Appropriate attire for presenting at a Philosophy conference
November 12, 2009 10:29 PM Subscribe
MetaPhilosophers: What should I wear when presenting at a conference this weekend?
I'm a Philosophy grad student who will be going on the job market in the next year or two. I'm also going to be presenting a paper at a professional (not-grad-student-only conference) for the first time this weekend.
I'd like to make a good impression on any future employers I may run into. It's too late to do any more for the paper, but it's not too late to pick out an outfit - preferably something that says "Hire me!" but doesn't go overboard.
Here's what I have to work with:
Pants: Dressy Jeans, Cargo Khakis, Real Khakis, Suit Pants (dark gray - charcoal maybe)
Shirts: A variety of button down shirts - a few in solid white or blue, but most have vertical stripes.
Jackets: Brown Corduroy (but not as expensive), Blue Blazer, Suit Jacket
Ties: standard
When I teach I usually wear: jeans, striped button down shirt and brown corduroy jacket. I think I should bring it up a level or two, but I'm not sure how far. Any suggestions?
I'm a Philosophy grad student who will be going on the job market in the next year or two. I'm also going to be presenting a paper at a professional (not-grad-student-only conference) for the first time this weekend.
I'd like to make a good impression on any future employers I may run into. It's too late to do any more for the paper, but it's not too late to pick out an outfit - preferably something that says "Hire me!" but doesn't go overboard.
Here's what I have to work with:
Pants: Dressy Jeans, Cargo Khakis, Real Khakis, Suit Pants (dark gray - charcoal maybe)
Shirts: A variety of button down shirts - a few in solid white or blue, but most have vertical stripes.
Jackets: Brown Corduroy (but not as expensive), Blue Blazer, Suit Jacket
Ties: standard
When I teach I usually wear: jeans, striped button down shirt and brown corduroy jacket. I think I should bring it up a level or two, but I'm not sure how far. Any suggestions?
Best answer: I agree, prepare to overdress. It's easier to go from full on business to business casual than the other way around, if you find yourself too overdressed, take off the tie and unbutton the top button of your shirt.
Oh, remember that the socks are supposed to match your pants, not the shoes.
posted by thebestsophist at 10:49 PM on November 12, 2009
Oh, remember that the socks are supposed to match your pants, not the shoes.
posted by thebestsophist at 10:49 PM on November 12, 2009
Best answer: Chalmers has some pictures of philosophy conferences up, so you can get a sense of what people wear. Some have slightly-dumpy suits, some have button-up shirt and khakis, some have sweaters. (Choosing at random, this conference is sort of typical of my experience.)
I wouldn't worry too much about it, but would default to dressier. Bring at least A jacket, if not the full suit. You can always take off the suit jacket, but if you show up and feel too casual you won't be able to kick it up a notch.
If the suit it's possible you might be a little overdressed, but then everybody knows the score on what it's like to be a grad about to go on the market. Unless you're way, way inappropriate, people won't care, they'll be paying attention to the arguments, they'll ask you - and the whole table will turn to look - "so, what's YOUR position on controversial point x?" Wear something that will make you feel as professional as possible in that moment.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:48 PM on November 12, 2009
I wouldn't worry too much about it, but would default to dressier. Bring at least A jacket, if not the full suit. You can always take off the suit jacket, but if you show up and feel too casual you won't be able to kick it up a notch.
If the suit it's possible you might be a little overdressed, but then everybody knows the score on what it's like to be a grad about to go on the market. Unless you're way, way inappropriate, people won't care, they'll be paying attention to the arguments, they'll ask you - and the whole table will turn to look - "so, what's YOUR position on controversial point x?" Wear something that will make you feel as professional as possible in that moment.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:48 PM on November 12, 2009
(Though I suppose I should say, if the suit will make you feel like it's your bar mitzvah and you're an awkward kid, then wear something a notch lower on the scale. Whatever it takes to feel like a professional.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:58 PM on November 12, 2009
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:58 PM on November 12, 2009
It's easy. Wear a suit. If you get there and find out you are overdressed, take off the tie and maybe the jacket also.
posted by twblalock at 1:28 AM on November 13, 2009
posted by twblalock at 1:28 AM on November 13, 2009
What Lobstermitten said. What counts is how well you deliver the paper and how well you deal with questions. Worry more about getting someone good to chair your paper (by which I mean someone who is good at chairing papers, not necessarily a "good" philosopher*). Wear whatever makes you feel most at ease.
