thesis defense outfit male

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

What to wear for a PhD/ MSc thesis defense?

Is it better to wear formal clothes for a PhD or MSc thesis defense or can we wear something as simple as a T-shirt?

• outward-appearance

• Can you clarify presentation ? Are you presenting an informal talk on your research, or is this a formal defense? –  Moriarty Commented Jul 10, 2014 at 8:13
• 5 So is it a formal defense or not? Either way, it's going to ultimately depend on the culture of your country and department. For an informal talk, your everyday dress will usually be fine. For a formal defense, it might be a good idea to wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants. –  Moriarty Commented Jul 10, 2014 at 8:18
• 9 I think it really depends on the country and culture. E.g. mine was in the hot summer (35+ degrees Celsius). As a girl, I went in a dress (not too formal, but as I usually don't wear dresses/skirts at all, for me it was a big step up). But, I've seen boys present in jeans and T-shirts, jeans and (short sleeve) shirts, jeans with shirts and ties, suit-pants and shirts (and ties), one with a wacky tie, but also several in short pants and T-shirts... and they all defended successfully. –  penelope Commented Jul 10, 2014 at 8:45
• 6 The appropriate attire is the one that won't distract the audience form the content of your talk. Don't try to be original or to make a statement ('I'm a genius, I can dress the way I want' etc.). I think a bit formal never hurts, it shows that you are taking it seriously but ultimately it's highly unlikely that your attire will influence your grade. –  Cape Code Commented Jul 10, 2014 at 11:30
• 3 Have you asked your advisor? –  Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Commented Mar 15, 2015 at 22:33

4 Answers 4

Almost anything will be fine, provided you feel comfortable on them. The clothes you are wearing will influence the first impression, but you are going to be talking about your project for at least 20 min, and the confidence and clarity will wipe whatever the first idea was. Make sure they are you feel good on them, and don't use them for the first time this day in case they itch or something (specially important for underwear!).

The right level of formalism is very dependent on the culture and setting, but it is probably not so important. It will also depend on whether the event is public or not: if the audience are going to be the people that have been seeing you in normal clothes all year round, or if the public is going to attend and the University wants to shine. Of course, a frock and a top hat or just a swimming suit will look ridiculous, but anywhere in the middle would work.

For reference, I have been present to two PhD defences in Sweden (where they are quite lax in formalities). In one, the doctorand was wearing plain business-like clothes, slightly more formal than a normal day; in the other, he was wearing a normal shirt, quite less formal than his normal attire. And, for the record, both passed.

Edit: Jigg is right in pointing that some universities do require a certain dress code. In this case, it will probably be clearly stated by the centre. Being rejected is possible, but extremely unlikely, as it can get the university in all sorts of legal troubles. Also, these regulations can get to absurd levels (the story seems to be a legend, but the third comment may be legit).

• 10 +1 for formalism depending on the setting. A friend of mine who got his Masters in an Italian engineering school was dismissed from the exam before saying the first word because he didn't wear a tie. –  Cape Code Commented Jul 10, 2014 at 12:21
• 1 @Jigg really ??????!!!! –  user14487 Commented Jul 10, 2014 at 12:33
• 2 @begueradj a doctor told me that in his first day of work in a hospital in the UK he was sent back home for the same reason; being a pathologist, so he never interacts with alive patients. In cases like Jigg's friend (very uncommon, I must say), the school should specify the dress code somewhere. –  Davidmh Commented Jul 10, 2014 at 12:44
• 2 Yes, it's an anecdote. I doubt it was an official university dress code, just the opinion of an old prof with a penchant for conservatism. –  Cape Code Commented Jul 10, 2014 at 13:03
• 2 At Oxford vivas (defences) count as examinations, and full academic dress is required, meaning a dark suit, white shirt or blouse, white bow tie or black ribbon, mortarboard and gown. This is, of course, made very clear to candidates beforehand, though. –  dbmag9 Commented Dec 18, 2014 at 22:15

Think of it as a job interview, but actually much more important than that. There is such a thing as unconscious bias - first impressions count and you should therefore aim to make a good one. If you look professional, then they will think you are professional, and are more likely to trust and believe in you. It may not be fair, but that is how it is. I recommend being smartly dressed.

• 7 But keep in mind that in some fields, "professional" means a new T-shirt. –  JeffE Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 2:47

In job interviews it's actually a mistake to dress up fully formally for jobs (like software) that don't require it. Your grad student culture has a range probably from t-shirts to business casual.

I do think it's important to say, "Hey, I'm taking this seriously, this is a serious occasion, and I'm prepared." Comfort is the other important thing.

In one sentence, wear something in the top third of your wardrobe, but not in the top tenth. Smarter/sharper is good, fancy pants dinner or gala attire is bad.

That being said, here's my attempt at male fashion advice (sorry, I can't really help the women here too much) if you really do feel like a more detailed breakdown will help you.

• Street shoes (c.f. sneakers)
• dark wash jeans or slacks
• collared shirt tucked in, or similar such as nice sweater
• neatly shaven to your level of grooming (beard or clean okay, just whatever you wear)
• not looking like you "need a haircut" but don't get a fancy or special haircut. Wear your normal accessories, whether it be watch or necklace.
• If tattoos are part of your look they've got you this far, don't worry about covering them or not ("within reason").
• Try not to look like a sloppy student who never dresses up: wear clothes straight from the cleaner.
• A tie if you like, in my mind I picture that as a nice addition but not necessary.

I think a jacket is too much: it will make you look too "other" compared to the professors. If you over-dress you will make yourself look "on the spot" more than you already are, and who wants that?

