Thought this would be the best place to go to get an answer as to whether or not my son needs a suit to school with him this year.
Yes, all students need business attire, remember dress shoes and socks.
Great question! This has been discussed extensively more than once on this site and on the parents FB page. If he owns a suit, then I would send it with him. There are a couple of Honors College events during the year where a suit would be nice, although a shirt & tie are perfectly acceptable (or shirt/tie/blazer). Some freshman classes also have students do presentations, and in some cases, students will wear suits…although the professor tells them that shirt & tie are perfectly acceptable. This was the case for STEM MBA classes GBA 171 and 172. My son did not own a suit so did not take one. He did wear shirt & tie for several events/presentations during his freshman year. He said that many of the other guys did wear suits. (Also, if your son happens to get invited to a sorority formal, he will most likely need a suit.) Note: Some people are lucky to find nice suits at thrift stores. Not everyone can afford to buy a new suit for a young man who is still growing! I stressed about this last fall but my son survived. // P.S. Good luck to your son! Hope he has a great year!
Yes! There may be occasions when dresswear will be needed.
If you check sales and discount stores, you should be able to find a good suit for a reasonable price. Don’t go for the latest styles, stick with a classic fit, which will leave some room for growth. When hemming pant legs, ask for a cuff, which can be pulled down later (if your son grows taller). If you go for a straight leg (no cuff), ask to keep the extra material hemmed under, again so you can lengthen the legs later on. The same, if you need to shorten the sleeves. This should make the suit wearable for several years. Also, try not to wear the suit pants more often than the jacket, as this will make them wear unevenly. Buy an extra pair of black slacks for occasions where a suit is not necessary. Have your student clean the suit immediately should it get soiled or stained to extend the life of the suit.
My son wore his suit to both the job fairs his freshman year. Even freshman can attend the job fairs to look for internship opportunities or just to network for the future. He also wore his suit for co-op interview day. He was involved with his high school speech team and wanted a suit then and I didn’t want to pay the cost of a new suit, so he found one that fit very well at Goodwill that we paid less than $15 for. He since decided he wanted a different suit and found one at a yard sale that he purchased.
Please, don’t let your son go off to college without some form of business attire.
I didn’t own any formal clothing in HS, so I was caught unprepared for the situations that did require formal wear. If your son doesn’t already own a set, get him some formal wear.
Son does have a suit but I’m trying to eliminate bringing too much stuff. I was definitely sending black slacks/shirt and tie and was hoping that would be sufficient. Thanks for all your replies!
If he has a suit, definitely send his suit. As for job fairs, students will be turned away, if they are not properly attired. That includes shoes i.e., no sneakers and no sandals.
For the job fairs / co-op interview days: Professional shirt & tie, dress slacks, and dress shoes are acceptable, particularly for a freshman; though of course, if the student has a suit (or nice sports coat), he or she should wear it.
Formal attire is a necessity for many events at UA. Depending on where he ends up during his career, he may only need to wear a suit for job interviews, if that. While at UA however, bring a suit and some business casual clothing.
There are dances too.
Tuxedos come in handy. Consider a dark suit to serve both purposes. Kids like the slim fit . They won’t wear dad’s old baggy stuff.
If they are in the STEM MBA program, they will need dress clothes. This was included in an email a few days ago:
In addition to orientation, you will also be taking professional photo headshots. All STEM Path to the MBA students are required to have a professional headshot on file. Your photos are used primarily for our corporate recruitment profile books and for your personal LinkedIn accounts which we will provide you more details on later.
You can have your headshot taken either on Monday, August 17th anytime between 1pm-3pm in the AIME building lobby or on Tuesday, August 18th before orientation begins from 7:30am-9am in Alston 20. It only takes a few seconds have your photo taken. If you choose to take your photo on the day of orientation it is best that you arrive early so you’ll have time to change clothes, grab breakfast/coffee, etc.
Dress code: GUYS must wear a black or navy blazer, white dress shirt and tie of your choice. GIRLS must wear a black or navy blazer and white dress shirt/blouse. Also, keep in mind that photos are only taken from the bust up so feel free to change after your photo is taken. We will have a few extra ties and blazers on hand.
Just thought I would pass this along!
^#12 If you’re in an orchestral or band ensemble, the tuxedo is required. 
Bow ties are popular down here. Make sure your son can tie both a bow and a regular one, if he is not used to dressing up!
Also, if your student will be in an ensemble remember the proper foot wear. Young ladies will also need to dress appropriately for musical ensembles. These performances are a mandatory portion of the grade for the class.
In terms of purchasing a suit, if your son has stopped growing (and that could be the case), you can purchase lovely suits from Kohls or, and I know this will sound a little off, Amazon. My older son is a Bama grad starting his second year at UVA Law. Sports jackets and khakis are a no-no for interviews with big law firms offering internships. So we did some shopping for suits, and we kept them around the $130-$150 range. Even got one on clearance for under $100. My younger son is at UAH. He has lots of dress clothing, but no suit. He says he does not need one. We’ll see, as the years roll on.
I was able to purchase a good looking suit at Joseph Banks at a great price (under $100 for the jacket and pants.) I believe it was in their sale/clearance section at the time so check this out if needed.
Since this is sort of on topic - does anyone think that a suit might be needed on occasion for an Honors Public Speaking class? I have one - just got it last week… since I figured I probably should have one just in case.
^^^Yes, if you have a suit, bring it with you.