the dress code for scientists

the incoherent ponderer ponders the (male) scientist dress code
he likes to dress up, but no bowties

Hah! Like I should talk.
I currently stay away from the default bland slacks and not-too-boldly striped shirt uniform (no tie, natch), in favour of extreme utilitarian mottled grey t-shirt and comfortably worn jeans.

This is primarily currently driven by high odd of splatter from either of the munchkins, whether the Big Boy or his Big Girl sister.
I might reconsider and conform, as they are actually older and less likely to randomly project splodges, but I deeply don't care enough to bother.
Easier to buy 3-packs of identical t-shirts and sweats from Land's End.
Sad, I know.

In the meantime, Kayhan directs us to the "Society of Uncasually Dressed Scientists" !?!

All I can say is that he better have been doing some wiring or cable plugging when he put on that labcoat, or he'll forfeit his computational astrophysicist geek status in perpetuity...
If chemicals or wet labs were involved, we will taunt. We will.

Tags

More like this

Via Steinn, the Incoherent Ponderer ponders academic clothing: For some strange reason, whenever it is not clear whether the attire is formal or informal, I am much more concerned about overdressing, than dressing too informally. I think that this is because it's very difficult to be dressed too…
It was just a high school marching band, like so many other high school bands in this country, a band that no one outside of the area of Sedalia, Missouri would be likely to have heard of, were it not for a breathtakingly stupid action by its school superintendent. You see, the band had an idea for…
At last, I am happy to reveal to you our final design for our t-shirt prizes for Donors Choose. They are below the fold, in all their glory, and designed by the awesome YellowIbis. Recall if you donate to our Donors Choose campaign, (note our goal is $2K; we're currently at $876...) and email me…
One of the best things about Fridays on my campus is that hardly anyone is around. Not only does this make parking less of a headache, and interruption mid-task less probable, but it means that there's even less pressure to dress in a manner that asserts, "I am a responsible adult!" I mean, I am a…

I thought a polo shirt and trousers was required post-tenure. Ties are for deans.

By Brad Holden (not verified) on 12 Sep 2007 #permalink

Out here on the east coast the "IBM striped shirt", though usually in more subdued tones, seem to be de rigeur.
A small core of us holds out still.
The kids are just an excuse - my next fall back position is that most academics are not actually professionals and shouldn't dress up to pretend that they are.
Extra bonus for figuring out which academics actually are professionals...

Computational astrophysicists have to worry about all those photons hitting our t-shirts and fading the color unevenly. (I assume that's how yours become gray.) Wearing a labcoat should prevent this.

I took that picture for the department "face-board" here at U-M, but it has been almost a year and they never put it up. I was also never able to get Uncasual Fridays to take off here. I wonder what Michiganders have against dressing well.

Nah, turns out your basic "formal black" t-shirts show assorted breakfast stains just a bit too well, so I get them pre-faded.
An informal local survey suggests that only people who spent a significant amount of time in California wear polo shirts, but I could be mistaken.

Male astronomers in California, even postdocs, are allowed to wear a dress shirt and slacks - if they are European.