This might sound too analytical for fashion (unless you're really into fashion in which case it sounds fun!), but this shouldn't sound daunting. Just dress normal, normal, normal, nice.

• 7 +1 for "wear something in the top third of your wardrobe, but not in the top tenth". –  J. Zimmerman Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 16:50
• What about a suit or a bow tie instead of a tie? –  Rrjrjtlokrthjji Commented Apr 22, 2015 at 21:05

You can wear something as informal as a t-shirt and, as others have said, it probably won't swing the decision one way or another. I've seen very informal defense dress from passing students. That said, most people dress up at least slightly more formally than normal and many wear business attire. If you're extremely uncomfortable or resistant to dressing up, don't worry too much. Otherwise: Why not?

Showing up wearing a suit and tie or similarly formal business attire is a strong signal that you are taking the defense seriously. Although they're not everything, first impressions matter and formal dress can also help you look (and feel) authoritative, knowledgeable, and a way you can show that you've taken the time to be prepared.

I am extremely casual on a day-to-day basis but I wore a suit for my defense. Although my own advisor teased me that my defense was the first time he'd seen me dressed up, the fact that he knew that I rarely dressed that way made it very clear how seriously I took the process. Would I have passed anyway? Sure. But even if the effect is one person challenges you a little bit less in the Q&A, that could be worth it.

• 1 This answer is probably rather country-specific. In Germany, I have seen an MSc student show up for his (CS) defense in a business attire exactly once, and by that, he made (later, in his absence) the whole department laugh about him because he was hopelessly overdressed (both compared to other students and compared to everyone in the department ...). We seriously wondered whether he was trying to be funny in a weird way. (That applies only to defenses by students, though; for PhD defenses, things are very different.) –  O. R. Mapper Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 15:58
• 1 @O.R.Mapper: I'm in the US and my opinion is pulling mostly from my experience. It's also going to vary based on the culture of the school and place in general. Folks dressed up for more defenses, and in general, at MIT and in Boston than they do at the University of Washington and in Seattle. –  mako Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 16:50

You must log in to answer this question.

• Featured on Meta
• Bringing clarity to status tag usage on meta sites
• We've made changes to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy - July 2024
• Announcing a change to the data-dump process

Hot Network Questions

• The hat-check problem
• Has the government of Afghanistan clarified what they mean/intend by the ban on 'images of living beings'?
• Op Amp Feedback Resistors
• Miracle Miracle Octad Generator Generator
• bash script quoting frustration
• Are Experimental Elixirs Magic Items?
• Would it take less thrust overall to put an object into higher orbit?
• How to infuse a sweet creme filling with lemongrass?
• How does one go about writing papers as a nobody?
• How to raise a vector to powers contained in a vector, change the list into a product, and do this for all the lines of a matrix, efficiently?
• Why did Jesus choose to pray after they tried making him king?
• Efficiently tagging first and last of each object matching condition
• "Knocking it out of the park" sports metaphor American English vs British English?
• What Christian ideas are found in the New Testament that are not found in the Old Testament?
• Is the Shroud of Turin about 2000 years old?
• Convert mp4 to webm using dash/ffmpeg technology
• Why don't we observe protons deflecting in J.J. Thomson's experiment?
• If the Collatz conjecture is undecidable, then it is true
• How to extract code into library allowing changes without workflow overhead
• How did the cop infer from Uncle Aaron's statement that Miles has been visiting?
• Can the speed of light inhibit the synchronisation of a power grid?
• how replicate this effect with geometry nodes
• Which translation of Psalm 113:9 is closest to the original?
• Is there racial discrimination at Tbilisi airport?

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• Ask Andy's Style Discussion
• Timeless Style

Attire for a Doctoral Dissertation defense

• Add to quote

Hi gents, I haven't posted in a while as I've been in the final stages of my dissertation. At long last, today I'll be giving my oral defense and here's the attire I've picked out. - my 2b navy blue Oxxford suit - a white Gitman Bros dress shirt (with pocket carefully, and successfully!- removed) - burgundy grenadine tie - Alden black punch cap toe balmorals As always, feedback on the chosen threads are welcome. But mainly, I just wanted to share my news with my friends here at AAAC. all the best, red96  

That sounds ideal - elegant but subdued. Good luck!  

Sounds like something I could have worn to my oral defence. Good luck and enjoy!  

What field are you in? Had I worn that for my defense (Physics), I would have been ludicrously out of place. I imagine in some departments a suit would be fine, but in many I suspect the committee would wonder what on earth you were trying to prove. There are enough things that can go badly in a defense that you don't want the committee distracted (or irritated) by your clothing. Get in, get it done with out too much fuss, and get out, before they decide you need to rewrite half the dissertation! And, by the way, good luck and congratulations (presumably not premature, as I've rarely seen a defense where the committee allowed an unprepared candidate to actually get that far).  

Sounds perfect! All the best to you for a successful defense.  

Yeah, when my wife did hers she dressed very midrange- Gray suit, ecru shell, cruficix, flat shoes.  

It might make sense to float your wardrobe idea to your advisor. This is someone likely to know the panel and what will work. Why guess when you don't have to? Also, there is often a sweet spot sartorially between appropriate and what makes you feel confident. Never wear anything that makes you feel self-conscious. The more you can forget about your clothes after you put them on, the better off you'll be.  

