What to wear

Disclaimer: I haven't seen any randomized, controlled studies that test the hypotheses (read: opinions) below.* That said, I've experienced both urban and rural academic environments in different parts of the country and in Europe, and I'm a fairly socially astute person. I've also worked in very formal professional environments. What I write below applies to science programs in the United States.

Looking too nice makes you look clueless. Looking too sloppy makes you look clueless too. The goal should be to dress slightly more cleanly, neatly, and smartly than the people with whom you'd be working.

Women are probably best off wearing slacks and a blouse +/- a sweater. Men should wear slacks and a shirt. No tie, unless one really makes you happy. Flat shoes are good for both sexes. Try to avoid conspicuous brands.

This stuff shouldn't matter, but it kind of does: I remember a grad student making light fun of an applicant's precociously blingy handbag. (This might not have happened if the applicant hadn't already displayed an attitude to match.)

Remember, you can dress almost** however you want when you're a grad student.

If you've never dressed for a professional job before, get someone else to judge your outfit. Ask them if you're "dressy casual."

If you're visiting a lab that works with a lot of doctors or industry types, people might dress more nicely, but probably not enough to affect the recommendations above. I've wondered about the labs at Mayo Clinic, which requires its medical residents to wear suits every day.

Lastly, if it's cold out, take a coat. If it might rain, take an umbrella. Wear shoes that allow you to walk several blocks to a restaurant. When you're famous and have tenure, it's okay to show up to give a talk in January in the Midwest without so much as a sweatshirt (true story). For interviews, you want people to focus on your words and fantastic attitude, not your social awareness or thermoregulatory abilities.

*The disclaimer applies to the entire blog, come to think of it.
**This is an interesting topic for another post.