<p>What do i wear to an open house???</p>
<p>you should wear whatever you would wear to interview at the school, and that would be whatever complies with the school’s dresscode. So, if it’s a “coat and tie” type school, you would wear more formal things: sports coat and tie for boys, nice sweater and skirt for girls. If it’s a less formal school, then less formal wear: shirt with collar (like a polo shirt or something) and chinos for boys; nicer shirt, slacks/skirt for girls. Unless it’s a very informal school, you should not wear jeans. Fortunately, it’s getting a bit too cold and rainy to discuss the pros and cons of flip-flops. Just wear regular shoes, whatever you would wear with the chosen top-half attire.</p>
<p>For an open house, I wouldn’t worry too much about your clothes. If you’ve scheduled an interview at the open house, then follow Smile Dog’s advice. If not, however, I think you can rely upon the crowds of people to blur any memory of what you wore. Most teenagers seem to think that everyone’s watching them all the time. Trust me. They aren’t.</p>
<p>As a general rule, I’d lean to no jeans, no flip-flops, and no t-shirts. If you’re a girl, no low necklines, and if you wear a skirt, take care that it isn’t too short. You should be able to sit in a chair without worrying about what’s showing.</p>
<p>Having said all that, those guidelines are for a planned open house visit. If you’re returning from an athletic event, and on the road, your mom points out, “Oh, we’ll pass right by School A. I think they have an open house today. Shall we go?” don’t pass up the opportunity to see a school due to doubts about your clothing. Most school people I’ve met so far understand that teens today do wear jeans and t-shirts, and they know how busy ambitious teens can be. Even go to the open house if you’re wearing something dorky for a choir concert.</p>
<p>More important than what clothes you wear is the expression you wear. Leave the sullen and uninterested expression at home. Someone who looks unhappy and unpleasant will stand out, and not in a good way.</p>
<p>I didn’t know u have to dress formal for an open house.</p>
<p>As a general guideline for any event, it’s better to be a little over-dressed than a little under-dressed.</p>
<p>A few schools still have a formal dress code, which can provide some guidance.</p>
<p>For example, Deerfield’s dress code says:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>For boys: a dress shirt, tie, and sport coat. Boys can wear a turtleneck instead of a shirt and tie. </p></li>
<li><p>For girls: a skirt or dress pants with two visible layers on top, one of which must be a blazer or a sweater.</p></li>
<li><p>For boys and girls: Tennis shoes are OK. Walking shorts are OK when it’s warm out.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Schools that still have a formal dress code: Deerfield, Hotchkiss, St. Andrew’s, St. George’s, Exeter, Taft, Episcopal, Kent, Woodberry Forest, and Hill. Especially if you are interested in these schools, you may want to consider dressing up accordingly.</p>
<p>Taft is not formal.</p>
<p>Thanks, nb, for the correction. You’re right.</p>
<p>Taft’s dress code does not require formal attire, except for certain dinners. From the Taft website:</p>
<p>" For the class day, boys are in collared shirts and trousers and girls wear dresses, or slacks or skirts with blouses. More formal attire is worn for certain dinners: coat and tie for boys, dresses or nicer skirts for girls. "</p>
<p>But don’t get too formal. On a few visits to schools, I’ve seen girls whose mothers dressed them in satin. To my mind, that was too much. For all I know, they may have been accepted, but none of them looked comfortable.</p>
<p>Yikes! They were probably freezing.</p>
<p>I think they wore wool coats.</p>
<p>WOW! Satin??? Did they have corsages and dyed satin pumps to match? Images of bridesmaids flashing through my mind…the poor things.</p>