Social Dress Code At University of Houston

[Samsoner]

So get this...

If you don't dress up stylishly or wear the latest threads at the University of Houston Main Campus, the students there will automatically assume that you're from the surrounding neighborhood, and in class you'll receive curious or disapproving stares. I am not making this up, and I'm certainly not bashing U of H. The campus and it's educational facilities and faculty have nothing to do with this.

That is...sad. I thought that U of H was a campus where people aren't suspicious of each other or look down on others because they don't look fly. If you've received a smirk from one of the employees at the bookstore AND one from your classmate, then something's wrong.

OR does U of H's student body comprise mostly of rich kids?? I just transferred there, so I honestly don't know what the campus culture is like. I just assumed that it was a slightly different from other 4 year universities.

Is there any explanation for this?

I feel like showing these students both my Texan ID & former state ID just to prove that I'm not from across the street.

[TheNiche]

UH is actually one of the most ethnically/racially diverse universities in the United States. Funny thing about that, though, is that when any one group of similar people become sufficiently numerous, they balkanize. Extreme diversity is probably more counter-productive than not.

Now, as for shabby clothes, you're certainly right that there aren't a lot of people that go there that also look like bums. UH is certainly not a small liberal arts college in Vermont populated by hippies. But as long as someone looks basically clean, my personal experience is that nobody really cares if you happen to show up in jeans and a white crew cut t-shirt.

[sevfiv]

Geez, sounds like junior high...

When I was there I never witnessed anything like that and there were so many differently dressed people the "bullies" you speak of probably would be outnumbered.

Do you spend your time in different departments around campus, or is this concentrated to a couple places? It just seems hard to draw these things from such a large population.

[sheeats]

If you don't dress up stylishly or wear the latest threads at the University of Houston Main Campus, the students there will automatically assume that you're from the surrounding neighborhood, and in class you'll receive curious or disapproving stares.

Quick! Someone call the UH Naming Conventions Police!

I keed...

I found the same thing to be true during my years at Baylor, another school where the students are extremely wary of the yokels in their immediate campus area. However, it was much more amplified there: if you didn't show up to your 8:00 a.m. Old Testament class in full makeup, a French twist and a new outfit from Nordstrom's (bought in Dallas last weekend, obvs), you might as well just have come to class wearing a pig carcass and a clown nose. My 70s concert T-shirts, Birkenstocks and ratty jeans were less than welcome there.

Every college is like this to a certain extent. Best advice I can give you? Get over it. Wear whatever the hell you're comfortable wearing, ignore the @ssholes and before you know it, you'll find your own crowd of people -- just like you -- that rock.

[sarahiki]

So get this...

If you don't dress up stylishly or wear the latest threads at the University of Houston Main Campus, the students there will automatically assume that you're from the surrounding neighborhood, and in class you'll receive curious or disapproving stares. I am not making this up, and I'm certainly not bashing U of H. The campus and it's educational facilities and faculty have nothing to do with this.

That is...sad. I thought that U of H was a campus where people aren't suspicious of each other or look down on others because they don't look fly. If you've received a smirk from one of the employees at the bookstore AND one from your classmate, then something's wrong.

OR does U of H's student body comprise mostly of rich kids?? I just transferred there, so I honestly don't know what the campus culture is like. I just assumed that it was a slightly different from other 4 year universities.

Is there any explanation for this?

I feel like showing these students both my Texan ID & former state ID just to prove that I'm not from across the street.

I see very little evidence of style among the students at UH. Some dress up a little, but most look pretty slouchy to me. And while there may be some rich kids, most of the student body that I have encountered are putting themselves through school, and many are also supporting families.

[musicman]

you must be in the business or fine arts college. LOL in the engineering college, there was no dress code.

[NenaE]

That's an interesting perspective, never thought of UH being that way...Baylor & SMU come to mind when "these" kinds of individuals are described. Maybe your first impression is wrong, hope so.

[kyle]

So get this...

If you don't dress up stylishly or wear the latest threads at the University of Houston Main Campus, the students there will automatically assume that you're from the surrounding neighborhood, and in class you'll receive curious or disapproving stares. I am not making this up

Sorry, this is my 5th year at UH (grad school now), and I've never experienced anything like this. I wear gym shorts and t-shirts to class every day. Not exactly stylish threads.

Are you sure you're not wearing a UT shirt to class? Now that might actually get you some bad looks on campus.

[memebag]

Either toughen up or dress up. If you care a whole lot what everyone else thinks about you, you should be dressing up all the time anyway. If you don't, then screw 'em. The world outside UofH isn't going to be any different.

[crunchtastic]

Perhaps this is part of Empress Khator's plan. Tier-1 dress code!

[N Judah]

The original poster must be a troll. There is no way he or she could possibly be serious.

[Samsoner]

The original poster must be a troll. There is no way he or she could possibly be serious.

No, I am unfortunately serious about this.

I've also read your replies and I've agreed with your comments, everyone. But I've seen students with Hollister shirts and other designer clothes, wearing shades, bluetooth headsets, designer baseball caps...and it almost feels like I'm underdressed.

However I DO see a lot of students with the campus reds and whites, gym pants, cougar logos, etc.

My classes circulate between Agnes Arnold Hall & the Communication Building.

[Dan the Man]

College is all about learning who you are, and what you want to be.

If you quit focusing on other people's supposed "opinions", you'll get more out of the college experience.

[20thStDad]

Not caring what other people think is fun. It usually bothers those people you are referring to. Just know who you are and what matters to you, others who feel the same way won't be bothered at all by that.

