Sewanee’s Class Dress Policy is easily one of my favorite Sewanee traditions. It is a great way to show not only your professors, but also your classmates respect, and it also shows you are ready for your education at Sewanee. I know it may seem like a big deal at the moment as you prepare to start your first year at Sewanee, but I promise it is not something to stress about at all. That being said, here’s a quick rundown of Sewanee’s tradition of class dress to help ease your nerves.
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Sewanee’s class dress code is basically saying that you shouldn’t look like s*** when attending class aka: no athletic shorts and a t-shirt or sweatpants. It isn’t something that you should freak out about because people wear all different styles to class– just put in some effort and wear whatever you feel good in.
2. Don’t feel like you need to have a different outfit for everyday of class. Trust me, I never feel like I have any clothes, but my roommate can tell you that it isn’t true, mostly because she borrowed most of my closet on a daily basis (having a roommate means double the closet too). It is completely fine to wear the same thing more than once, and I honestly don’t know how it’s possible not to.
3.You don’t need to adjust your style or your budget for Sewanee. It is easy to find everything you need at the price you need it. You shouldn’t feel like you have to break the bank in order to follow the class dress policy, and you shouldn’t feel like you have to wear clothes that you don’t even like.
4. Dresses are definitely the easiest thing for class. You can quickly slip one on after you’ve hit snooze on your alarm clock four times, and they are still quite comfortable. Skirts or nice shorts are easy too, but you still have to pair them up, which takes a little extra time in the morning. However, this does give you the opportunity to mix it up a bit by throwing different pieces together.
5. Whatever you decide to wear, make sure that you are comfortable in it! During the warmer time at Sewanee, you are free to wear pretty much anything. You can wear shorts or pants one day, and a sundress or skirt the next– it’s totally up to you. You can wear boots, sandals, or wedges. Just once again, make sure you’re comfortable (and blister-free).
6. The first two weeks everyone will be dressed to the nines, and everyone is putting the maximum amount of effort into their appearance. This is where you’ll see boys in jackets (hubba hubba) and a larger amount of girls wearing dresses. So if you have an outfit that you are worried might be “too nice,” the first two weeks is prime-time to wear it, because as the semester continues everyone’s style relaxes, and you’ll see more jeans and nice shirts.
7. It doesn’t matter what you wear as long as you know you look good.
8. And always remember what really matters.