If you're someone new (which it sounds like you are), you'll probably be up against at least one "rock star" so check the program to see what competition you have in your own field. That should give you an idea of whether or not to expect much of an audience. It will also tell you which features of your paper your audience is likely to be interested in. (What is it about your abstract that makes it different from the other paper?).
Schmooze before the paper, as soon as you arrive at the conference. Talk to as many people as you can and let them know about your paper. Don't be too pushy and don't exaggerate, just talk about it. If you speak to any other grad students who're working in the same area, suggest they drag their supervisor along with them. Get your own supervisor to come along and bring friends.
Philosophers can be as fickle as anyone else, but they're very unlikely to judge people by the way they are dressed, so dress in a way that makes you feel most in control.
Good luck.
(*Of course, if you can get someone with name recognition, that will bring along some more people.)
posted by GeckoDundee at 2:33 AM on November 13, 2009
If you're someone new (which it sounds like you are), you'll probably be up against at least one "rock star" so check the program to see what competition you have in your own field. That should give you an idea of whether or not to expect much of an audience. It will also tell you which features of your paper your audience is likely to be interested in. (What is it about your abstract that makes it different from the other paper?).
Schmooze before the paper, as soon as you arrive at the conference. Talk to as many people as you can and let them know about your paper. Don't be too pushy and don't exaggerate, just talk about it. If you speak to any other grad students who're working in the same area, suggest they drag their supervisor along with them. Get your own supervisor to come along and bring friends.
Philosophers can be as fickle as anyone else, but they're very unlikely to judge people by the way they are dressed, so dress in a way that makes you feel most in control.
Good luck.
(*Of course, if you can get someone with name recognition, that will bring along some more people.)
posted by GeckoDundee at 2:33 AM on November 13, 2009
When you have tenure, you can wear whatever the hell you want at an academic conference. Before that, you dress in a way that tells people you take the event seriously and are honored to participate in it.
posted by felix betachat at 2:48 AM on November 13, 2009
posted by felix betachat at 2:48 AM on November 13, 2009
Best answer: Opinion here seems to be against me, but I would definitely not overdress. I have heard of philosophers explicitly holding the good fashion sense of other philosophers against them. I'm not kidding. Think of the accoutrements of big-name philosophers from the last century, like Kripke and Lewis. The prototype of the good philosopher is schlubby and with a zany beard. Philosophers are not immune to associations, unconscious or otherwise. Also, if you're one of the only ones wearing a suit, you'll send out a signal that you're new, and there's no need to advertise that. Suits are not the professional attire of the profession. A casual blazer is good. I like your brown one.
There is a caveat. There's a trend of young hotshots on the philosophy circuit who are extremely well-groomed and urbane. If you're a confident hot young X-Phi type or a dashing logician, then dress to the nines and turn some heads! These guys tend to wear tailored suits when just teaching undergrad classes; it's hard to pull off.
I feel like this response is kind of petty in comparison to the those telling you to just pay attention to your paper. Oh well.
posted by painquale at 3:38 AM on November 13, 2009 [1 favorite]
There is a caveat. There's a trend of young hotshots on the philosophy circuit who are extremely well-groomed and urbane. If you're a confident hot young X-Phi type or a dashing logician, then dress to the nines and turn some heads! These guys tend to wear tailored suits when just teaching undergrad classes; it's hard to pull off.
