Decoding the Dress Code: A Guide to Miami University Style

Packing for college is a rite of passage, filled with excitement and the daunting task of deciding what to bring. For students heading to Miami University, understanding the local climate and campus culture is key to curating a wardrobe that's both practical and stylish. This guide breaks down the nuances of Miami University's dress code, from everyday campus wear to professional attire and special events.

Embracing the Casual Campus Vibe

Forget those meticulously planned outfits you envisioned after watching countless college lookbooks. While making a good first impression is important, the daily reality at UM leans heavily towards comfort and practicality. The unofficial UM uniform consists of sweats, workout sets, sneakers, and other clothes that could easily double as sleepwear.

The Importance of Weather-Appropriate Clothing

South Florida's weather is a significant factor in dictating appropriate attire. If you don’t own a raincoat or an umbrella, buy one! Miami is known for its rainy weather, and you don’t want to be caught walking to class in torrential downpour. While sunny and hot is the norm, several weeks in winter come with cold, windy weather, so pack accordingly.

Beach Life Essentials

Living in Miami means you’ll visit the beach at some point. Though I personally only own three swimsuits (working on it), many UM students dedicate an entire dresser drawer to bikinis, one-pieces, swim shorts, and cover-ups.

Showing Your School Spirit

You’ll rarely take a stroll through campus without seeing someone wear a UM sweatshirt, baseball cap, or any number of clothing items that rep the U. With football season coming up, save the last-minute trips to the mall and bring a few generic tops in our school colors.

Read also: A Colorful Legacy: Miami Football

Weekend Style: Stepping Up Your Game

While Monday to Friday daytime wear is usually casual, weekend fits are another story. UM students taking on the city can be seen in everything from flowy skirts and mini dresses to collared shirts and expensive-looking sets.

Mastering Professional Attire

When it comes to your career, the Toppel Career Center is here to help you every step of the way, including professional dress! Your outfit choice for an interview or a typical workday will vary based on industry and even company. But in most cases, you will be better off dressing professionally than being underdressed.

Resources for Professional Clothing

The Toppel Career Center offers several resources to help students acquire professional attire:

Sebastian’s Closet 2.0: The Toppel Career Center has partnered with MyCareerCloset to bring you Sebastian’s Closet 2.0! Through this partnership, students can speak with one of Hyde’s expert stylists, receive professional guidance on what to wear for interviews and events, and then get an entire outfit delivered straight to their door. Students now have access to affordable professional and casual attire that they can keep for 30 days, with no pressure to buy anything. Most importantly, students can rent suitable clothing options for interviews or internships for 30 days and then send them back or keep what they love for a discounted price. Shipping (both ways) and dry cleaning are complimentary.
JCPenney Suit-Up Event: The JCPenney Suit-Up event takes place each semester and provides current students & alumni with high-quality professional clothing. With JCPenney Suit-up, you can get discounted items such as suits, dress shirts, dresses, ties, belts, dress socks, dress shoes, handbags, and much more! To participate, you must use the latest coupon code, which can be applied to a variety of professional attire and accessories.
Dress for Success/Suited for Success: Dress for Success/Suited for Success is a local organization that provides free professional attire to those experiencing financial hardship. The Toppel Career Center can refer students to receive attire with at least three days’ notice of needing the items. Students must also be able to transport themselves to their downtown Miami location to obtain the items.

Additional Resources from the Toppel Career Center

Adjusting your wardrobe for the workplace can be challenging, but Hyde makes fashion easy and accessible. The Toppel Career Center offers professional headshots! Once you’ve suited up, you can stop by our self-service professional headshot photo booth, any time Monday - Friday from 8:30 AM - 5 PM to take your headshot with no appointment needed. (i.e. avoid tight clothing, plunging necklines, etc.)

Navigating Sorority Recruitment Attire

Sorority recruitment involves several rounds, each with its own suggested attire:

Welcome Round: For this round women will wear the Panhellenic Recruitment T-Shirt given to them at Recruitment Kickoff. This round is casual, but you can accessorize your shirt to match your personal style, like with fun jewelry or a jacket. Women may choose to wear jeans, or another type of bottoms, with boots, flats, sneakers or whatever you are most comfortable in. The sorority women will be wearing a t-shirt with their chapter name on it, most likely with jeans.
Philanthropy Round: The attire for this round is casual, but nice. You may wear jeans, pants, or casual skirts, with boots/heels/flats. We recommend staying away from any uncomfortable shoes! You can pair your own top with a fun cardigan or jacket. Feel free to accessorize to show off your personality! Wear something that you would wear on a date, to church, or to a nice dinner!
Sisterhood Round: For this round, outfits should be business or smart casual. Skirts, dress pants, conservative dresses, a jumpsuit, dressy top, and flats or a simple heel could be options. Remember to keep necklines, and skirt or dress lengths conservative. Keep in mind you will be sitting down and standing up off of the floor, so be weary of too high of heels or short hemlines.
Preference Round: For the last round of recruitment, wear a nice dress (semi-formal). A nice jumpsuit could also be an option for this round. Please do not wear prom style dresses or formal ball gowns. This round is long and you could be sitting on the floor, so make sure your dress is appropriate and comfortable enough to be seated in.

A Final Word of Advice

REMEMBER: Always dress for yourself! Recruitment is the time to show your personal style during each round, and you will be more comfortable expressing your true self.

Thrifting and Sustainable Fashion

Students scour the racks and piles at UThrift’s first popup thrift swap event of the semester on Sept. 8, 2021. Students scour the racks and piles at UThrift’s first popup thrift swap event of the semester on Sept. 8, 2021.

tags: #miami #university #dress #code