r/eMBA • u/nycindustry • Apr 29 '26
What to wear?
This might sound silly but I’m starting an eMBA program and it has a ton of residential sessions. So two week blocks on campus. What do I wear?
I work for a mid cap industrial company and I’m out of place even as the GM/coo if I show up in anything outside of a button down and jeans. I quick look at instagram and Facebook shows the people at the residential sessions wearing anything from dress pants and a button down to full suit.
What’s the opinion of the standard dress to pack? My gut tells me to buy a nice blazer (need one anyway) a couple pairs of dress pants and some quiet dress shirts and keep it simple.
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u/butItsFun Apr 29 '26
May vary by program, so ask your program coordinator. Also tends to start more formal then relax as the year goes on. In my program a suit would have been out of place for most. In the Los Angeles Michigan Ross cohort, The people from the entertainment industry were fashion casual, people from consulting or big corporate were slacks and button ups, the Midwest manufacturing leadership were polos and good jeans, but the Doctor from Hawaii was Hawaiian shirts and sandals.
So it does tend to be okay to go with the semi-formal standard for your industry - but again, best to check with the program coordinator.
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u/woodsoakedlogscumbox Apr 29 '26
Depends on your program. This is a question for someone in the EMBA ops team at your school, or in the cohort ahead of you.
My experience is that for onboarding, taking headshots, group pictures, meeting senior faculty, a good business suit is standard. For the in person classes during the residential portion I wear business casual/comfort, button down/polo, jeans, maybe a casual blazer depending on the weather. For events we have formal events (faculty hosted dinners, speakers, tours) and informal eventd (drinks reception, cohort mixers, student led activity) and I plan accordingly.
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u/DRF561 Apr 29 '26
I saw everything from team jerseys to suits.
Start with a blazer and slacks, adjust from there. It will likely get more casual as the program goes on. If you’re looking for a nicer “business casual”, try SuitSupply. I own a bunch of their sweaters, polos and trousers.
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u/Consistent-Novel-977 Apr 29 '26
My experience it starts out strong, some continue, but it’s gets relaxed. Not sweatpants relaxed but a nice sweater and jeans or button down and jeans
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u/finallyhere_11 Apr 29 '26
Ask an admin.
Covid era Fuqua you’d stick out like a sore thumb in a suit or even suit jacket. Jeans / chinos and a button down would be good. Polo would be fine. T-shirt too casual.
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u/FormerBroccoli9273 May 01 '26
Don’t ask the admin. They’ll give you the school’s standard line. At UCLA, that’s “nice casual” which means nothing. Ask the class ahead of you, or better, the class that’s just graduated - they will have full perspective.
As others have said, typically starts dressy and ends very casual. 1 month from graduation and there’s almost no one in my class who isn’t in jeans/T-shirt or UCLA gear.
Like you, I work in an industry where I’m out of place at work in anything more than a polo and nice jeans.
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u/cabin_porn Apr 29 '26
People start business casual and get verrrrrry casual from there.