I feel like this response is kind of petty in comparison to the those telling you to just pay attention to your paper. Oh well.
posted by painquale at 3:38 AM on November 13, 2009 [1 favorite]
Not knowing philosophy conference etiquette...
Suit may be fine but you can't go wrong with a blue blazer + charcoal trousers + smart shoes + plain-ish shirt + tie.
It's the universally acceptable smart dress: from academia to international development to corporate finance and from USA through Europe into Russia, India and the Far East. <>
Ditch the tie to go down one notch, ditch the jacket to go down another notch and take a sweater in case you need to look cuddly / stay warm.
May the farce be with you.
posted by tkbarbarian at 4:44 AM on November 13, 2009
Suit may be fine but you can't go wrong with a blue blazer + charcoal trousers + smart shoes + plain-ish shirt + tie.
It's the universally acceptable smart dress: from academia to international development to corporate finance and from USA through Europe into Russia, India and the Far East. <>
Ditch the tie to go down one notch, ditch the jacket to go down another notch and take a sweater in case you need to look cuddly / stay warm.
May the farce be with you.
posted by tkbarbarian at 4:44 AM on November 13, 2009
Can i put in a request for posters to specify their gender in this kind of question?
posted by craichead at 4:52 AM on November 13, 2009
posted by craichead at 4:52 AM on November 13, 2009
Oh, remember that the socks are supposed to match your pants, not the shoes.
Not quite.
And I'd like to second the request that all questions about attire explicitly state the OP's gender. People will usually draw inferences anyway, but why not be clear?
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:00 AM on November 13, 2009
Not quite.
And I'd like to second the request that all questions about attire explicitly state the OP's gender. People will usually draw inferences anyway, but why not be clear?
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:00 AM on November 13, 2009
Best answer: Yes, wear a suit. Philosophy is a pretty buttoned-up field and a job-searching Phd candidate can't afford to be too careful.
(But after you get tenure, well . . . I'll just say I haven't put on a tie for *anything* for at least five years now.)
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:19 AM on November 13, 2009
(But after you get tenure, well . . . I'll just say I haven't put on a tie for *anything* for at least five years now.)
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:19 AM on November 13, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for the speedy replies all! Looks like I'll be going with the suit. I was headed in that direction, but had I thoughts that echoed painquale's comments, which is what prompted me to post. Looking through the pictures at Chalmer's page has reassured me that I won't be too out of place in a suit.
Your other comments, however, have made me start worrying about my paper again ;) And this comment is somewhat terrifying: they'll ask you - and the whole table will turn to look - "so, what's YOUR position on controversial point x?"
I feel like this response is kind of petty in comparison to the those telling you to just pay attention to your paper. Oh well.
Not at all - I already knew the paper was important, but I only had a suspicion about the sort of "associating" you mention
posted by chndrcks at 6:13 AM on November 13, 2009
Your other comments, however, have made me start worrying about my paper again ;) And this comment is somewhat terrifying: they'll ask you - and the whole table will turn to look - "so, what's YOUR position on controversial point x?"
I feel like this response is kind of petty in comparison to the those telling you to just pay attention to your paper. Oh well.
Not at all - I already knew the paper was important, but I only had a suspicion about the sort of "associating" you mention
posted by chndrcks at 6:13 AM on November 13, 2009
No, DON'T wear a suit!
Are you a woman or a man?
If you're a guy, you should wear a suit to the APA when you go on the market (if you're a woman, you probably won't wear one even then). At the conference, it's totally overkill, and it will project "I am insecure". No one wears a suit to conferences. Most conferences, anyway. DO dress decently, and in a way that shows that you are taking it seriously, but not a suit. Lobstermitten's links are dead-on about what most philosophy conferences look like. [[Unless you do continental philosophy! Then the standards go up. If you do "analytic philosophy", well, a lot of us are a bit schlumpy. ]]
Man: dressy jeans (i.e. expensive dark ones), dressy Khakis, or suit pants. Button up shirt, sweater, jacket -- depending on the weather.
