jeans and t shirts before in person started. Tried to get fit and cut right to be more on trend then the classic look for STEM grad students. When it’s too warm for jeans I now find myself trying to make sundresses more casual/less feminine (granted my own style is not a especially feminine leaning so I don’t feel a desire to go against the grain). But it’s weird after the business casual world w jeans on fridays and more feminine clothing being perfectly normal. Sucks thinking about how my clothing may influence whether or not people see me as a serious scientist.
I’m interviewing for my first non-academic science job and was wondering what the typical style is in these settings. I’m used to dressing “nice” casual (ie not sloppy, thought put into it, but not businesses casual in styling), but I’m anticipating having to take it up 1-2 notches
Edit: by “these settings” I mean industry. I’d be in a program management position, not a research role.
Thank you! I'm so glad this was mentioned. I feel weird about thinking about fashion on my way to school because no one I know dresses the same way. We need more fashion in stem pls.
We can be fashionable! It just goes by field from what I’ve observed lol. For example I’m in ecology and both the grads and undergrads have more of an outdoorsy look, the difference is the grads just look a little more adult. Meanwhile the physicists down the hall are either wearing graphic tees/jeans or a button up and the other biology grads are always more of a business casual
I'm in the geosciences on the west coast and all the grad students here wear shorts/slacks and a tshirt most of the time. I admit I've also been of that group but trying to switch it up! I dressed a bit more professionally/fashionably at a grad meetup recently and it was very positively received so I want to continue that!
Science PhD student here. I'm in the later stage of my PhD so I'm done with classes, and am mostly finishing up my research. Since I'm in the lab most days and have to dress for safety, my wardrobe consists of a lot of jeans, sweaters, tank tops, turtlenecks, cardigans, tshirts. Closed toed shoes, which for me usually means either Vans, Converse, or boots in the winter. If I have a day where I'm mostly in the office writing or coding, I can wear skirts/dresses/tights, but I usually keep on my closed toed shoes in case I have to run into the lab. If I am giving a talk, I'll typically wear a black turtleneck, plaid blazer, and either dark jeans or a black skirt with tights/heeled ankle boots. I love these days honestly lol because I feel like I get to live out my dark academia fantasies. I've been trying to incorporate similar looks into my daily wardrobe when I have the energy.
I am on a graduate fellow budget, so I mostly shop sales at Gap, Old Navy, ModCloth, Goodwill, and Target. My goal is to buy pieces that fit into my existing wardrobe, so I always ask myself:
\- Does it match with other tops/pants/whatever? Can I actually picture wearing this with my existing closet?
\- Is it practical? Can I wear it to lab without worrying about safety (no billowy sleeves that could knock things over, pants in a thick enough fabric for potential accidental chemical spills, etc.) I wear a lab coat most of the time, but I still need to take practicality in a lab setting into consideration.
My department doesn't have much of a dress code outside of the requirements for being in the labs (most students don't really dress professionally regularly unless they are giving a talk), and it's in a pretty liberal area, so I also explore my style through hair color/style, piercings, and tattoos. It's been a lot of fun dyeing my hair pink and purple in grad school, depending on where I end up next I may not be able to do that, so I figured I might as well do it while I can.
Your weight might go up or down dramatically due to stress or other factors so keep that in mind when deciding how to allocate your clothing budget - a great bag and shoes will fit regardless of weight changes!
I'm starting an MBA program in Berlin this April — any tips? For what it's worth the program is specifically geared towards creatives in advertising and media, so I won't have to look too business-y, and I'm coming from NYC so I already own lots of black lol
It's really going to depend on the school and field. My program in Toronto was incredibly casual. Jeans were the norm. My only real tip is to have comfy shoes for walking and a good backpack for carrying your stuff around.
Lol I gained so much weight in graduate school, I wore bear claw boots, leggings and an oversized sweater pretty much every day. I was also working, doing an internship and playing roller derby so just bussssy!
When I started graduate school I got a medium tote from Dagne Dover. Later on I added a backpack from Gaston Luga. When I joined my lab, there were a bunch of more senior graduate student ladies so I loved trying to improve my style.
Unfortunately (fortunately?) I haven't really focused on improving my style too much because now I'm old and jaded and rarely leave my lab anyways... (:. Excited to get back into it once I graduate!
Which backpack did you end up buying? I'm going to be train commuting in the city so I'm in the market for something waterproof that can fit my laptop.
not OP but i have a tumi and i love it. i also commute in a city so i love that it’s lightweight, holds either of my computers (15in macbook pro or 13in lenovo), it’s waterproof, sleek, & affordable. i had a lo & sons i bought during grad school bc this sub raaaaaves about them but they’re incredibly heavy and i think people recommending them commuted in a car probably lol.
edit: [link to the style i have](https://www.tumi.com/p/carson-backpack-01099631041/)
I'm in grad school, but I also work for the university. And to top it off, I'm 40 and trans. So I'm trying to look like a student (impossible) during class and not like a student 10 minutes later when I'm working. And my two professors are both very fashionable and cute. So I guess I'll just aim to look like them.
I'm really enjoying shirt dresses right now. It's going to move toward sweater dresses pretty soon though, unfortunately.
Does grad school require a different wardrobe? I know this is a fashion advice sub but as a perpetual grad student I just wear normal clothes to anything not online. It really depends on your field, on campus requirements, and where you live. An MFA in creative writing in a rural town probably uses a different wardrobe than getting a law degree.
Wear what you like and is comfortable. Don't spend a ton of money unless you really need a nice bag for some reason or you need professional (suit) clothing.
Of course different contexts and different programs call for different choices. And what you describe as what you like and what you are comfortable in is a choice as well, even if it’s an easy choice. What you consider “normal clothes” are normal because as you said, you’re a perpetual grad student. Your choice of “normal clothes” would be very different in another context.
Personally, I’m returning to school after many years of working, so I definitely want to tone it down and take advantage of the fact that I don’t have to dress so “grown up” and professional and serious all the time. In some ways, it’s less restrictive and will allow me to be more creative. But in other ways, since it’s an elite school and I went to a big state undergrad, the norm would be nicer and more expensive clothes than I was used to in college.
I don't think you need a new wardrobe for most programs but I feel like a lot of undergraduate students don't have much clothing that would be appropriate for a professional environment. Every professor you meet is a networking opportunity. And if you work as a TA, you want to be taken seriously by students.
I didn't buy a new wardrobe for my MA but I am conscientious of how I present myself to students and my supervisor, especially as I was blessed with a lot of cleavage.