I'll add to the chorus of "be careful not to overdress". Obviously, a lot depends on departmental culture and the dress expectations of the field - offhand, I can't think of a field that would be so "dressy". Maybe economics or finance. Mine was physics, for example, and it was extremely casual dress-wise, as is normal for the field. As always, "dressing appropriately" >> "dressing up"! DH  

Must be an unusually prosperous graduate student if he can afford Oxxford! I can't for the life of me remember what I wore to my dissertation defense. Apparel for a dissertation defense is very different from (and much less critical than) that for a job interview. Unless things have changed greatly since my day, it is pretty much a formality if you have been working closely and harmoniously with your dissertation prof. The only cases I ever heard of doctoral candidates coming a cropper on their dissertation defense was after they had openly flouted the counsel of their supervising professor and "done their own thing" in defiance of him. Of course, this was all 40+ years ago, and things can change in that amount of time. To the OP: Congratulations on reaching this major milestone of your life. I know it has been a long hard journey. Hope your Ph.D. does you more good than mine did me!  

^ I agree with every bit of that. As a current PHD dissertator and friend of a few recent PHD recipients, I can attest to the nature of the defense itself as a formality. I hear it can be unpleasant at times, but if your committee has not ensured that you survive the defense, they have not done their job. With that in mind, I say wear whatever you like! You will be photographed a lot on this day and go out to celebrate, so make it good! Attire for oral exams that one can fail, however, is much more important. But I don't think a defense qualifies as this.  

wear a suit I was wearing a suit when I made the oral defense of my doctoral thesis (archaeology). My opponent, who was an american, was wearing a rather wrinkled suit... As I remember it, there were around 100 people listening to my defense. During an oral defense of your doctoral thesis you are supposed to wear a suit in Sweden. I have even seen a person defending his thesis in black tie... That was two months ago! Maybe there are different traditions between our countries. But wear a suit. Dont you want to be properly dressed for the celebration afterwards?  

oral defense you are considerably more elegant than I was in my oral exam--passed with "distinction." Chinos and boat shoes, navy blazer and blue button down Oxford shirt. Not visible--but my constant good luck charm--were BB black sock garters  

pichao said: But wear a suit. Dont you want to be properly dressed for the celebration afterwards? Click to expand...

Congratulations on finishing your dissertation. I never made it past ABD, but I imagine that it is more important to feel good and be relaxed in front of the inquisitors. You will no doubt do better in that sort of state of mind than any others. It doesn't hurt to feel a little cheeky about looking good either; it is hardly a disqualifying feature to carry forward once your teachers become your colleagues. I am told it helps in interviews too. Congratulations again.  

"Celebration"? "Photographs"? I just got on the line 83 bus and rode home.  

Congratulations and goodluck!  

Your clothing selection sounds very good, I would suggest NOT wearing a watch (although DO ARRIVE ON TIME!) and dont bring a cell phone into the room with you or if you do make sure you shut it off completely Before you enter the room. Leave enough time so you can arrive leisurely so as to avoid sweating, wear a ton of deodorant and maybe throw a handkerchief in your pocket in case you get sweaty palms. Pop a breath mint and a tums, dont over-tighten your tie, belt or shoe laces to the point of constriction. Turn the heat down in the car on the ride over, dont put keys or change in your pocket.  

Thanks for all the good wishes, everyone. I indeed passed the exam today and was certainly happy with my clothing selection (although it admittedly was the furthest thing from my mind today!) A couple of people inquired about being surprised that I was wearing a suit. If it's any help, I'm in a business school, where the "dress code" for such an event is fairly standard and well known. In fact, a couple of years ago, a colleague showed up for his defense without a tie and was advised by his advisor to go find out pronto.  

Congratulations Doctor Red96 !  

Congratulations!  

Congratulations on your successful completion of a characteristically long and arduous task!  

Congrats! For my defense, I wore a nice new Aloha shirt. But, then again, at the Univ of Hawaii, that IS formal. :teacha:  

Congratulations on your PhD!!!  

• ?            
• 79.9K members

Top Contributors this Month

The best free cultural &

educational media on the web

• Online Courses
• Certificates
• Degrees & Mini-Degrees
• Audio Books

What to Wear to a Successful PhD Thesis Defense? A Skirt’s Worth of Academic Rejection Letters

in Creativity , Education , Fashion , Life , Science | November 8th, 2019 Leave a Comment

Some peo­ple are par­a­lyzed by rejec­tion.

Oth­ers, like Michi­gan State University’s  Earth and Envi­ron­men­tal Sci­ences  PhD can­di­date,  Caitlin Kir­by , sport rejec­tion like a man­tle of hon­or… or more accu­rate­ly, a pleat­ed skirt falling to just below mid-thigh.

“Suc­cess­ful­ly defend­ed my PhD dis­ser­ta­tion today!” Kir­by wrote in a Tweet that has since gar­nered over 25,000 likes. “In the spir­it of acknowl­edg­ing & nor­mal­iz­ing fail­ure in the process, I defend­ed in a skirt made of rejec­tion let­ters from the course of my PhD.”

The cus­tom gar­ment, which Kir­by teamed with a dark blaz­er and red waist­band, was orga­nized in two tiers, with a tulle ruf­fle peep­ing out beneath.

MSU’s Career Ser­vices Network’s Direc­tor of Employ­er Rela­tions, Karin Han­son, told the  Lans­ing State Jour­nal   that rejec­tion comes as a shock to many high achiev­ing MSU stu­dents.

Kirby’s deci­sion to upcy­cle 17 dis­ap­point­ing let­ters received over the course of her aca­d­e­m­ic career was par­tial­ly inspired by a Parks and Recre­ation episode in which the skirt of  Leslie Knope’s wed­ding dress is a wear­able col­lage of news­pa­per arti­cles  about the char­ac­ter, drawn from ear­li­er episodes

More to the point, Kirby’s skirt is part of an ongo­ing cam­paign to acknowl­edge rejec­tion as a nec­es­sary, if painful, part of aca­d­e­m­ic growth.

