If you are about to start a graduate program, you may be nervous about a lot of things. I know one thing I was kind of obsessing over what was to wear on the first day of grad school. Should I be in business casual? What would other grad students be dressed like? Grad school outfits are a small detail, of course, but they have always helped to ease my first day nerves. So today, here are my top five tips for how to dress on your first day of grad school.
Assess the grad program norms
If you can do a little fashion espionage, it can be quite helpful. Check out the department’s website and Instagram, and note what everyone is wearing in any available photos. Often, there are a few photos of people in classroom seminars or at department talks or events, and that can be helpful.
A few faves:
-A big old teaching cardigan
-Nice lab pants
-My fave teaching sneakers
Assess the field norms
In general, STEM graduate programs are more casual (think: crunchy, Chacos as a dress shoe), arts programs are more, well, artsy, and humanities are…well, still pretty casual, but the flavors of casual can really vary from department to department!
Do not feel like you need to dress like every other graduate student to fit in. It’s also important that you pick an outfit that you will feel good in.
Dress one level above your students
If you are TA-ing or teaching, you may want to pick a slightly more formal outfit, especially for the first day of grad school (if you will see your class). We always had a saying: it’s easier to start more formal and ease up than vice versa!
When I say dress one level above your students, I don’t mean you have to be totally business casual as a graduate student. But being in something that sets you apart slightly as the instructor can be helpful. This could be anything from a nice work tote to having a go-to hairstyle to buying some sharp loafers.
Think casual, but in front of a boss
In graduate seminars (classes), it’s normal to be in casual clothes. If we scrolled through my grad school fashion archives, we would find a lot of jeans, ankle boots, and cardigans (the year was 2015, haha). Being casual is absolutely fine; my only advice here is that the faculty who are teaching you may also become your supervisors. So, just think about whether there are any clothing items you would not like a supervisor to see you in, and edit accordingly.
Embrace the liminal space
Not to get all nerdy on you, but an interesting part of grad school fashion–and grad school in general–is what an in-between time it is. You are both a student and a research colleague and sometimes an instructor. One challenging aspect of the first day of grad school for me was wondering if I was entirely an adult yet or if I was still expected to be the undergraduate I had just been.
The answer was kind of both. No one expects you to have it all figured out on day one (or at the end of your grad program!). You may have a closet full of casual college clothes coming in with you. Don’t feel a need to toss them all. A few small upgrades can add flexibility to your grad student closet.
Have a great first day of grad school! Need more ideas:
–Grad school orientation outfits
–How to look older in grad school
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