[UrbaNerd]

lolwut...you're calling Hollister "Designer"? That reminds me of middle school all over again, when A&F, RL Polo and such were "must haves" or else you're "out". Come on now, wearing the same overpriced faux-preppy clothing everyone else wears does not make you "among the elites". Last I checked, I also wear what I like, not what everyone else likes.

As for me, I don't have any probs with the blokes in architecture. Sure, you see the dudes in the "A&F" garb mostly, along with various other "trendy" outfits, but there are also a lot of dudes who look like they just got out of bed. I don't really see much of a problem in terms of social cliques forming and all that; no one seems to care about such pettiness anymore.

Then again, most of the faculty members there tend to boast and brag about how elite the archi school is in UH, so perhaps I'm looking from the wrong perspective.

[TheNiche]

No, I am unfortunately serious about this.

I've also read your replies and I've agreed with your comments, everyone. But I've seen students with Hollister shirts and other designer clothes, wearing shades, bluetooth headsets, designer baseball caps...and it almost feels like I'm underdressed.

However I DO see a lot of students with the campus reds and whites, gym pants, cougar logos, etc.

My classes circulate between Agnes Arnold Hall & the Communication Building.

What is it that you're wearing that you think is responsible for the stares?

[N Judah]

I think I see what you're saying. There is some high school trendiness to be found -- hence the "Cougar High" nickname. The students aren't rich but they are very professional in demeanor. The typical student works multiple jobs in addition to classes.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

I think I see what you're saying. There is some high school trendiness to be found -- hence the "Cougar High" nickname. The students aren't rich but they are very professional in demeanor. The typical student works multiple jobs in addition to classes.

I guess I lucked out when I was there...right between the "Slacker" and the "Grunge" eras.

I was always at the height of style in my smelly T-shirt, blue jeans, sandals and worn-out baseball cap.

The only people on campus who fit the persona better were my engineering professors.

[memebag]

Getting stares can be fun and advantageous. Today I'm wearing horrendous plaid shorts, a very faded Princess Mononoke shirt, sandals and a good case of bed head. All of this keeps up my insane geek image and helps bring in the big bucks. If you want to wear Hollister shirts, do it. If you don't, don't. They wouldn't help me one bit.

[N Judah]

Hey even Hollister sells plaid shorts...every bit as horrendous as those sold anywhere else

Darn you, prep!

Also: I am not sure where the idea is formed that U of H students look down on the surrounding neighborhood. I think many U of H students come from neighborhoods that are very similar, considering that probably about a third or so of Houston really does look exactly like that neighborhood.

[Vertigo58]

They should put "Clothing Optional" in the dress code bi-laws.

That should resolve the matter "at hand".

[UrbaNerd]

Getting stares can be fun and advantageous. Today I'm wearing horrendous plaid shorts, a very faded Princess Mononoke shirt, sandals and a good case of bed head. All of this keeps up my insane geek image and helps bring in the big bucks. If you want to wear Hollister shirts, do it. If you don't, don't. They wouldn't help me one bit.

Insane geek image with bedhead=win

[Rehan]

I graduated from UH in '03 and unless things have drastically changed in 5 years, which I doubt, then this thread is silly. When I lived in the dorms my first year I would sometimes go to class in whatever I woke up in. (All that late night studying I guess... )

I will say that there wasn't a dress code in the business school back then. I literally only 'dressed up' for making presentations when it was appropriate. Otherwise it was usually a button down or polo shirt and jeans (not some designer stuff, more like PacSun). Also it seemed like people were usually in flip-flops, t-shirts, and shorts for most of the year even in my upper level classes.

[sifuwong]

So get this...

If you don't dress up stylishly or wear the latest threads at the University of Houston Main Campus, the students there will automatically assume that you're from the surrounding neighborhood, and in class you'll receive curious or disapproving stares. I am not making this up, and I'm certainly not bashing U of H. The campus and it's educational facilities and faculty have nothing to do with this.

That is...sad. I thought that U of H was a campus where people aren't suspicious of each other or look down on others because they don't look fly. If you've received a smirk from one of the employees at the bookstore AND one from your classmate, then something's wrong.

OR does U of H's student body comprise mostly of rich kids?? I just transferred there, so I honestly don't know what the campus culture is like. I just assumed that it was a slightly different from other 4 year universities.

Is there any explanation for this?

I feel like showing these students both my Texan ID & former state ID just to prove that I'm not from across the street.

Interesting. My impression when i dropped by there during the late 90s was that it was very casual. UT-Austin and A&M students dressed alot better. I guess times have changed.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Interesting. My impression when i dropped by there during the late 90s was that it was very casual. UT-Austin and A&M students dressed alot better. I guess times have changed.

You just reminded me of one of the exact reasons why I chose UH over A&M out of high school. I had scholarship offers from both schools, so obviously my choice came down to those two.

After 5 minutes on A&M's campus, I wanted out...everyone I saw was wearing khakis and button-down shirts. It was not what I had in mind for college; in fact, I only owned one or two button-down shirts at the time. The atmosphere seemed as starched as a Corps turd's brown shirt.

Conversely, after 5 minutes on UH's campus, I immediately felt at home...people in shorts, t-shirts and sandals...and the diversity of the women sure didn't hurt either. Beautiful women of all colors in all manner of dress...and undress.

I'm know that 5 minutes on either campus is not a fair representation, but you know what they say about first impressions...Maybe Samsoner's judging by his/her first impression as well?