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What to wear when you're going back to school in your 30's?

Strawberries

Member

I'm 33, and starting business school in September. Most of the people in my class are between 27-31, so while I'm not too much older, I'm still older. Plus most of wardrobe is appropriate for the corporate world. Now that I'm going back to school, I'm lost: how do I dress for school in an age-appropriate way but without feeling too dowdy? What do I buy? Where do I buy? How do I begin?

Help?

Dressing

18 replies

Latest reply was from cjh

KathyL

Veteran

How about Jeans or khakis, tees or knit tops, cardigans in case it gets cold in the classroom. Despite the age, it's still school, so it will probably be pretty casual. Take advantage of the break from a corporate wardrobe for a little while!

JR

Veteran

I would begin by doing almost nothing, myself. Go to class the first few days in a nice mid-vibe business casual, and get a feel for what the "uniform" is. And then work from there. I suspect that at business school, there might be a bit more of a "dress for success" kind of mentality than in most schools, but I'm only guessing.

You're not older enough for age to be an issue, quite honestly. Just don't try to look like a teenager, and you'll be fine.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Whatever you want! When I was at NYU, the biz school students dressed just like everyone else.

Amy

(website)

Veteran

Yep, wear what you want. I recently attended some classes at the law school here and all the students were in jeans and t-shirts except the students who had interviews or internships later in the day.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

The older students I go to school with do a lot of nice colourful t-shirts, dark wash jeans and leather jackets

Anonymous

If you want to work on your casual wardrobe, you could always check out Angie's "Mom on the Go" outfit formulas in the archives. She has lots of other casual outfit formulas there too, and of course you don't need to be a Mom to wear them.

Gaylene

Veteran

I've taught in the post secondary system for decades and the uniform seems to be same regardless of the times: jeans, T's, sweaters, and jackets. The only change is the cut and silhouette.

One thought--you might to reflect before dressing too stylishly, especially if you are just coming from the corporate world and are a bit older than the rest of the students. Younger students can sometimes be a bit intimidated by older classmates. If you want to "fit in" more quickly, I'd buy a pair of nice-looking jeans and wear them with a t-shirt or casual shirt, Converse sneakers or boots, and a jacket or cardigan. You'd fit right into any of my classes in that outfit.

Mama Susie

I took a couple MBA classes a few years ago and many of the students who went to night classes after work just wore their same work clothes from the day. This is what I did. Other students were more casual in jeans and tshirts. The beauty of school is that most people don't care what you're wearing. I second clearlyclaire's tip on checking out Angie's "Mom on the Go" outfits. I personally have been looking at them since I am a mom-on-the-go but I would wear many of them even if I wasn't.

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Is this a master's degree? If so, you'll likely find that most students dress as they would for work in an office. When I did my degree I wore the exact same clothes as I did for a day at work.

Gaylene

Veteran

Actually, Jenava and Mama Susie bring up a good point. My late afternoon and evening MBA classes are usually filled with people who have come directly from work and are in corporate attire.

Although most of my full-time students wear jeans almost exclusively, there are groups of students who have their own dress code. For example, many of the students in my business courses come from Japan, SE Asia, or China. They seem to be much more style conscious than most of the North American students that I encounter.

Hands down, the worst dressers seem to be the grad students I supervise. I've had a couple come to my tutorials in pyjama pants! And they want to be future CEOs/CFOs??

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I went back to school in my 30's, it was for a second bachelor's so most of my classmates were 10+ years younger than me. I wore jeans and hoodies, but my hoodies were cashmere. I was in a cargo pant phase, so I wore those, but they were fancy ones. I actually had one student complain to me that I should stop dressing so nice because I was making them look bad. I think or hope she was half joking. I don't think she was even 21 yet.

Strawberries

Member

Thanks for the tips, guys! Yes, I got the sense that business school attire was slightly different. I"m single, and not a parent so I guess I hadn't thought to check out the forum that clearlyclaire and mamasusie suggested - will definitely check out the styles. So far, I've decided to keep to sweater/cardigan sets with skirts, and also find a jacket that I can throw over a dress/outfit in case of impromptu meetings/presentations? I'm guessing if I could just find a good pair of casual but dressy enough shoes to tone down/tone up an outfit, it'll go a long way to help !

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I did an evening program and I found that the daytime students were usually more formal for presentations than the evening students. The average age was also a little higher, which was nice. Evening students just wore their work wear (biz casual) while the day students were more likely to go business formal. That said, I also went to UW in Seattle, and the Microsoft attitude towards dressing down does influence the culture...I have heard that in some areas if you wear a suit to interview they actually WON'T hire you. )-:

Aziraphale

Veteran

What JR says is right on the money. I'd hold off, see what others are wearing, and then decide. Maybe you'll fit right in already. Or if not, and you want to blend in (and I assume that you do want to blend in, since you are asking the question of what to wear), then you can take some cues from what others are wearing and go from there.

I think Angie has some blog posts on "smart casual" that might be worth a look.

MsMary

Veteran

I don't have much to add re: what to wear, but I have a web site you might want to check out. http://www.corporette.com is great for these kinds of questions! Just jump in on whatever blog post is current and ask away!

Parsley

Veteran

I also went back to school in my 30s, and everybody dressed super-casually. Pretty much jeans every day. Jeans and a sweater in the winter, jeans and a casual top in warmer weather.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I agree with clearlyclaire and annagybe - the MOTG formulas might help you out quite a bit.

When I went back to school, I wore *very* casual clothes - but a little bit more grown-up. That said, it was still jeans, tee, boots and a hoodie, for the most part.

Meanwhile, those who have chimed in on the 'night school MBA aspect' are right - it depends on the program and what time your classes are. Actually, the night classes - most people are coming straight from work...

What type of program are you starting and are you taking day or night classes?

cjh

(website)

Veteran

You might be surprised to find out that your school has a dress code. The business school at the large state university near me requires business casual or better dress. Shocked some of those students right out of their boots (and tennies, flannel pj pants, hoodies, khaki shorts, etc.)

So as most have advised above, your regular work wear will be a good starting point in most adult classroom situations.