The whole process of revis­it­ing those old let­ters and mak­ing that skirt sort of remind­ed me that you have to apply to a lot of things to suc­ceed. It seems coun­ter­in­tu­itive to wear your rejec­tions to your last test in your Ph.D, but we talked about our rejec­tions every week and I want­ed them to be a part of it.

And, as she lat­er  not­ed in a tweet :

Accep­tances and rejec­tions are often based on the tra­di­tion­al val­ues of acad­e­mia, which excludes POC by not valu­ing the approach­es, research ques­tions, and expe­ri­ences that POC tend to bring to their work.

Kirby’s let­ters were culled from a vari­ety of sources—scholarship appli­ca­tions, sub­mis­sions to aca­d­e­m­ic jour­nals, and pro­pos­als for con­fer­ence pre­sen­ta­tions.   Unfor­tu­nate­ly  and  We regret to inform you  are recur­rent motifs. About 8 let­ters were left on the cut­ting room floor.

But she is pre­pared to low­er her hem­line, when she starts apply­ing for jobs, fol­low­ing a stint at the Research Insti­tute for Urban and Region­al Devel­op­ment in Dort­mund, Ger­many, the result of a  suc­cess­ful Ful­bright appli­ca­tion .

Fol­low Kirby’s exam­ple and turn your tem­po­rary set­backs into a pow­er skirt, using the tuto­r­i­al above.

via  Boing Boing 

Relat­ed Con­tent:

Read Rejec­tion Let­ters Sent to Three Famous Artists: Sylvia Plath, Kurt Von­negut & Andy Warhol

T.S. Eliot, as Faber & Faber Edi­tor, Rejects George Orwell’s “Trot­skyite” Nov­el Ani­mal Farm (1944)

Gertrude Stein Gets a Snarky Rejec­tion Let­ter from Pub­lish­er (1912)

Ayun Hal­l­i­day  is an author, illus­tra­tor, the­ater mak­er and Chief Pri­ma­tol­o­gist of  the East Vil­lage Inky  zine.  Join her in NYC on Mon­day, Decem­ber 9 when her month­ly book-based vari­ety show,  Necro­mancers of the Pub­lic Domain,  res­ur­rects Dennison’s Christ­mas Book (1921). Fol­low her  @AyunHalliday .

by Ayun Halliday | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Related posts:

Comments (0).

Be the first to comment.

Add a comment

Leave a reply.

Name (required)

Email (required)

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

Click here to cancel reply.

• 1,700 Free Online Courses
• 200 Online Certificate Programs
• 100+ Online Degree & Mini-Degree Programs
• 1,150 Free Movies
• 1,000 Free Audio Books
• 150+ Best Podcasts
• 800 Free eBooks
• 200 Free Textbooks
• 300 Free Language Lessons
• 150 Free Business Courses
• Free K-12 Education
• Get Our Daily Email

Free Courses

• Art & Art History
• Classics/Ancient World
• Computer Science
• Data Science
• Engineering
• Environment
• Political Science
• Writing & Journalism
• All 1700 Free Courses

Receive our Daily Email

Free updates, get our daily email.

Get the best cultural and educational resources on the web curated for you in a daily email. We never spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Free Movies

• 1150 Free Movies Online
• Free Film Noir
• Silent Films
• Documentaries
• Martial Arts/Kung Fu
• Free Hitchcock Films
• Free Charlie Chaplin
• Free John Wayne Movies
• Free Tarkovsky Films
• Free Dziga Vertov
• Free Oscar Winners
• Free Language Lessons
• All Languages

Free eBooks

• 700 Free eBooks
• Free Philosophy eBooks
• The Harvard Classics
• Philip K. Dick Stories
• Neil Gaiman Stories
• David Foster Wallace Stories & Essays
• Hemingway Stories
• Great Gatsby & Other Fitzgerald Novels
• HP Lovecraft
• Edgar Allan Poe
• Free Alice Munro Stories
• Jennifer Egan Stories
• George Saunders Stories
• Hunter S. Thompson Essays
• Joan Didion Essays
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez Stories
• David Sedaris Stories
• Stephen King
• Golden Age Comics
• Free Books by UC Press
• Life Changing Books

Free Audio Books

• 700 Free Audio Books
• Free Audio Books: Fiction
• Free Audio Books: Poetry
• Free Audio Books: Non-Fiction

Free Textbooks

• Free Physics Textbooks
• Free Computer Science Textbooks
• Free Math Textbooks

K-12 Resources

• Free Video Lessons
• Web Resources by Subject
• Quality YouTube Channels
• Teacher Resources
• All Free Kids Resources

Free Art & Images

• All Art Images & Books
• The Rijksmuseum
• Smithsonian
• The Guggenheim
• The National Gallery
• The Whitney
• LA County Museum
• Stanford University
• British Library
• Google Art Project
• French Revolution
• Getty Images
• Guggenheim Art Books
• Met Art Books
• Getty Art Books
• New York Public Library Maps
• Museum of New Zealand
• Smarthistory
• Coloring Books
• All Bach Organ Works
• All of Bach
• 80,000 Classical Music Scores
• Free Classical Music
• Live Classical Music
• 9,000 Grateful Dead Concerts
• Alan Lomax Blues & Folk Archive

Writing Tips

• William Zinsser
• Kurt Vonnegut
• Toni Morrison
• Margaret Atwood
• David Ogilvy
• Billy Wilder
• All posts by date