Woman: dressy jeans, nice pants, or a skirt (not a short or silly one). Nice sweater or button shirt.
And it's true, nobody really cares, as long as you don't look crazy.... and maybe not even then... but it's nice to have something to fret about other than the paper itself.
Which is, indeed, what matters. Whatever else you do, don't put your head down and read. Even if you read it rather than talk through it, make SURE to look up, make eye contact, and connect with your audience. Practice it out loud at home -- seriously! Presentation matters.
posted by kestrel251 at 9:01 AM on November 13, 2009
Are you a woman or a man?
If you're a guy, you should wear a suit to the APA when you go on the market (if you're a woman, you probably won't wear one even then). At the conference, it's totally overkill, and it will project "I am insecure". No one wears a suit to conferences. Most conferences, anyway. DO dress decently, and in a way that shows that you are taking it seriously, but not a suit. Lobstermitten's links are dead-on about what most philosophy conferences look like. [[Unless you do continental philosophy! Then the standards go up. If you do "analytic philosophy", well, a lot of us are a bit schlumpy. ]]
Man: dressy jeans (i.e. expensive dark ones), dressy Khakis, or suit pants. Button up shirt, sweater, jacket -- depending on the weather.
Woman: dressy jeans, nice pants, or a skirt (not a short or silly one). Nice sweater or button shirt.
And it's true, nobody really cares, as long as you don't look crazy.... and maybe not even then... but it's nice to have something to fret about other than the paper itself.
Which is, indeed, what matters. Whatever else you do, don't put your head down and read. Even if you read it rather than talk through it, make SURE to look up, make eye contact, and connect with your audience. Practice it out loud at home -- seriously! Presentation matters.
posted by kestrel251 at 9:01 AM on November 13, 2009
I agree with kestrel251. Steer away from the suit as it'll make you stick out.
Something far more important than dress is how you address the audience. You will score far more points, and people will be far more likely to talk/network with you if you can give a well spoken public address.
Go with a blue blazer, white white white fitted shirt, and simple (read: solid or stripes...I am inclined to say red+blue to go with the navy blazer) tie, khakis, and a nice pair of dress shoes if you want to look classic without overstating your position.
As to the point about your paper, do you have time to talk to your adviser or other people in your department? Ask them for the most brutal assessment of your argument to prepare a rebuttal well in advance. Outside of that, take a deep breath and take charge!
posted by ghostpony at 12:10 PM on November 13, 2009
Something far more important than dress is how you address the audience. You will score far more points, and people will be far more likely to talk/network with you if you can give a well spoken public address.
Go with a blue blazer, white white white fitted shirt, and simple (read: solid or stripes...I am inclined to say red+blue to go with the navy blazer) tie, khakis, and a nice pair of dress shoes if you want to look classic without overstating your position.
As to the point about your paper, do you have time to talk to your adviser or other people in your department? Ask them for the most brutal assessment of your argument to prepare a rebuttal well in advance. Outside of that, take a deep breath and take charge!
posted by ghostpony at 12:10 PM on November 13, 2009
this comment is somewhat terrifying: they'll ask you - and the whole table will turn to look - "so, what's YOUR position on controversial point x?"
Heh, I know. You'll be fine. But be ready that there may be moments like that where your heart will leap into your throat. And be ready that when you walk in, you may find you're presenting to someone whose work you've been reading for years etc. Wear whatever is going to help you feel like a competent scholar and pro in those circumstances.