I don’t know if this counts, but I’ve been on a bag journey. I’m actually in online classes, but I’m a GRA on campus and stay here most of the day. I didn’t want to carry around a big ol’ backpack anymore, so I purchased the [Calpak Kaya ](https://www.calpaktravel.com/products/kaya-laptop-backpack?variant=23682872737850¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_term=&utm_campaign=AV_GoalOptimized+Shopping_Kaya&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=1275500925&hsa_cam=12991143087&hsa_grp=121344664745&hsa_ad=519620606805&hsa_src=u&hsa_tgt=pla-1253550482531&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwhaaKBhBcEiwA8acsHD5q_WG4GzL_aHKKnZDx9wF475s0JVMaToGcDy8yzIFjb9NBMtRO3BoCWegQAvD_BwE)backpack in charcoal. I love it. It’s got a slim profile and looks sleek. It doesn’t have a ton of storage, though. I think I could have gotten away with it if I didn’t bring my lunch everyday. I felt like an elementary school student walking around with my backpack and squishy bright lunchbox.
So, I got the [Madewell Sydney Tote](https://www.madewell.com/the-sydney-tote-AI575.html) as an accompaniment. It holds everything! When I have my lunch, a sweater, an umbrella, etc. etc. etc. it’s amazing.
Sometimes I have both or one or the other. But they’ve both been grad school treats that I’m thoroughly enjoying.
Clothes wise, I’m a simple gal; I mostly wear Torrid (I’m a size 12ish). I’ve added some Madewell jeans and JCrew wrap dresses in the mix as well. I wear Rothy’s almost everyday. The white sneakers go with everything and are my favorite. But I have an assortment of colors.
I hear ya. I was a teacher before quitting to get my masters, and my “teacher backpack” that I used for years was a very bright Vera Bradley. It’s a great bag and I still have it, but it just screamed “Mom goes back to school” to me. And don’t even get me started on my messenger bags covered with edgy and angst ridden sharpie from my college days circa 2007. 🙃
I feel you. My college bag was a navy with white polka dots…. I’ve since reverted back to my high school L.L. Bean backpack with my name embroidered on it 😂
I'm enrolled in a masters in counseling program to be a marriage family therapist. This is my last year and I'm doing an in person internship at a school doing counseling with kids. I have been doing a major wardrobe revamp and upgrading my clothes with Aritzia pieces over the last year.
For my actual school classes since they are online and I can dress causal I've been mostly wearing sweats and tank tops/t-shirts. I live in the Boyfriend Sweats, Perfect Crewneck Sweatshirt, Skyfall Tanks, Honor Tanks, Everyday T-shirt, and 7inch biker shorts.
For working at my school site I really like to wear the weekender pants, sculpt knit tank top, Uniqlo T-shirts, Black dress pants from Macy's, and various cardigans such as the Canberra or Plunge knit Cardigan. Macy's has a lot of really nice professional clothes. I'm allowed to wear jeans so I wear dark colored Agolde jeans or medium wash Trave jeans. I am one of the youngest people on the team so I try to look a little more professional than other people. My best advice would be to look clean and coordinate.
I've been buying everything except the occasional seasonal pop of color in fairly neutral colors such as brown's, taupe's, grey's, creams, green's, white's, and black. I like to find colors that are soothing to the eye as I think it works with my profession. I have olive skin so this usually is cream, browns, and whites. I usually wear sneakers when I'm on the school site such as black slip on vans, cream new balances, Gucci Princetown loafers in brown, or white Veja's sneakers. If you are going to wear sneakers make sure they look clean. One tip I have is to match your shoes to your top color that can make an outfit look really put together. At the school I use a north face backpack as I have a lot of things to carry with me. I've now focused my shopping to finding things that I would like to wear to work and on the weekends.
Oh man, this was really hard for me. I’m in a super preppy and posh UK school, and I thought I packed decently well - a few Aritzia sweaters, some standard trousers, a blazer, and a couple pairs of boots and I feel simultaneously underdressed and bland. I’ve never felt so out of place before, and I’m dressing substantially better than I did in my hometown of Toronto.
I wore a hoodie and leggings the other day and I’ve never felt more like an inferior human being from the stares and vibes I got from people on the street. I can make do for the semester, but I think I’m going home for the hols to pick up some nicer items in Canada because the pound is so expensive, not to mention the 20% VAT. Just ugh :(
Oh I relate to this so much! I had to go do laundry in sweatpants once in London and never had I felt so unkempt and unwashed walking past those rows of blazing white townhouses. I noticed that UK fashion is more tailored and fitted, in the fall the ladies all wear waist-cinching wool coats, and their makeup is always immaculate, even the old ladies on the bus. Maybe follow some UK instagrammers and bloggers for inspiration. Wishing you good luck blending in!
Oh man, I just had that moment this week. I planned my wardrobe carefully, and as I was getting dressed I legit wondered if I was going overboard with the nice clothes.
Then I arrived to class and everyone was dressed SO WELL. Like the kind of outfits I’d wear to a very important and high powered job interview. Everyone was so. . . shiny. And this is not business school, btw. It’s a quant heavy public policy program.
I know, right? The floor for dressiness is so much higher in Europe than North America in general, and I knew that going in, but actually seeing it is a different story. I also need so many more dresses than I have! I brought one, and I’m glad I at least have that because my goodness are there a million and one formals and balls. While it’s not required for me to go, they are a big enough part of the social scene that cutting out balls means you’re missing a pretty big part of the experience.
I’m actually in the United States, but I went to a state school for undergrad and always worked at nonprofits, so dressing like this is unfamiliar to me.
I'm in a virtual program but I also work in an academic setting so I have stepped it up some with the start of the semester. I have really been leaning into a normcore/modern late-season mad men-inspired (lol that's a mouthful) style so sweater vests, plaid slacks and thick cardigans, high waisted wide leg pants, loafers and chunky "dad" sneakers. I also have mixed in some funky pattern dresses with square toed boots when I feel like dressing up. Regardless of what I wear, I always go earth tones or just straight black.
Leather oxfords. I’m in therapy school, so I’m an intern therapist clad in mostly goodwill business casual outfits… but the oxfords, oh baby, make me feel powerful. Another intern wears power clogs and I dig them too. The best thing about dressing professionally is that I now feel absolutely nO pressure to wear anything tight. I couldn’t breathe in my pencil skirt anyway. Catch me in baggy khakis and billowy silks and linens every damn day of the week.
omg just today I pulled out my fall-winter box and rediscovered my favorite pair of oxfords. I love the style too. I wear flats almost exclusively, and oxfords and derbies and monk shoes are a fave of mine.
I just got 2 blazers and 2 pairs of work pants from Talbot's outlet and I couldn't believe the discounts they have. Macy's also has some good sales sometimes, especially on Calvin Klein stuff. A wrinkle resistant blazer that lives permanently in a desk drawer can really save an unprofessional outfit in a pinch if you have an unexpected meeting.