Personal Finance

• Open Personal Finance
• Amazon Kindle
• Architecture
• Artificial Intelligence
• Comics/Cartoons
• Current Affairs
• English Language
• Entrepreneurship
• Food & Drink
• Graduation Speech
• How to Learn for Free
• Internet Archive
• Language Lessons
• Most Popular
• Neuroscience
• Photography
• Pretty Much Pop
• Productivity
• UC Berkeley
• Uncategorized
• Video - Arts & Culture
• Video - Politics/Society
• Video - Science
• Video Games

Great Lectures

• Michel Foucault
• Sun Ra at UC Berkeley
• Richard Feynman
• Joseph Campbell
• Jorge Luis Borges
• Leonard Bernstein
• Richard Dawkins
• Buckminster Fuller
• Walter Kaufmann on Existentialism
• Jacques Lacan
• Roland Barthes
• Nobel Lectures by Writers
• Bertrand Russell
• Oxford Philosophy Lectures

Sign up for Newsletter

Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.

Great Recordings

• T.S. Eliot Reads Waste Land
• Sylvia Plath - Ariel
• Joyce Reads Ulysses
• Joyce - Finnegans Wake
• Patti Smith Reads Virginia Woolf
• Albert Einstein
• Charles Bukowski
• Bill Murray
• Fitzgerald Reads Shakespeare
• William Faulkner
• Flannery O'Connor
• Tolkien - The Hobbit
• Allen Ginsberg - Howl
• Dylan Thomas
• Anne Sexton
• John Cheever
• David Foster Wallace

Book Lists By

• Neil deGrasse Tyson
• Ernest Hemingway
• F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Allen Ginsberg
• Patti Smith
• Henry Miller
• Christopher Hitchens
• Joseph Brodsky
• Donald Barthelme
• David Bowie
• Samuel Beckett
• Art Garfunkel
• Marilyn Monroe
• Picks by Female Creatives
• Zadie Smith & Gary Shteyngart
• Lynda Barry

Favorite Movies

• Kurosawa's 100
• David Lynch
• Werner Herzog
• Woody Allen
• Wes Anderson
• Luis Buñuel
• Roger Ebert
• Susan Sontag
• Scorsese Foreign Films
• Philosophy Films
• August 2024
• February 2024
• January 2024
• December 2023
• November 2023
• October 2023
• September 2023
• August 2023
• February 2023
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022
• October 2022
• September 2022
• August 2022
• February 2022
• January 2022
• December 2021
• November 2021
• October 2021
• September 2021
• August 2021
• February 2021
• January 2021
• December 2020
• November 2020
• October 2020
• September 2020
• August 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• December 2019
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019
• August 2019
• February 2019
• January 2019
• December 2018
• November 2018
• October 2018
• September 2018
• August 2018
• February 2018
• January 2018
• December 2017
• November 2017
• October 2017
• September 2017
• August 2017
• February 2017
• January 2017
• December 2016
• November 2016
• October 2016
• September 2016
• August 2016
• February 2016
• January 2016
• December 2015
• November 2015
• October 2015
• September 2015
• August 2015
• February 2015
• January 2015
• December 2014
• November 2014
• October 2014
• September 2014
• August 2014
• February 2014
• January 2014
• December 2013
• November 2013
• October 2013
• September 2013
• August 2013
• February 2013
• January 2013
• December 2012
• November 2012
• October 2012
• September 2012
• August 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011
• August 2011
• February 2011
• January 2011
• December 2010
• November 2010
• October 2010
• September 2010
• August 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009
• December 2008
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007
• August 2007
• February 2007
• January 2007
• December 2006
• November 2006
• October 2006
• September 2006

©2006-2024 Open Culture, LLC. All rights reserved.

• Advertise with Us
• Copyright Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Thesis Defense Outfit

To wear or not to wear – that is the question!

The conversation on academic fashion started with a post where I wondered what to wear while presenting a keynote lecture . People sent me a lot of links and photos, which inspired me to start a new side project: a Pinterest Board on academic fashion. Recently, PhD student of fashion blogs, Rose Findlay wrote a follow up to post with extra tips on dressing.

Over the weeks between the first and second post, two other people took the time to write posts reflecting on their own academic dressing practices. I thought I would publish these pieces together as I think both of them highlight how complex this issue of ‘dressing the part’ is…

The first reflection is from Kate Mansfield who describes herself as: “a knitter, maker of things, and yoga practitioner who also happens to be a PhD student researching chronic widespread pain in general practice at Keele University. Kate writes:

Sometimes, the question is laden with a whole bundle of other ‘stuff’. The other ‘stuff’ is a nasty tangle of how the outfit makes me feel about myself and what it makes other people feel about me. Or, to tangle further, what I think it makes others think about me and then how that makes me feel about myself… eep . Let’s not even stray into what making your own clothes does for the what-to-wear-today debate. I knit, I sew, I can often look somewhat ‘handmade’. This varies in its success.

I few months ago, when I saw the PhD comics academic dress code . I paused, looked down and inwardly groaned to note I was, most definitely, clad in my worksuit. Damn it, I hadn’t even bothered to put a bra on . It’s ok, I mainly work from home. The cats don’t care how I look. But, do I? Does it make a difference to me? Short answer. Yes. Longer answer, well it’s a touch more complicated.

On those rare days when the words are there, when I wake in the morning with a chapter almost fully formed in my head, those days where it feels like a race to get to the keyboard to get the words out of brain and on to page. On those wonderful, wished for, blissful days, it really doesn’t matter what I wear. It kinda feels like who I am drops away and all that matters is the work.