painquale and others are of course right that most philosophers dress down, and logicians (which I seem to recall maybe you are?) dress down even more... and often that the best, most famous person in the room is the worst-dressed. I know a senior logician who takes off his/her shoes and socks during job interviews, and similar disregard for sartorial conventions. But you shouldn't assume that anybody's going to be tricked by "hey, he's dressed sloppily, he must be brilliant". This is especially true now, because as painquale mentions there's that cadre of hot youngish hipster philosophers who dress like they're going to a New York nightclub. (If you can pull that off, by all means go for it.) So the association between sloppy and brilliant is breaking down for the younger generation.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:46 PM on November 13, 2009
Heh, I know. You'll be fine. But be ready that there may be moments like that where your heart will leap into your throat. And be ready that when you walk in, you may find you're presenting to someone whose work you've been reading for years etc. Wear whatever is going to help you feel like a competent scholar and pro in those circumstances.
painquale and others are of course right that most philosophers dress down, and logicians (which I seem to recall maybe you are?) dress down even more... and often that the best, most famous person in the room is the worst-dressed. I know a senior logician who takes off his/her shoes and socks during job interviews, and similar disregard for sartorial conventions. But you shouldn't assume that anybody's going to be tricked by "hey, he's dressed sloppily, he must be brilliant". This is especially true now, because as painquale mentions there's that cadre of hot youngish hipster philosophers who dress like they're going to a New York nightclub. (If you can pull that off, by all means go for it.) So the association between sloppy and brilliant is breaking down for the younger generation.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:46 PM on November 13, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks all for the added input and advice - I'll update best answers when I have the time.
As to the point about your paper, do you have time to talk to your adviser or other people in your department? Ask them for the most brutal assessment of your argument to prepare a rebuttal well in advance. Outside of that, take a deep breath and take charge!
My advisor has already given a lot of tough, thorough comments, fortunately. And even better, no commentator, so no one has had a month to sink their teeth into it ;) Not so bad for a first time.
posted by chndrcks at 5:12 PM on November 13, 2009
As to the point about your paper, do you have time to talk to your adviser or other people in your department? Ask them for the most brutal assessment of your argument to prepare a rebuttal well in advance. Outside of that, take a deep breath and take charge!
My advisor has already given a lot of tough, thorough comments, fortunately. And even better, no commentator, so no one has had a month to sink their teeth into it ;) Not so bad for a first time.
posted by chndrcks at 5:12 PM on November 13, 2009
Response by poster: Update: Conference was a lot of fun paper seemed well received
For those who are curious: I wore the blue blazer with white shirt and khakis. In that I was above the average level of dress but there were a few people more dressed up (e.g. suits).
posted by chndrcks at 7:05 PM on November 14, 2009
For those who are curious: I wore the blue blazer with white shirt and khakis. In that I was above the average level of dress but there were a few people more dressed up (e.g. suits).
posted by chndrcks at 7:05 PM on November 14, 2009
High fives! Thanks for the update.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:09 PM on November 14, 2009
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:09 PM on November 14, 2009
Sounds like a win.
It's definitely discipline-specific, so I would yield to the philosophers' opinions, which is something I *rarely* do. /not philosophist
I work between two fields that are at opposite extremes of the sartorial spectrum - one where you *always* wear a suit, and one where you are a total square for wearing a button-down shirt. It's a nightmare scenario if I have to give talks in both departments on a single visit.
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:38 AM on November 15, 2009
It's definitely discipline-specific, so I would yield to the philosophers' opinions, which is something I *rarely* do. /not philosophist
I work between two fields that are at opposite extremes of the sartorial spectrum - one where you *always* wear a suit, and one where you are a total square for wearing a button-down shirt. It's a nightmare scenario if I have to give talks in both departments on a single visit.
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:38 AM on November 15, 2009
I would yield to the philosophers' opinions, which is something I *rarely* do.
Philosophers rarely do it too.
Congrats on the success, chndrcks!
posted by painquale at 12:57 PM on November 15, 2009
Philosophers rarely do it too.
Congrats on the success, chndrcks!
posted by painquale at 12:57 PM on November 15, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
Wear your dressiest pants on the other days as well (though not necessarily the suit).
posted by bluedaisy at 10:32 PM on November 12, 2009