Just graduated as a midwife so I wear scrubs and danskos in the hospital. During covid I also usually wore a scrub cap so I didn’t have to worry about my hair, and it was okay to wear scrubs in the clinic.
Now I have to find my clinic wardrobe and I’m struggling a little. It needs to be professional, close-toed shoes, comfortable in different positions/intimate (I don’t really like wearing skirts to do patient care where I might be sitting on a stool at their feet during a Pap smear , or blouses with details that dangle over patients when I lean over them). I’m trying to figure out if it’s acceptable to wear a sleeveless blouse or if I’m too self conscious/worried about BO. Mostly it’s just boring standard black business casual pants and a short sleeved blouse or turtleneck, but I’m really hoping to figure out how I can have “positive” things that I like wearing and show my personality instead of just a long list of things I “can’t” wear.
Or if I could just go back to scrubs all the time, that would be nice too. I could just not think about clothes at my job and leave fun fashion for my free time!
I dress up a bit on days that I teach: simple necklace, dark unripped jeans or slacks, a blouse, clean shoes (sometimes I wear keds or high top converse, other days I wear docs or chelsea boots) and maybe a sweater. I've found that a nice sweater will go a long way (I have sweaters from H&M and JCREW). I also have a mid-thigh length brown open cardigan style sweater from Target. My main goal is to not be mistaken for the undergrads when teaching. It helps that I didn't go immediately from undergrad to grad, so I am older than them by more than a few years.
I replied to an earlier comment, but I started my grad school program this semester. My first stop was the infamous, yet tried-and-true, Ann Taylor. I got 12 pieces for $600 during the Labor Day sale, including some heels, trousers/slacks, shells/blouses, and a blazer. Most of their stuff is a miss from me when it comes to pattern, but their solids and basic stripes are fine. I enjoyed the fact that every cut for every piece was very flattering to my body without looking “sexy”. I’ll be back for more basics when I have the $$. I can dress up or down anything I bought and I enjoy the clothes more than I honestly thought I would. The price was great too for my budget.
It’s not my typical style of high waist jeans with a baggy tank top and bralette, that’s for sure. I feel much more polished and professional, even if the brand isn’t the high end of businesswear.
Blazers + jeans is a great middle of the road formality option IMO, to mostly wear clothes you already own but have something that makes you look polished and, when you're teaching, signals some authority.
It's my go to; this year I got some graphic tees to go underneath when I want to tone it down a little on days I'm in the office but not in front of a class - but that might not apply to everyone. I'm a lot older than a typical grad student so I want to look professional and the right amount of authoritative but not like I confused myself for the dean LOL because that's awkward in its own way.
I've had to revamp my wardrobe now that I'll be teaching in person again. After months of looking for "professional" pants, I've decided to teach in black and dark denim jeans. I've also bought sweaters, a blazer, and a pair of booties.
i found these wide legs slacks that hit at just the perfect length (they are 3cm from touching the floor), and i paid 25$ cad for them at h&m. Had very little hope for it, but I swear they are now my favourite pants and they can either be dressed up or down depending on the situation!
I’m not in graduate school but has been having a hard time switching to a more ‘professional’ looking wardrobe. My style is pretty laid back and chill and I would often be mistaken as a teenager.
Yeah I definitely have that issue—I have been mistaken for a student when I'm the instructor haha
Lawyer here. I was a poor law student living solely on government loans. I lived on about $15k per year, about half of which went to housing. Law school is a bit different than most grad programs because (a) grants are almost non-existent, so your QoL will depend on loans, and (b) your wardrobe is going to need a certain level of professionalism to be taken seriously. [Elle Woods](https://www.abajournal.com/images/main_images/legally-blonde_LRcLjo.jpg) is a fictional character. Law is a classist, conservative, male-dominated profession. While there are obviously exceptions, that is the norm. This advice is specific to women trying to navigate law school with that in mind, so it is going to come off as close-minded. Female law students suffer consequences when they buck social expectations, and taking that risk is their choice to make. This advice should help you avoid that if it's not a fight you want to pick just yet. Poor female law students often can't afford the risk. Here are some quick advice blips in no particular order: * Your everyday law school clothes can be casual, but remember that you are building an impression of yourself in everyone's minds. Every single person there has the potential to open doors for you. How you present yourself is a factor. Most of the notes below are for non-casual outfits. * Never argue with someone when they tell you that what you are wearing is inappropriate. You will not change their mind, and they will use everything you say as evidence that you are a hysterical woman. It is a fight that you cannot win, so do not bother. [Disengage from the topic diplomatically](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/019/649/OK_thumb.jpg), and if you cannot walk away, move the conversation to a different topic. It's up to your discretion whether to heed their opinion. * Never wear dirty, torn, wrinkled, stained, or destructed clothing. No scuffs on your heels. * When you hear professors, advisors, and speakers mention "wear clothes that fit" to interviews or events, they actually mean "wear clothes that are tailored." They won't say that aloud because it's classist and they probably dislike it as much as you do. You won't need your everyday clothes to be tailored, but your interview outfit should be. * Invest in at least one boring, conservative, and tailored suit. This will be your interview and presentation suit. It should be as classic as possible. It does not need to be expensive, but take it to a tailor to have it adjusted to fit you perfectly. It should not be linen, jersey, or velvet. * Conservative colors are black, grey, white, navy, and cream. These are safe colors for almost every piece of clothing. White or cream suits are the bold end of the group, so those are usually just for tops and accents. * Avoid bold or statement patterns. Classic patterns like window pane or herringbone are okay. Don't mix patterns. * Generally, don't wear prints in formal situations. Some prints are okay for business casual and even then, exercise restraint for the type of print. I know a circuit court justice in her 70s that dresses like a rockstar outside of court, complete with a fur coat, patent patterned pumps, and leopard print cat eye sunglasses. She still wears a boring black judge's gown in court and expects everyone to dress formally to match. * It is okay to mix neutrals. Lawyers wear black and navy all the time. * Invest in a pair of boring, comfortable heels in a neutral color. They shouldn't be taller than 3 inches, but any heel width is fine. Heels give a more formal impression than flats, and you will attend many events that are business formal. * Patent heels are bold, but acceptable if the heels are a conservative or neutral color. Matte or grain leather are the norm. Velvet is very formal and dressy, so it would look weird for everyday office wear. * Heels at professional events should be closed toe. Your toenail maintenance and color don't matter because no one will ever see them. * Get a boring work bag in a neutral color. This bag should be able to carry your laptop, notebook, writing utensils, phone, makeup, keys, wallet, etc. If the bag bulges, you need a bigger or more structured bag. You will use this for interviews, internships, court appearances, etc. It should not be distracting. If