Unfortunately those days don’t happen often. They’re usually inspired by a deadline and really, quite honestly, I rather have a whole bundle of normal days. Normal days where I dress in clothes that make me smile, rather than crazed days, where I don’t wash, pull on the first clothes that come out of the dirty washing basket and lose myself in the work. I’d rather be me, be a bit less productive, get in the shower and wear something nice.

At the other end there are the days where it’s tough. Where even sitting down at my desk feels impossible. The days when it feels like the PhD is winning. Those are the days I find myself in a fancy outfit, wearing makeup and a pair of red patent leather Mary-Janes that tie up with bows. It’s likely that it’s partially procrastination. It can take time to put that sort of outfit together.

There’s something else though. I’ve already said I work from home. Most days it’s just me and the cats. I live in a tiny village largely inhabited by the elderly, it sometimes feels like living in a retirement village. I don’t often wear make-up when I go out. I love flat shoes. But, occasionally I find myself sat at my desk, at home, looking like I should be going to a wedding.

It’s about feeling like I can do a PhD. It’s fighting the gremlins. I am professional and hardworking and if I look like I can do it, then I can. It’s ‘fake it till you make it’.

So what about office days and conference presentations? Am I dressing to influence what people think of me or what I think of myself? Of course first impressions matter. When I started clinical work as a med student we were told to imagine what an average old lady would expect a doctor to wear and dress accordingly. In a professional world where individual human interactions are fundamental, those first emotional perceptions set the tone.

But, should it matter how we dress in academia? In a world of anonymous peer review, we try very hard to look past who the author is. Our work should stand alone, separate to how we dress. It should. But it doesn’t. We are humans, no matter how objective our profession teaches us to be, we are emotional creatures, we are at risk of making judgements about the quality of another academic’s work based on how they look.

If the work is good enough, hopefully we’ll overlook an unfavourable first impression, but maybe we won’t. So, just incase, I dress nicely, so I feel good about myself, so that I walk in feeling like a research professional rather than a student and so that I don’t crush that first impression. All that said, I’m still perplexed by the suits people wear to sit in front of computers in offices where they only communicate in virtual space.

Maybe they need to feel the part like I do.

Maybe they’re faking it too.

The irony is I’m going through all this wardrobe angst for one day where for a few hours I get to wear a floppy velvet hat with a silly tassel and I do all my best thinking in the shower…

The second reflection on fashion is from ‘Vintage Murmur’, who describes herself as “a tentative blogger and reluctant tweeter”. She is doing her PhD on close-kin marriages in Ancient Egypt. Vintage Murmur writes:

In my old life I knew where I stood. All the dressing cues were in place: the power-suit, dressing-up and dressing-down, the comfy no one will see me trousers, and the who cares if I’m not trendy shoes.

And then I was catapulted back into university – same place, new century. I’m obviously not a student but I am a student. My age is the first big cue to set me apart. But how to ease into this life? How to find an acceptable middle ground that goes some way to sharing the student experience?  So what to wear at uni?

Here’s how I figure it out:

• Ripped jeans – no
• Faded jeans – only if 75% still identifiably blue
• Hair – no bright reds, oranges, purples or other sunset/sunrise colours
• Roots – fine if touched up, avoids grey roots bird’s eye view in lecture theatre
• Full head of silver grey hair – fine, brings out character in style of old silver fox
• Lashings of eyeliner – great if you look like Joanna Lumley or Sophia Loren
• Nose studs – only if worn in ears
• Black leggings – only if concealed
• Pixie boots – no
• 5’’ wedges – no
• 3’’ wedges – OK, stops hem of jeans from fraying and prevents slipping into ripped jeans camp
• Trainers – yes, nice and comfy for walking between buildings
• Trendy trainers – probably not
• Casual coordinated – OK for teaching, maybe with some chunky jewellery?
• Corporate clothes – forget it
• Uncoordinated roomy clothes – great for home, who’s watching anyway?

I don’t want to be mutton dressed as lamb, but I don’t want to be mumsy. It’s OK by me – what you see is what you get. But when it comes to clothes, there’s a choice. Even if I had 100mls of botox and a chin full of fillers, I’d still look vintage.

So what about you? Do you feel like there’s a connection between how you dress and how or what you write? Do you have trouble working out how to ‘be a student again’? We’d love to hear about it in the comments – and please keep sending in links for the Pinterest board!

Related posts

What not to wear: the academic edition

What not to wear: the academic edition (part two)

Share this:

The Thesis Whisperer is written by Professor Inger Mewburn, director of researcher development at The Australian National University . New posts on the first Wednesday of the month. Subscribe by email below. Visit the About page to find out more about me, my podcasts and books. I'm on most social media platforms as @thesiswhisperer. The best places to talk to me are LinkedIn , Mastodon and Threads.

• Post (609)
• Page (16)
• Product (6)
• Getting things done (259)
• Miscellany (139)
• On Writing (139)
• Your Career (113)
• You and your supervisor (66)
• Writing (48)
• productivity (23)
• consulting (13)
• TWC (13)
• supervision (12)
• 2024 (8)
• 2023 (12)
• 2022 (11)
• 2021 (15)
• 2020 (22)

Whisper to me....

Enter your email address to get posts by email.

Email Address

Sign me up!

