Everyone at Boston University knows that if a student is wearing a suit at 9 a.m., they have a Questrom presentation. But what about other colleges? Are there signs that someone is a COM major or a CAS major? What about CGS? Hopefully, this article will help you typecast the strangers you see on your walk between classes.
Here’s how different BU colleges would dress if they were people. Consider this a loving observation, not a roast — we’re all in on the joke.
Questrom
Starting off easy: Questrom has the most distinctive style of all BU’s colleges. But what would it look like when it’s not wearing business attire?
The lobby of Questrom is filled with girls in knee-length wool trench coats, slicked-back buns, and Goyard bags. Their jeans are perfectly hemmed above their leather boots, their ears are studded with gold jewelry, and their shirts are high-cut and professional.
Questrom doesn’t give anyone a reason to question their authority. One could say that Questrom means business.
This means if Questrom were a person, she’d have a flawless updo, a crewneck T-shirt, dark-wash boyfriend jeans, some pointy-toed boots, a beige wool coat, and a ginormous Goyard tote bag hanging off her shoulder. She has gold hoops all the way up her ears, gold Van Cleef around her neck and wrists, and — not so related — Notion open on her rose-gold laptop.
COM
COM never forgets to have fun with her look, even when she’s dressed professionally. She opts for something more refined than sweats, but not as stuffy as a suit. She has a strong personal brand, whether that be through niche clothing choices or statement jewelry.
COM is wearing a calf-length patterned skirt, a fitted long-sleeve top, and Mary Janes. Of course, these will be paired with cute socks, either matching the color of her top or white bobby socks.
She has vintage jewelry necklaces stacked on top of each other, and her fingers are decorated with chunky rings. A pair of tiny tortoiseshell sunglasses sits atop her head, holding her perfect blowout out of her face.
She’s ready to meet clients, pitch a PR plan, or grab a matcha from Kyo.
CAS Sciences and engineering
CAS, specifically the engineering department, values comfort and functionality over all else. And why wouldn’t she, if she has a four-hour physics lab and mind-numbing calculus lectures to sit through?
She’s never wearing open-toed shoes. Safety first! She wouldn’t want to drop heavy tools or metal debris right onto her foot.
Her outfit is simple: no loose sleeves, no dangly jewelry, nothing that could get caught in machinery. Her hair is loosely up, just enough to avoid accidents with the equipment, but not manicured.
CAS Engineering is wearing boyfriend jeans, a sweater with the sleeves rolled up, and holding a giant thermos of coffee. How else is she to get through 10 hours of CAD modeling?
conclusion
To be clear: there’s no “uniform” for any of the colleges. BU is made up of a diverse population of students, all with individual styles.
(But it’s true that the engineering girlies have a hair-tie on the wrist, always.)
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