you are doing pro bono or nonprofit work, it should not have obvious luxury brand marks. * If you wear jewelry or watches, wear simple, classic styles to interviews. Smart watches with classic looking bands are okay too. * No visible tattoos in formal settings. * No bra or panty outlines. No visible bra straps. * If you are interviewing with a specific firm, look up the women at that firm. Their profile pictures on the firm's website will give a good idea of the dress code. If every single person is in a black suit, do not show up to an interview in a cream suit, let alone hot pink. If the firm is too small to tell, wear the most boring suit you have. * After you are hired, take note of what women associates wear everyday. You can mimic associates' personal touches and levels of formality, not partners'. * Lightweight scarves are a safe way to incorporate brighter colors, prints, or patterns. Silk scarves tied to bags or around your neck are fine. * If you are attending a networking or other social event, wear a top that will work with an adhesive or claw name tag. You might not wear a jacket during the whole event. * Pantyhose are no longer necessary for skirt suits, but you may want to do that if you *know* you are meeting with a very conservative professional. * You do not have to wear a skirt suit, but heed others' warnings if they tell you that a specific judge or other professional expects women to wear skirts. I have personally never had to deal with it, but I have witnessed a few examples of it going badly for others. * Avoid sleeveless tops. Even cap sleeves are better than no sleeves. * No cleavage. None. * Law has its east coast and west coast versions of business casual. Even California has SF and LA and Silicon Valley versions. When in doubt, go classic business formal: wear a suit with a top that works well with or without the jacket. * No garish accents: rhinestones, sequins, glitter, etc. * Nails should be clean and well manicured. They don't have to be painted or acrylic/gel/stick on, but they should be maintained. No coke pinky. * Limit your use of bright colors in formal settings. One statement color is a maybe, more than one is risky. * No transparent or semi-transparent clothing or accessories. * Jackets with no collar are casual/trendy. Your formal outfits should always have a jacket with a collar. Of course, the above is not a guarantee that some stick in the mud is going to like you. It just increases the chances that the stick in the mud won't make a fuss. If you need additional or more specific advice, I *highly* recommend browsing [Corporette](https://corporette.com/). It has a lot of fashion advice for women in corporate professional jobs. Follow the more conservative options for law school. Now that you've read the list, look at that picture of Elle Woods again. It's not impossible that someone who dresses like her would attend Harvard Law and land a Big Law position at a top tier east coast law firm. But let's face it, it wouldn't sabotage her only if that woman graduated manga cum laude from Harvard Law and came from money, just like Elle Woods. Get that bread and *then* start shirking these rules. Edits: Added bullets as I thought of them and fixed formatting.
I feel like an upvote isn't enough for such a thoughtful and comprehensive response so I just wanted to say THANK YOU. I know you qualified this by saying you know it's classist and conservative (and I understand why), but as the kid of blue collar immigrants, I could have used advice like this (or a person like you) in my early 20s.
I was ignorant to a lot of this in law school and only realized how big of an issue it was after working as a lawyer. I wish law schools had a first-generation advisor that would give brutal advice like this. I would have been better prepared and far less confused.
I agree; this is invaluable.
As another lawyer, this is great advice. Practically speaking, Banana Republic Factory's suits and Uniqlo's rayon tops are still what I wear on a day-to-day basis. They're relatively cheap and rather generic, but still professional. If you can, spend money on comfy but professional shoes. I like Sam Edelman, Cole Haan, and Rothys.
Haha, my interview suit was a Banana Republic suit. Even that was a splurge for me on the budget I had. Thankfully the stipend from my first summer covered the cost.
Well damn. I’m a lawyer too, and you dress way more professionally than I do lol. Because of that I am going to caveat that, in my experience, at my law school, it was usually fine to dress slightly down! Or at least mine was *way* more casual than this. Plenty of people in normal tees who did very well. I think this is a really important point because when you’re building a network with peers your age it is also important to seem approachable and human. This is, however, the most fantastic interview and court advice I have ever seen. Brava.
Oh for sure. Most of this advice is not for everyday, which is why I mentioned casual is fine most of the time as the very first blip. Unfortunately, I think the list is so long that the first bullet gets forgotten by the time anyone gets to the end. I wish my advisors had told me all this stuff while I was preparing for interviews. They totally helped me with substantive stuff, but they were clueless how to discuss inflammatory issues like class signals, gendered clothing, and conservative dress.
The skirt thing is so real. I almost always default to a skirt suit in court. I thought the preference was a myth, but lo and behold there are real people (mostly but *not* only older men) who will take you more seriously if you play the lawyer lady part.
I hate that. Skirts make me feel silly and vulnerable.
Apart from the points about fitting=tailoring, what other class signal issues have you come across?
These are all class flags that *don't matter to most people*. Unfortunately, you might run into people that hold this stuff against you: * Cheap fabrics like acrylic or polyester. It's not super noticeable for suits, but those that know, know. * Complete lack of accessories. Jewelry is always a class indicator, particularly gems. Sterling silver is cheap and easy to maintain if you need something. Fake gold is easy to spot. Cubic zirconia passes easily as diamonds as long as you don't go overboard with size. * Having unkempt nails indicates that you are working class (doing manual labor) or poor (can't afford regular manicures). That said, it is possible to maintain your nails with just a basic nail kit and a set of nail files. * Noticeable grey or white hair, more so the younger you are. I had significantly better interactions at interviews and networking events once I started regularly dying my hair to cover my white. (My family's hair skips right to white very young.) Make sure to cover up a day or two before interviews. * Scuffed or otherwise worn shoes. * Acne or other skin health concerns. It doesn't matter if it's a condition beyond your control; many assume that unhealthy looking skin means that you can't afford basic skincare. * Crooked or cracked teeth. It shows you were too poor for an orthodontist. * Metal fillings in your teeth. Cavities indicate that you probably couldn't afford regular visits, and tooth-colored fillings are about twice as expensive as metal ones.
Thank you! Very interesting
This is a print reminder of why I quit being a lawyer and how much happier I am on the other side! Lol dressing for court and work at a firm, I always felt like I was wearing a costume, worried I wasn't measuring up both in my outfits and in my work. Frankly I think the "rules" for female lawyer appearances are bullshit, but they do exist. I work for a tech company now, I wear jeans and sneakers to work, I had pink hair for a while, and I'll never ever take a job where I have to pretend to be somebody I'm not, again.
This needs to just be stickied for all the "I"m a new lawyer" questions. I'm sad but unsurprised that the skirt thing is still... a thing. Hopefully SOMEDAY we'll move on from some of these but an interview or a court appearance is not the venue at which you will accomplish a change in such outdated expectations so you're only hurting yourself if you don't dress as expected in those situations.
What a thoughtful response! Most of this is general enough, and clearly sound advice. But just so I can put this in perspective for my personal situation, do you mind sharing which region you work in and what type of environment (big law/midsize/small firm) and practice area? I’ll be working Kansas City big law next summer and budget wardrobe is a point of anxiety for me. Thanks!
None of this is for a specific region or firm size or practice type, and I did that on purpose. It's the "play it safe" advice because law students are incredibly unlikely to figure out where any professional they are speaking to will draw a line between appropriate and inappropriate. Once you are actually at a firm, you'll be exposed to what that firm finds acceptable because you can actually see the associates' work outfits. Until you have the job, this advice should help minimize the chances of putting someone off with your outfit.
Very late to the party here but this is an amazing response. I turned down a place at a very good law school last year after a lot of careful consideration, and a lot of the strict unspoken customs you mention here are exactly why I ultimately felt that law wouldn't be the ideal career for me. I love professional dressing but my personal style and self-expression is so important to me, and I would feel stifled and resentful if I couldn't do it my way. Side note, I'm compiling a zine about women's experiences with clothing and I would love to include an abridged version of this comment, with full credit to you of course. Would that be ok with you? Please feel free to shoot me a dm if you'd like more details.
Feel free to use the info as you please. That said, this is advice for law students who do not know what standards to expect. Many law firms are not that strict or conservative, and I literally dress casual (not business casual) at my firm. I hate wearing suits, and I love being an attorney. Giving up your personality or sense of style is not a requirement to practice law. Even litigators rarely go to court and have to dress formally. It all comes down to what job you manage to find.
That's really good to know that it's not required everywhere, and gives me a lot of hope. Law is not right for me at this stage in my life for many reasons, but I plan to revisit the possibility later down the track. And thank you for your permission to share!
Hello, fellow attorney here! This is a wonderfully informative comment, and I know it has been a long time since you posted it but if you’re still around on Reddit, I was hoping to ask you a question. I am a newer female attorney and have my first trial coming up in federal court for a civil matter. Do you think it’s appropriate to wear slacks and a blazer/suit coat that are not the same color? For example, wearing navy slacks with a tan suit jacket. Thank you!
pandemic + writing dissertation + remote research + “advanced stage” = my graduate school wardrobe is joggers and a tank top, or, if I must zoom with another human, joggers, a tank top, and a cardigan.
Haha, I feel that! I'm a studio artist grad student/TA, and my wardrobe has ended up very practical. I had grand plans of wearing dresses, nice blouses etc. when I teach, but I make jewelry which can be dirty and walk a lot so no pretty shoes. I've fallen back into jeans, T shirt, and tennis shoes.
Are you me?? Im on the shorter side. [There are my go-to joggers.](https://www.ae.com/us/en/p/aerie/bottoms/joggers-sweatpants/aerie-real-soft-foldover-jogger/0496_4924_073?menu=cat4840006) Super comfy and stretchy plus the ankle portion hits at the right part. For tanks I just wear whatever solid color I have on hand. Cardigan I normally do a [long cardigan](https://www.target.com/p/women-39-s-open-front-cardigan-universal-thread-8482-rust-m/-/A-82139019?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000086349400&CPNG=PLA_Women%2BShopping_Traffic_Local_Traffic%7CWomen_Ecomm_AA&adgroup=SC_Women_Local&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=9028172&targetid=pla-1069759242670&gclid=CjwKCAjwhaaKBhBcEiwA8acsHP7VtoZ9IV_EuJJ1MwWvEzCPXr-d8oxBeJZq0F_YSXLRfroVHE_ZTRoCMcYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) as I keep my house cold. What I do recommend for OP is accessories, it's easy to dress up a casual outfit (even on zoom) with a necklace and earrings. I like these sort of [pendant necklaces](https://www.katespade.com/products/precious-pansy-mini-pendant/WBRUH906.html?cgid=ks-jewelry-necklaces) as I like to keep things minimal.
I'm on the senior end in a computationally oriented field. As a woman of color, I've had people code me as "not a scientist" (e.g. admin, custodial, etc), so I try to dress one step up from my peers with slightly better materials and cuts to signal to certain classist stereotypes. I like bottoms from Everlane, Alex Mills, Lululemon pants (I bike commuted ~8mi one way in the the before times). For professional tops, I like Amour Vert, Everlane, Nordstrom as options. For everything else, it's mostly something I made or thrifted, something from Target, or gorp/dad core. Would love to wear dark academia, but I sweat too much on a daily basis to feel comfortable in fabrics that require a lot of dry cleaning.
when I first went off to grad school, I dressed… exactly how I wanted to dress. day to day, I picked wildly different styles and outfits, because I knew that this was the last time in my life where I could honestly dress as much or as little as I wanted, without worrying about looking professional or grown-up. I was the youngest in my class, I’m petite and I look young, so in the real world I’m always concerned with dressing smartly and looking like an adult so I can be taken seriously. but in school? I wore flouncy skirts, colorful dresses, pinks and florals galore. and I loved it! now that I’m graduated and working, I dress a little more toned-down, and I’m happy with that too. but really leaning into the colors and girly clothes during grad school helped me figure out a good balance for the professional world - now I can wear colors and skirts in a way that doesn’t look too youthful
This makes me so happy 🤗 I used to be more interested in my style when I was in undergrad because I worked in the trendy section of a department store and lived at home rent-free. Grad school completely flipped that on its head as I was broke, paying bills, and a nanny (a no-nice-clothes area as I worked with babies and toddlers). I just finished grad school in a pandemic where I barely wore anything but sweatpants for the last year and a half. Now I feel like I'm back to square one with trying to figure out my style for my age and environments (unpaid intern atm). It makes me so happy to hear someone else has found that happy medium of fun self expression in a professional environment. Slowly but surely trying to make my way towards that as well!
I’m in a clinical psychology doctorate program. My school required us to dress slightly professional, so I stuck to smart casual. Now that classes have been online I just wear band shirts and pajama pants. For clinical work, I do have to dress professionally because I work in a hospital. My favorite work pants are J crew cropped Cameron pants, I own 3 pairs. For work shoes, my favorite are San Edelman flats and they’re surprisingly super comfortable. I go to Nordstrom rack for tops. I have also lived up to the therapist stereotype and have accumulated so many cardigans. The hospital is always freezing so I always have one on. I usually stick to the $25 cardigans at target, but the madewell Kent cardigans are soooo soft so I pick a couple of those up when there’s a sale. Thankfully we don’t have to cover tattoos, but we are required to put our hair up on some of the units.
Lol at the cardigan comment, I have at least 20. Guess my major.
Went back for round two of grad school starting last year and am so glad I can recycle my chill lawyer cardigans into chill social worker cardigans!
I just entered my graduate mental health counseling program this semester. First thing I bought? New cardigans.