• On the reg: a podcast with @jasondowns
• Thesis Whisperer on Facebook
• Thesis Whisperer on Instagram
• Thesis Whisperer on Soundcloud
• Thesis Whisperer on Youtube
• Thesiswhisperer on Mastodon
• Thesiswhisperer page on LinkedIn
• Thesiswhisperer Podcast
• 12,211,559 hits

Discover more from The Thesis Whisperer

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• Getting PhD thesis help
• Getting occupation therapy dissertation
• Composing a dissertation introduction
• Creating an economics PhD paper
• Looking for an excellent thesis writer
• Criminology PhD paper sample
• Getting a PhD paper sample online
• Buying a well-written dissertation
• Creating a strong dissertation proposal
• Formatting your dissertation
• Writing a winning zoology thesis
• Elements of good dissertation agencies
• A manual on APA paper layouts
• Sample dissertation proposals: tourism
• Crafting a proper dissertation conclusion
• Example dissertation abstracts
• Undergraduate paper writing in history
• Paper help: English literature
• Where to search for dissertation agencies
• Assistance with proposals
• Buying dissertation at low cost
• Concluding a dissertation effectively
• A guide to paper introduction
• The selection of dissertation service
• Outlining a history dissertation proposal
• Samples of undergraduate paper conclusion
• Physical geography proposal hints
• Looking for a writing help agency
• Good topics for a marketing PhD paper
• Business administration thesis ideas
• Looking for strong thesis titles
• The Great Gatsby thesis topics
• Architecture PhD paper topics
• US history dissertation topics
• Ideas for a college law dissertation
• Business management PhD paper titles
• Electronics Engineering thesis questions
• Engineering dissertation prompts
• Dissertation writing ideas: anesthesia
• General surgery paper topic questions
• Marketing dissertation topic suggestions
• Educational leadership: paper topics
• Fresh ideas for a dissertation
• Writing ideas in engineering
• Sports therapy topic suggestions
• Geography dissertation topics
• Interesting ideas on banking
• Education: topic selection
• Topics on global terrorism
• Ecology dissertation ideas
• Questions on wealth management
• Dissertation topics on film-making industry
• Computer network security questions
• Ideas for a marketing dissertation
• Bibliography

Preparing For A Dissertation Defence: What To Wear

The defence of your dissertation is the final hoop to jump. Once you have finished your research, it's time to buy coursework online and complete writing. Then, the defense of the research paper is the remaining job. There are students who get nervous while defending their dissertations. But in most cases, if the committee approves you to defend your dissertation, then they will approve your work too.

What to wear?

The important question that you have in your mind before going to an event is what to wear. Each occasion demands different dress codes. The outfit you wear while you go to a party can’t be wear at a church. Likewise the dress you choose for an outing can’t be used when you go to attend a funeral. A student who wishes to prepare a research paper will never be disappointed if he selects this topic, as there are plenty of sources for the research and enough resources too.

Tips for surviving dissertation defence

Each project is different, committee is different therefore each defence should be different. Still, there are some things every student can work on, to produce a good defence.

• Always remember the fact that, your committee wants you to succeed in your defending. They may ask hard questions, but they will never ask unanswerable questions.
• When you defend your research paper, remember the fact that you are the one who selected this topic, you are the one who surveyed about the topic and finally you are the one who wrote it. Literally, you have been living with this project for a long time. Remind yourself, that there is nothing that you are not aware of in this project.
• When the committee asks you a question and you are not sure about the answer, don’t be nervous and wander into a topic that you are not prepared. If you don’t know the answer, wait for the next question.
• When you summarize your project, never make it complicated. Keep it simple. Just explain what you did.
• You can engage the questions from the committee by answering them something which stands closer to the question.
• Always remember that there is no shaming in admitting you don’t know how to answer the question.
• You will be an expert in the area of your thesis, but you may not know everything. If the committee asks something outside your thesis area, admit that you are not familiar with whatever new topic has come up.
• Never be tensed when your presentation approaches. Worrying won’t do good. Always stand cool and confident.

Writing Tips

• Winning law dissertation proposal
• Looking for a quick thesis writer
• Dissertation format: things to remember
• Publishing an undergraduate dissertation
• An approach to PhD dissertation defense
• PhD thesis in Economics: how to write
• Crafting an MBA dissertation
• Writing an undergraduate dissertation
• Searching for dissertation samples
• In search of a thesis writing service
• Hiring a good thesis writer
• Purchasing a thesis: basic tips
• Perfect history thesis
• Purchasing a dissertation: useful advice
• Is it reasonable to use thesis companies?
• Getting dissertation assistance
• Finding dissertation proposal examples

Good Topics

• Great ideas for a pshychology PhD paper
• Ideas for a management dissertation

Common Struggles

• PhD paper defense dress code
• How to finish your PhD paper

Citing Styles

• Making proper PhD paper citations
• MLA PhD paper citing

Copyright © 2013 - 2024, DissertationCooperative.com - Let's solve PhD paper writing struggles together!

PhD in Clothes

Clothes. Career. Thrifting. Productivity.

Help me pick an outfit: The dissertation defense outfit saga continues

Well, my dissertation is officially in the hands of my committee, with 3 weeks until I defend. I get the feeling I should be sipping a lot of white wine on patios for the next 3 weeks, but that is not where my head is at, and it feels really bad. I’ve been so focused on getting a job and finishing the dissertation all year and now that’s all just…done. Which means I now have a lot of time to worry about how I’ll do at said new job, which leads to me feeling bad I’m not doing a ton of unrealistically productive things (prepping new courses, watching every webinar ever on being a new faculty member, churning out publication submissions…).

In between all of those feels, though, I have found time to order and purchase 5 different defense outfits (all returnable, don’t worry…). Am I displacing all of my stress onto the Nordstrom Rack website? Maybe. Anyway. My order came in this week. Help me decide (so I don’t end up just repeating my comps defense outfit, above)?

