Dress in Academia

[LA Guy]

There is certainly a female student uniform in Ontario universities and particularly in mine that consists of Lululemon yogawear with very expensive Canada Goose coats added in the winter. The men tend to be even more unremarkable, in fact so much so that I can't even think what they wear.

I was an undergrad in Ontario in the 90s, and it was pretty popular to wear pajama bottoms to class

 

[Academic2]

These days undergraduates in my school almost without exception wear jeans and athletic shoes. Tops depend on the temperature and season. Almost all carry backpacks. It’s been that way for quite some time.

The situation with grad students is a bit more complex. Unlike undergrads, who dress almost exclusively with their peers in mind, grad students are at that transitional stage where they’re dressing not only for their peers but for their superiors as well since they’re preparing to enter the workforce.

Cheers,

Ac

 

[heldentenor]

The Lululemon/stretchy yoga pant craze for women, paired with athletic shoes in the summer and UGG boots in the winter, is dominant, with the occasional grunge/hipster/country girl thrown in for diversity. Guys have taken the slob look to its nadir, I'd lay even money that I'll have an undergraduate show up to class or a meeting with last night's vomit still on his shirt this year. A few J.Crew/"lumbersexual" and dorky t-shirt wearing gamer dudes round things out.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I was an undergrad in Ontario in the 90s, and it was pretty popular to wear pajama bottoms to class

Ugh, yeah - that still happens. Tends to be accompanied by an attitude of complete cluelessness and entitled privilege...

 

[SirPat]

I've just started my undergrad, I wore slim fitting slacks and tucked in an ironed shirt and some oxfords. Rotating around slacks, khakis, chinos and the occasional slim cut jeans. Shirts always tucked and shoes always polished. I also wear blazers when the weather (I live in Australia where heat is intense) permits Though I have noticed that there is barely anyone else out there, apart from some post-grads, professors and a few others, who carry their selves in such manner. Everyone is on the jeans and sneakers. Should I continue on dressing as I do or conform to the others standards? I like to present myself well and I aspire to continue my studies into the medical field. I also happen to be 18 years old.

 

[LA Guy]

Ugh, yeah - that still happens. Tends to be accompanied by an attitude of complete cluelessness and entitled privilege...

That's actually just undergraduates everywhere, and I think, moreso now than before, and possibly in large part because universities are viewed and operated (often ineptly) as businesses offering a product. But I digress.

 

[WhereNext]

Ugh, yeah - that still happens. Tends to be accompanied by an attitude of complete cluelessness and entitled privilege...

All of that (clothing choices and attitude combined) matches my experience at undergrad in the mid-90s (upstate New York, small private university).
I didn't raise the bar sartorially (jeans and a t-shirt) or clue-wise by any stretch, but at least I wasn't entitled!

 

[WhereNext]

I've just started my undergrad, I wore slim fitting slacks and tucked in an ironed shirt and some oxfords. Rotating around slacks, khakis, chinos and the occasional slim cut jeans. Shirts always tucked and shoes always polished. I also wear blazers when the weather (I live in Australia where heat is intense) permits Though I have noticed that there is barely anyone else out there, apart from some post-grads, professors and a few others, who carry their selves in such manner. Everyone is on the jeans and sneakers. Should I continue on dressing as I do or conform to the others standards? I like to present myself well and I aspire to continue my studies into the medical field. I also happen to be 18 years old.

Dress how you want to dress and be ready to deal with people who make comments, one way or the other. Be happy with yourself first, everything else second. That advice, of course, applies to most things in life in my opinion.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

That's actually just undergraduates everywhere, and I think, moreso now than before, and possibly in large part because universities are viewed and operated (often ineptly) as businesses offering a product. But I digress.

Absolutely, but some places are worse than others. My current university has a large proportion of its undergrads from families who seem to see themselves as the cream of the country. There are many other universities with much greater diversity in their undergraduate population...

 

[philosophe]



That's actually just undergraduates everywhere, and I think, moreso now than before, and possibly in large part because universities are viewed and operated (often ineptly) as businesses offering a product.  But I digress.

Word.

 

[jshastings]

At my school, pajamas to class were exceedingly rare (I think I only saw it once--during finals). There was a surprisingly consistent uniform: guys wore OCBD's and chinos, girls wore leggings and a blouse or sweater. Not a lot of jeans, as I recall. Nearly everyone had a barbour for when the temperature turned south of 70 degrees (we had a barbour store open my sophomore year very close to campus. Canada goose jackets were a staple when it snowed, though Moncler was popular too. When it would rain, everyone broke out the bean boots and (for girls) hunter boots. Obviously there was some variation, but it was surprisingly homogenous. At my school, grad students were generally less put-together, though undergrads didn't interact with them very often. It also didn't help that the only stores within walking distance were Brooks Bros, J. McLaughlin, Lily Pulitzer and Barbour. Entitlement was a common problem at our school, though that was owed to a pretty stagnant culture that the school tended to reinforce.

 

[venividivicibj]

During my undergrad PJs were only during finals week.

Also, sooner or later is this thread going to talk about the adderall issue in schools? (Or as I call it- PEDs for classes) I know it doesn't affect those of you in research as much, but for those of your who teach, how do you feel about it? If classes are curved (a true curve) isn't it basically cheating (gives an unfair [and illegal] advantage to some over others)? There was an article from a professor at Harvard a few years ago about it, and he admitted that he too, takes adderall when he has to write papers/read up on long articles etc.

 

[WhereNext]

During my undergrad PJs were only during finals week.

Also, sooner or later is this thread going to talk about the adderall issue in schools? (Or as I call it- PEDs for classes) I know it doesn't affect those of you in research as much, but for those of your who teach, how do you feel about it? If classes are curved (a true curve) isn't it basically cheating (gives an unfair [and illegal] advantage to some over others)? There was an article from a professor at Harvard a few years ago about it, and he admitted that he too, takes adderall when he has to write papers/read up on long articles etc.

I won't mark on a curve (personally opposed), so for me it falls under the same realm of "if you really want to do that to yourself, and you think it's OK, I can't really stop you". The same for those who drink too much, do other drugs (prescription and others), have people write their papers for them/cheat: I'd love for them not to do it, I encourage them not to do it, I'll highlight the downsides of doing it, but it's down to them eventually.

I'd be interested to hear what those who do mark/grade on a curve say on the issue!

Also, related to previous posts: I do wish that when I was an undergrad, yoga pants on my female peers had been more popular! Born too early....

 

[Foxhound]

I went digging for this, which was posted on my University's student FB page a few weeks ago, and whilst humorous,it is very accurate of the female undergrad population.
Titled "<UniName> starter pack".

 

[orfane]

I went digging for this, which was posted on my University's student FB page a few weeks ago, and whilst humorous,it is very accurate of the female undergrad population.
Titled "<UniName> starter pack".

We've come so far from the Uggs, Northface jackets, Yoga pants, and Starbucks of my Undergrad days. Truly shows how quickly fashion can change, this is the cutting edge