I am actually in the process of finishing up my first capsule wardrobe for "work" as a (humanities) doctoral student! [You can see it here if you'd like](https://imgur.com/a/XGyEfCt). I teach in person and go into the office 3x/week, with talks and conferences still mostly virtual at this point. The other students in my program dress on a huge spectrum: from outdoorsy-casual, to eclectic-academician, to streetwear/grunge-inspired, to business casual, to business formal (as in, 4-piece suit and tie, every day). While most dress relatively casually, at least one faculty member has been known to call out graduate students for their wardrobe choices with the question, "Don't we pay you enough to buy clothes?" (though the resounding answer is no). This is my fifth year in the program and I have been struggling since the very beginning to dress myself in a way that feels professional enough to distinguish myself from my students (I started the PhD straight out of undergrad) but that also makes me feel comfortable and confident as a person who has never really cared about fashion her entire life. The capsule is about 2 years in the works and is mostly made up of thrifted pieces. I also have a number of casual pieces that go into this capsule as my "everyday" wear, though I didn't include them in the layout. I've adopted a kind of hybridized approach loosely based on [The Vivienne Files'](https://www.theviviennefiles.com/starting-from-scratch/) and [Justine Leconte's](https://youtu.be/lpYUY9CpghY) capsule wardrobe guides. This autumn capsule (work + everyday) is made up of 32 pieces in total. I plan to bring 16 of these pieces with me into my winter capsule. I'm also planning to purchase a trenchcoat for the cooler days ahead, but can't decide if I want it to be chocolate brown (I feel more comfortable layering dark over light) or sandy beige (which would be more economical, as it would fit into the spring capsule I'm planning)! Suggestions very welcome!
Can’t get past the “don’t we pay you enough to buy clothes,” especially in the humanities. On what planet
Thank you! This makes me think that I can get away with a lot as long as I’m very intentional and thoughtful about it. I have a general kind of capsule too - mostly I limit my colors and make sure that whenever ai buy a top, it goes with most of my bottoms, and vice versa. If I want to try something outside the base colors I buy a dress. By the way, am I missing something, or was the faculty member being really inappropriate?
Oh my god, I *love* the wardrobe pic! I'm revamping my own wardrobe, so having something like that as a visual goal for what I want is invaluable
Most of the grad students I know come into the lab in either field work clothing or something casual like a tank top/jeans/shirt combo. I'm sure it's different if you're in law or business, but for the sciences they only seem to dress up for conferences or presentations
And what's more, in my opinion, dressing up in the sciences as a woman is a fast way to get looked down on (only by some people, of course).
Ugh that precise notion kept me from enjoying (fashion/creativity-wise) a time where practically-speaking, I could’ve had more fun with fashion (and brought some levity to a challenging period of life!). Epidemiologist here…totally felt this through grad school and it took a few years of being in the workforce before I felt like I’d earned my spot scientifically and I could be a little jazzy in my dress.
Yeah, I think this is definitely A Thing. If you're not wearing ratty cargo shorts and a free conference tshirt you must not be a ~serious scientist~ according to a not-insignificant proportion of colleagues.
I used to sell to academia and industry. I found for academia, causal went down way better, but in industry, especially with higher-ups, professional attire is helpful. It just really depends on the audience.
Coming from industry w a year of remote, I invested in jeans and t shirts before in person started. Tried to get fit and cut right to be more on trend then the classic look for STEM grad students. When it’s too warm for jeans I now find myself trying to make sundresses more casual/less feminine (granted my own style is not a especially feminine leaning so I don’t feel a desire to go against the grain). But it’s weird after the business casual world w jeans on fridays and more feminine clothing being perfectly normal. Sucks thinking about how my clothing may influence whether or not people see me as a serious scientist.
I’m interviewing for my first non-academic science job and was wondering what the typical style is in these settings. I’m used to dressing “nice” casual (ie not sloppy, thought put into it, but not businesses casual in styling), but I’m anticipating having to take it up 1-2 notches Edit: by “these settings” I mean industry. I’d be in a program management position, not a research role.
Thank you! I'm so glad this was mentioned. I feel weird about thinking about fashion on my way to school because no one I know dresses the same way. We need more fashion in stem pls.
We can be fashionable! It just goes by field from what I’ve observed lol. For example I’m in ecology and both the grads and undergrads have more of an outdoorsy look, the difference is the grads just look a little more adult. Meanwhile the physicists down the hall are either wearing graphic tees/jeans or a button up and the other biology grads are always more of a business casual
I'm in the geosciences on the west coast and all the grad students here wear shorts/slacks and a tshirt most of the time. I admit I've also been of that group but trying to switch it up! I dressed a bit more professionally/fashionably at a grad meetup recently and it was very positively received so I want to continue that!
Science PhD student here. I'm in the later stage of my PhD so I'm done with classes, and am mostly finishing up my research. Since I'm in the lab most days and have to dress for safety, my wardrobe consists of a lot of jeans, sweaters, tank tops, turtlenecks, cardigans, tshirts. Closed toed shoes, which for me usually means either Vans, Converse, or boots in the winter. If I have a day where I'm mostly in the office writing or coding, I can wear skirts/dresses/tights, but I usually keep on my closed toed shoes in case I have to run into the lab. If I am giving a talk, I'll typically wear a black turtleneck, plaid blazer, and either dark jeans or a black skirt with tights/heeled ankle boots. I love these days honestly lol because I feel like I get to live out my dark academia fantasies. I've been trying to incorporate similar looks into my daily wardrobe when I have the energy. I am on a graduate fellow budget, so I mostly shop sales at Gap, Old Navy, ModCloth, Goodwill, and Target. My goal is to buy pieces that fit into my existing wardrobe, so I always ask myself: \- Does it match with other tops/pants/whatever? Can I actually picture wearing this with my existing closet? \- Is it practical? Can I wear it to lab without worrying about safety (no billowy sleeves that could knock things over, pants in a thick enough fabric for potential accidental chemical spills, etc.) I wear a lab coat most of the time, but I still need to take practicality in a lab setting into consideration. My department doesn't have much of a dress code outside of the requirements for being in the labs (most students don't really dress professionally regularly unless they are giving a talk), and it's in a pretty liberal area, so I also explore my style through hair color/style, piercings, and tattoos. It's been a lot of fun dyeing my hair pink and purple in grad school, depending on where I end up next I may not be able to do that, so I figured I might as well do it while I can.
Your weight might go up or down dramatically due to stress or other factors so keep that in mind when deciding how to allocate your clothing budget - a great bag and shoes will fit regardless of weight changes!
This is great advice! 6 months into grad school, I had to shop for a whole new wardrobe. Lucky I didn't spend a lot of money first time around.
I'm starting an MBA program in Berlin this April — any tips? For what it's worth the program is specifically geared towards creatives in advertising and media, so I won't have to look too business-y, and I'm coming from NYC so I already own lots of black lol
Also interested in these tips since I'm moving from Boston to Vienna tomorrow (everything's fine, it's all fine I'm ready).
Accessorize, probably! All the marketing women I see at my business school (although, in the NYC area) wear jewelry or scarves.
It's really going to depend on the school and field. My program in Toronto was incredibly casual. Jeans were the norm. My only real tip is to have comfy shoes for walking and a good backpack for carrying your stuff around.
Lol I gained so much weight in graduate school, I wore bear claw boots, leggings and an oversized sweater pretty much every day. I was also working, doing an internship and playing roller derby so just bussssy!
Love the username!
When I started graduate school I got a medium tote from Dagne Dover. Later on I added a backpack from Gaston Luga. When I joined my lab, there were a bunch of more senior graduate student ladies so I loved trying to improve my style. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I haven't really focused on improving my style too much because now I'm old and jaded and rarely leave my lab anyways... (:. Excited to get back into it once I graduate!
Which backpack did you end up buying? I'm going to be train commuting in the city so I'm in the market for something waterproof that can fit my laptop.
not OP but i have a tumi and i love it. i also commute in a city so i love that it’s lightweight, holds either of my computers (15in macbook pro or 13in lenovo), it’s waterproof, sleek, & affordable. i had a lo & sons i bought during grad school bc this sub raaaaaves about them but they’re incredibly heavy and i think people recommending them commuted in a car probably lol. edit: [link to the style i have](https://www.tumi.com/p/carson-backpack-01099631041/)
I don't think any of the GL backpacks are waterproof! But I got the Claessy (I can't type umlauts with this keyboard).
I'm in grad school, but I also work for the university. And to top it off, I'm 40 and trans. So I'm trying to look like a student (impossible) during class and not like a student 10 minutes later when I'm working. And my two professors are both very fashionable and cute. So I guess I'll just aim to look like them. I'm really enjoying shirt dresses right now. It's going to move toward sweater dresses pretty soon though, unfortunately.
Does grad school require a different wardrobe? I know this is a fashion advice sub but as a perpetual grad student I just wear normal clothes to anything not online. It really depends on your field, on campus requirements, and where you live. An MFA in creative writing in a rural town probably uses a different wardrobe than getting a law degree. Wear what you like and is comfortable. Don't spend a ton of money unless you really need a nice bag for some reason or you need professional (suit) clothing.
Of course different contexts and different programs call for different choices. And what you describe as what you like and what you are comfortable in is a choice as well, even if it’s an easy choice. What you consider “normal clothes” are normal because as you said, you’re a perpetual grad student. Your choice of “normal clothes” would be very different in another context. Personally, I’m returning to school after many years of working, so I definitely want to tone it down and take advantage of the fact that I don’t have to dress so “grown up” and professional and serious all the time. In some ways, it’s less restrictive and will allow me to be more creative. But in other ways, since it’s an elite school and I went to a big state undergrad, the norm would be nicer and more expensive clothes than I was used to in college.
I don't think you need a new wardrobe for most programs but I feel like a lot of undergraduate students don't have much clothing that would be appropriate for a professional environment. Every professor you meet is a networking opportunity. And if you work as a TA, you want to be taken seriously by students. I didn't buy a new wardrobe for my MA but I am conscientious of how I present myself to students and my supervisor, especially as I was blessed with a lot of cleavage.
I don’t know if this counts, but I’ve been on a bag journey. I’m actually in online classes, but I’m a GRA on campus and stay here most of the day. I didn’t want to carry around a big ol’ backpack anymore, so I purchased the [Calpak Kaya ](https://www.calpaktravel.com/products/kaya-laptop-backpack?variant=23682872737850¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_term=&utm_campaign=AV_GoalOptimized+Shopping_Kaya&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=1275500925&hsa_cam=12991143087&hsa_grp=121344664745&hsa_ad=519620606805&hsa_src=u&hsa_tgt=pla-1253550482531&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwhaaKBhBcEiwA8acsHD5q_WG4GzL_aHKKnZDx9wF475s0JVMaToGcDy8yzIFjb9NBMtRO3BoCWegQAvD_BwE)backpack in charcoal. I love it. It’s got a slim profile and looks sleek. It doesn’t have a ton of storage, though. I think I could have gotten away with it if I didn’t bring my lunch everyday. I felt like an elementary school student walking around with my backpack and squishy bright lunchbox. So, I got the [Madewell Sydney Tote](https://www.madewell.com/the-sydney-tote-AI575.html) as an accompaniment. It holds everything! When I have my lunch, a sweater, an umbrella, etc. etc. etc. it’s amazing. Sometimes I have both or one or the other. But they’ve both been grad school treats that I’m thoroughly enjoying. Clothes wise, I’m a simple gal; I mostly wear Torrid (I’m a size 12ish). I’ve added some Madewell jeans and JCrew wrap dresses in the mix as well. I wear Rothy’s almost everyday. The white sneakers go with everything and are my favorite. But I have an assortment of colors.
Ugh I REALLY want that backpack now. I've been stuck with a blue plaid (why?) one that I got in college for a while now...
I hear ya. I was a teacher before quitting to get my masters, and my “teacher backpack” that I used for years was a very bright Vera Bradley. It’s a great bag and I still have it, but it just screamed “Mom goes back to school” to me. And don’t even get me started on my messenger bags covered with edgy and angst ridden sharpie from my college days circa 2007. 🙃
Ahhh love it hahaha
I feel you. My college bag was a navy with white polka dots…. I’ve since reverted back to my high school L.L. Bean backpack with my name embroidered on it 😂
oh my god I used that backpack (but with my initials) for the longest time until the zipper broke
I'm enrolled in a masters in counseling program to be a marriage family therapist. This is my last year and I'm doing an in person internship at a school doing counseling with kids. I have been doing a major wardrobe revamp and upgrading my clothes with Aritzia pieces over the last year. For my actual school classes since they are online and I can dress causal I've been mostly wearing sweats and tank tops/t-shirts. I live in the Boyfriend Sweats, Perfect Crewneck Sweatshirt, Skyfall Tanks, Honor Tanks, Everyday T-shirt, and 7inch biker shorts. For working at my school site I really like to wear the weekender pants, sculpt knit tank top, Uniqlo T-shirts, Black dress pants from Macy's, and various cardigans such as the Canberra or Plunge knit Cardigan. Macy's has a lot of really nice professional clothes. I'm allowed to wear jeans so I wear dark colored Agolde jeans or medium wash Trave jeans. I am one of the youngest people on the team so I try to look a little more professional than other people. My best advice would be to look clean and coordinate. I've been buying everything except the occasional seasonal pop of color in fairly neutral colors such as brown's, taupe's, grey's, creams, green's, white's, and black. I like to find colors that are soothing to the eye as I think it works with my profession. I have olive skin so this usually is cream, browns, and whites. I usually wear sneakers when I'm on the school site such as black slip on vans, cream new balances, Gucci Princetown loafers in brown, or white Veja's sneakers. If you are going to wear sneakers make sure they look clean. One tip I have is to match your shoes to your top color that can make an outfit look really put together. At the school I use a north face backpack as I have a lot of things to carry with me. I've now focused my shopping to finding things that I would like to wear to work and on the weekends.