Ignore my dirty bathroom counter. Ignore the bags under my eyes (it is April after all). Left or right! Quick! Decide!

My awesome grad school lady group text overwhelmingly picked the jumpsuit, which I do like, but I’m concerned that I’ll show up and it will be like “oh wow, you’re in a jumpsuit.” With either of these options, I would like some sort of sweater/blazer on top. But when I tried the jumpsuit on with my white blazer I felt sort of like a sailor. I tried some more styling options, below…

I like the jumpsuit with the long cardigan but wonder if I should go more business for the defense. What would you do? Got any other styling ideas on either piece? Anyone wanna come over and tackle that big laundry pile for me?

Share this:

3 thoughts on “help me pick an outfit: the dissertation defense outfit saga continues”.

First: congratulations! You don’t have to sit on a patio drinking white wine, but please take several moments to bask in a well-earned sense of accomplishment and relief. Second: put on the outfit you like best, shut your eyes, and ask yourself “how do I feel?”. Inside, in your body, under your skin. If the answer is confident, poised, at ease, then you’re in the right outfit. The goal is to wear something you can completely forget in the moment. No one else will remember what you’re wearing on the day – they’ll just remember your brilliance. Knock ‘em dead.

Thank you! Yes–feeling will definitely be the most important thing! I’m hoping the relief will show up after the defense is over 😉

• Pingback: I’m a doctor!: What I actually ended up wearing to my dissertation defense – PhD in Clothes

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

ramaenglishschool.com

Dissertation writing advice.

Thesis Defense Tips: What to Wear for Defense

The thesis defense is the penultimate step to the successful completion of your program, having withstood all the tests of college academia.

Unlike other presentations, the thesis defense impacts majorly on your final score. This being the case, you have no alternative but to give your best performance.

Owing to the pressure surrounding the thesis defense, it is bound to trigger anxiety and undermine your confidence, thus yielding a less than ideal presentation. It is vital to eliminate obstacles limiting your self-esteem and select items that evoke respect to ensure a quality presentation.

Top of the factors that help boost confidence and contribute to the first impression is the dressing code. This article discusses the thesis defense tips that will make a positive impact on the panel and give you ample comfort.

Before delving into what to wear during thesis defense; however, it is vital to know that the odds of your thesis being approved are on your side.

Dressing Tips For Thesis Defense

While there is no universally acceptable parameter on what to wear for a dissertation defense, official clothing is a favorite go-to option. Since the thesis presentation is a formal event, it is essential to dress in a style corresponding to the event.

To know what you could wear, you could consider engaging faculty members in your department for hints. Alternatively, you would check for the acceptable dress code in your school and run your preferred attire by these parameters.

Among the elements to check out for in a thesis defense attire are:

While many may advocate for one to sacrifice the comfort in a bid to look fantastic, this may make you a victim to several hours of unrest and irritability.

When selecting your cloth, ensure that you are comfortable in it, thus managing the presentation with comfort. However, ensure that the dressing code you settle for is in tandem with the dressing regulations.

While you are not limited within a particular range of colors, avoid clashing colors as it may appear overly casual. If you intend to combine colors of clothing articles, ensure that they rhyme, thus resulting in a neat look.

When selecting what to wear for a dissertation defense, you should provide both neatness and presentability. As such, wade away from fancy dressing styles that may comprise extremely tight dressing or skirts that fall above the knee.

While at this, ensure that the cloth leaves some room and doesn’t squeeze you excessively. Also, ensure that your slit is short enough that it doesn’t distract members of the panel.

As is the nature of official attire, the hair should be kept and neat. As such, men should trim or comb their hair before their presentation.

For ladies, it is advisable to plait with incongruous colors that do not distract the panel from the presentation. By looking decent, you display a mature personality that is ready to fit into the job market in various niches.

Presentation tips

Looking good is just the first step in acing your thesis defense. Presentation by itself, however, is what determines your fate.

It is critical to observe the tips below to ensure an ideal presentation:

• Familiarize yourself with the formats, guidelines, and expectations that the panel has for the exhibition. A great way to acquaint yourself with the setup is engaging people that have already defended their dissertations.
• Know the points you have presented in your dissertation and familiarize with various supporting facts.
• When going about your thesis presentation, begin with stating your thesis question, the objective and methodology of research. Also, ensure that you back every argument with factual statements that are acceptable in your field.
• When closing, mention the final verdict and the recommendations that would tackle the issue in the thesis statement.
• If you are not well-versed with a question, avoid wasting time on arguments you are not well-informed in. Alternatively, argue a topic that is closer to the subject citing the issues that would be practical for the situation tackled in the question.
• Keep your language simple to comprehend, thus making it easy for the panel to gather your points in an argument.

Finally, remember that you have made it to the final step; thus, you ought not to shy from the last hurdle. To boost your confidence, remember that many of those that make it to dissertation defense end up succeeding in the venture.

Recent Posts

• Formatting Requirements for Thesis & Dissertation
• Professional Tips for Your Dissertation Editing
• Incredible Master’s Thesis Topic in Education
• Structuring The Research Limitations Section Of Your Dissertation
• The No-Fail Secret to Writing a Dissertation

Thesis Defense Outfits

Get the Reddit app

Reddit's Place for Outfits, Welcome! Make sure to read the rules before posting or commenting! Have a great time

Which outfit for thesis defense?

Supervisor said there’s no real dress code but don’t wear jeans. Study is Computer Science if that matters.

Butt sticks out a bit but if I size up the pants would be just too big.

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue