During my first “Welcome to Claremont McKenna College (CMC)” video call almost three years ago, I remember asking one of the admission officers if I was allowed to dye my hair and paint my nails at CMC — a privilege never granted to me in high school. The response I received (along with a puzzled look): “Of course, it’s college.”
As someone who has spent most of their life in a uniform, I have quite a few things to say about dress codes. A floor-length, woolen, pleated skirt, tweed blazer, a pastel shirt, dress shoes, no jewelry, “naturally-colored” hair and nails and only a school-issued coat … this is how I spent my high school years in England.
At the moment, the CMC “Guide to Student Life” does not mention any sort of dress code or dress guidelines for campus life or classes. But should it?
To answer this question, I went directly to the source — CMC students — and took a poll.
Although the pro and anti-dress code opinions were evenly split among interviewees, let us first examine the anti-dress code believers — those who think we should keep things the way they are, with no classroom attire regulations.
Some students, like Mateo Colbert CM ’25, simply don’t see the need for a dress code.
“I haven’t seen anything horrendously inappropriate worn in class,” Colbert said.
Olivia Licata CM ’25 took on a personal freedom approach in her argument against the institution of a dress code.
“I believe that we are all adults who can make decisions about how we wish to present ourselves in the world and how you dress is a reflection of you and no one should be able to limit that or dictate how to do that,” Licata said.
Jack Barrett CM ’25 highlighted the positive aspects of not having a dress code in CMC classes.
“Thinking about some of the good seminar style classes that I’ve had where it’s an open discussion, I think that it would be a weird vibe if everybody was in suits,” Barrett said. “I think people might feel a little bit more repressed.”
Barrett also highlighted the importance of not having a dress code in the context of a classroom discussion.
“You can kind of pick up on what [your classmates] are feeling based on how they dress and getting rid of that might take away from one of the nicer aspects of going to a school that has small class sizes, which is that you can kind of get to know your peers and really pick up on their energy in the classroom setting,” Barrett said.
As for the “ban pajamas” argument, Sophie Wolters CM ’26 offered some food for thought.
“As someone who has spent most of their life in a uniform, I have quite a few things to say about dress codes.”
“I think that dressing in pajamas isn’t inherently disrespectful,” Wolters said. “I think conduct shows more than how you dress. If your posture is bad, you’re not paying attention, you’re on your phone — that leaves an impression on your professor, not if you’re in a hoodie or pajama pants.”
Let’s move onto the pro-dress coders.
Armine Kardashyan CM ’26 argued that a dress code should be instituted to preserve a professional environment within the classroom.
“This is our job,” Kardashyn said. “So we have to maintain a sense of professionalism and decorum. There’s a time and a place for everything and some clothing should be reserved for parties and gatherings with friends instead of talks with your professor.”
When asked if current CMC students dress appropriately or inappropriately in class, Kardashyan’s response was a quick and definitive “yes.”
“[Pajamas] are home clothes,” Kardashyan said. “We’re in college, we’re going into classes, so wear clothes that you don’t go to sleep in because it’s unhygienic to a certain extent.”
Cody Babcock CM ’24 shared similar feelings.
“I think it’s absolutely fair to request that students wear articles of clothing that provide sufficient coverage of their bodies and that goes for both men and women,” Babcock said. “I don’t think that one should have a dress code for the sake of minimizing distractions, but there is this semblance of respect and decorum that is shown by your dress.”
Scott Sloop CM ’26 concurred.
“I’m in support of a common sense dress code, as in, cover what needs to be covered,” Sloop said. “And wear shoes! For the love of God wear shoes. I think it shows respect, because we’re saying: We’re here to learn and we’re going to take it seriously.”
Babcock also brought attention to CMC’s Kravis Opportunity Fund which provides funding to students for expenses such as smart casual attire.
“The consideration with a dress code is the issue of access — not every person might find it easy to afford clothing,” Babcock said. “And at the same time, I am aware that students who are considered low income by CMC standards are eligible for grants from the financial aid office. Sometimes they exceed $1,000 for clothes, Athenaeum attire and computers. So from an issue of access standpoint, I don’t think that this argument against a dress code carries as much weight.”
Jameson Mitrovich CM ’24 had a drastically different take compared to the rest of the interviewees. In response to the question of whether we should have a class dress code, Mitrovich said, “Yes, a coat and tie.”
When asked if there are any alternatives to creating a serious classroom environment, Mitrovich replied, “Not really, a coat and tie is just the best way to do it.”
So, now that you’ve heard both sides of the argument, will you be investing in a coat and tie and throwing it back to 1950s academia style? Or will you stick with your pajamas and trusty Crocs?
Ultimately, that choice is yours and only yours to make.
Elizaveta (Lisa) Gorelik CM’25 is from Moscow, Russia. She will reserve her personal opinions on this topic for a future column…
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