<p>as a freshman, do we need to bring suit and tie. Does the professor requires to wear them for presentation. any other occasion we need to dress very formal?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I second the suit and tie question. If yes, is it a purchase that can wait until parents weekend in Sept.?</p>
<p>I can’t imagine that you’d need a suit and tie before parents’ weekend. You might not need it at all during your freshman year, but it would be nice to have at least a sport coat, nice khakis, and a tie in case something comes up.</p>
<p>On the calendar it says to dress up for the honor code signing on Monday. I assumed this meant shirt/tie and maybe a sports-coat. We were not planning on buying another suit for awhile.</p>
<p>I think a polo and khakis is fine for that.</p>
<p>Seconding Lenny-- as far as “required” wear, khakis, sportcoat, and tie will do, and is in fact what most people wear. This will certainly cover events like the Honor code signing and presentations in class. </p>
<p>This will also cut it for sorority date parties and similar social events. There are more formal date parties that both sororities and fraternities hold, which tend to lean more on the suit-and-tie side (not necessarily a “full” suit but at least matching pants/coat). </p>
<p>Personally I feel the easiest minimum setup to cover all Vanderbilt functions:
- Black or Navy sports coat
- Matching black or navy pants
- Decent khakis
- Couple nice button downs and ties</p>
<p>Provides many mix-and-match options to dress up/down and not look the same at every event.</p>
<p>For most (male) students, the longer you spend at Vanderbilt, the more button downs and ties accumulate in your closet. Good preparation for the real world!</p>
<p>agree that sport coat/dress slacks is AOK and should be in closet with a couple of ties. Plenty of use for a simple sport coat sans tie as well. Our recent grad used these semi formal items a few times freshman year…for auditions, for oral presentations in a class (Vandy has a good speech/oral communication class cluster), for formal interviews for two positions/appointments he applied for, and one time he was a guest/date at a sorority party. He had a tux but as he was “retired” from symphony work, he never wore it.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind for parents of sons is that they seldom stay the size they were in high school. Our son had four summer internships that were full time. All required at the least business casual and dress shoes belts etc, upscale khakis. Only one was tie optional. Two summers in Washingon DC his internships banned wash and wear khakis and required formal suits, formal shoes and formal dress slacks at all times. This is an expensive wardrobe for someone under age 22. Was glad we didn’t buy much of it till he was 20 since like most guys, his high school suits were long outgrown. Start watching for the big sales at places like Brooks Brothers but don’t spend till you are close to actual need for a formal office wardrobe.</p>
<p>I am helping my sophomore pack and he is taking 3 or 4 ties. He got a suit last year during Thanksgiving break because he needed it for a presentation in a business type class. I am guessing he could have worn a sports coat, but he is glad to have the suit and is bringing it to school again.</p>
<p>You all are lucky you don’t have a daughter. One suit or sport coat, you are killing me!</p>
<p>haha…you have a point, opie12. The men’s wardrobe is dull if you need business wardrobe staples and again I remind parents that high school weight is unlikely to be the same by junior year so only buy as you need re suits. Just sent my Vandy grad shoe shine supplies. fun, huh but necessary for a downtown business job and serious shoes.</p>
<p>For every dress a girl has, a guy really only needs a different tie. A suit and 10 ties will match 10 different dresses!</p>
<p>If your son goes greek, investing in a tuxedo would be ideal. Over the 3.5 years, it will be cheaper than renting. lots of fraternity and sorority functions are black tie.</p>