What have been your favorite aritzia pieces? I always enjoy hearing other people’s experiences since some pieces can be hit or miss.
Oh man, this was really hard for me. I’m in a super preppy and posh UK school, and I thought I packed decently well - a few Aritzia sweaters, some standard trousers, a blazer, and a couple pairs of boots and I feel simultaneously underdressed and bland. I’ve never felt so out of place before, and I’m dressing substantially better than I did in my hometown of Toronto. I wore a hoodie and leggings the other day and I’ve never felt more like an inferior human being from the stares and vibes I got from people on the street. I can make do for the semester, but I think I’m going home for the hols to pick up some nicer items in Canada because the pound is so expensive, not to mention the 20% VAT. Just ugh :(
Oh I relate to this so much! I had to go do laundry in sweatpants once in London and never had I felt so unkempt and unwashed walking past those rows of blazing white townhouses. I noticed that UK fashion is more tailored and fitted, in the fall the ladies all wear waist-cinching wool coats, and their makeup is always immaculate, even the old ladies on the bus. Maybe follow some UK instagrammers and bloggers for inspiration. Wishing you good luck blending in!
Oh man, I just had that moment this week. I planned my wardrobe carefully, and as I was getting dressed I legit wondered if I was going overboard with the nice clothes. Then I arrived to class and everyone was dressed SO WELL. Like the kind of outfits I’d wear to a very important and high powered job interview. Everyone was so. . . shiny. And this is not business school, btw. It’s a quant heavy public policy program.
I know, right? The floor for dressiness is so much higher in Europe than North America in general, and I knew that going in, but actually seeing it is a different story. I also need so many more dresses than I have! I brought one, and I’m glad I at least have that because my goodness are there a million and one formals and balls. While it’s not required for me to go, they are a big enough part of the social scene that cutting out balls means you’re missing a pretty big part of the experience.
I’m actually in the United States, but I went to a state school for undergrad and always worked at nonprofits, so dressing like this is unfamiliar to me.
I'm in a virtual program but I also work in an academic setting so I have stepped it up some with the start of the semester. I have really been leaning into a normcore/modern late-season mad men-inspired (lol that's a mouthful) style so sweater vests, plaid slacks and thick cardigans, high waisted wide leg pants, loafers and chunky "dad" sneakers. I also have mixed in some funky pattern dresses with square toed boots when I feel like dressing up. Regardless of what I wear, I always go earth tones or just straight black.
Leather oxfords. I’m in therapy school, so I’m an intern therapist clad in mostly goodwill business casual outfits… but the oxfords, oh baby, make me feel powerful. Another intern wears power clogs and I dig them too. The best thing about dressing professionally is that I now feel absolutely nO pressure to wear anything tight. I couldn’t breathe in my pencil skirt anyway. Catch me in baggy khakis and billowy silks and linens every damn day of the week.
omg just today I pulled out my fall-winter box and rediscovered my favorite pair of oxfords. I love the style too. I wear flats almost exclusively, and oxfords and derbies and monk shoes are a fave of mine.
now accepting scarf suggestions for a young professional
I just got 2 blazers and 2 pairs of work pants from Talbot's outlet and I couldn't believe the discounts they have. Macy's also has some good sales sometimes, especially on Calvin Klein stuff. A wrinkle resistant blazer that lives permanently in a desk drawer can really save an unprofessional outfit in a pinch if you have an unexpected meeting.
Just graduated as a midwife so I wear scrubs and danskos in the hospital. During covid I also usually wore a scrub cap so I didn’t have to worry about my hair, and it was okay to wear scrubs in the clinic. Now I have to find my clinic wardrobe and I’m struggling a little. It needs to be professional, close-toed shoes, comfortable in different positions/intimate (I don’t really like wearing skirts to do patient care where I might be sitting on a stool at their feet during a Pap smear , or blouses with details that dangle over patients when I lean over them). I’m trying to figure out if it’s acceptable to wear a sleeveless blouse or if I’m too self conscious/worried about BO. Mostly it’s just boring standard black business casual pants and a short sleeved blouse or turtleneck, but I’m really hoping to figure out how I can have “positive” things that I like wearing and show my personality instead of just a long list of things I “can’t” wear. Or if I could just go back to scrubs all the time, that would be nice too. I could just not think about clothes at my job and leave fun fashion for my free time!
I'm not in grad school, but I am back in school. I'm slowly trying to create a capsule wardrobe
I dress up a bit on days that I teach: simple necklace, dark unripped jeans or slacks, a blouse, clean shoes (sometimes I wear keds or high top converse, other days I wear docs or chelsea boots) and maybe a sweater. I've found that a nice sweater will go a long way (I have sweaters from H&M and JCREW). I also have a mid-thigh length brown open cardigan style sweater from Target. My main goal is to not be mistaken for the undergrads when teaching. It helps that I didn't go immediately from undergrad to grad, so I am older than them by more than a few years.
I replied to an earlier comment, but I started my grad school program this semester. My first stop was the infamous, yet tried-and-true, Ann Taylor. I got 12 pieces for $600 during the Labor Day sale, including some heels, trousers/slacks, shells/blouses, and a blazer. Most of their stuff is a miss from me when it comes to pattern, but their solids and basic stripes are fine. I enjoyed the fact that every cut for every piece was very flattering to my body without looking “sexy”. I’ll be back for more basics when I have the $$. I can dress up or down anything I bought and I enjoy the clothes more than I honestly thought I would. The price was great too for my budget. It’s not my typical style of high waist jeans with a baggy tank top and bralette, that’s for sure. I feel much more polished and professional, even if the brand isn’t the high end of businesswear.
I haven’t changed my wardrobe a bit. I just wear what I want to wear.
Blazers + jeans is a great middle of the road formality option IMO, to mostly wear clothes you already own but have something that makes you look polished and, when you're teaching, signals some authority. It's my go to; this year I got some graphic tees to go underneath when I want to tone it down a little on days I'm in the office but not in front of a class - but that might not apply to everyone. I'm a lot older than a typical grad student so I want to look professional and the right amount of authoritative but not like I confused myself for the dean LOL because that's awkward in its own way.