The most inappropriately dressed students

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psych844

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I'm sure you guys have experienced this at some point in your careers. What was the worst dress code violation you guys have seen? Really short skirts? baseball caps? sunglasses? ripped up clothes? just really unappealing clothes? too much makeup?
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Bikini by a student therapist. I don't think she was seeing a patient that day, but seriously, why would you show up at the clinic like that?
 
We generally didn't have a problem with our grad students. Some of our undergrad lab RA's though would sometimes wear short skirts and some low cut tops. We had to have a talk at lab meeting about professional dress when running clinical subjects and instituted a one page dress code agreement as part of our student contract in the future.
 
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WisNeuro said:
We generally didn't have a problem with our grad students. Some of our undergrad lab RA's though would sometimes wear short skirts and some low cut tops. We had to have a talk at lab meeting about professional dress when running clinical subjects and instituted a one page dress code agreement as part of our student contract in the future.
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We had this same issue at my university clinic with the front desk workers (undergrad RAs). I remembering hearing of one grad student who would wear somewhat revealing clothing on days they weren't seeing clients, but other than that, I don't remember there being any wardrobe-related problems.
 
My program never had any huge violations that I'm aware of, but there were enough minor infractions that we started keeping a collection of clothing in the office of the training clinic. It included leggings, camisoles/undershirts, ties, and button-down shirts.
 
in a professional/business casual environment......bright running shoes or trying to pass a wooden bolo tie as the requisite "tie". Those were the most unique, then there is always a few club dresses that are far too short/tight to be considered business appropriate
 
Def problems with undergrad RAs wearing revealing clothes or workout clothes. One girl came in a tiny romper. Lol. We have to harp on it a lot, though I understand because it's hot here (though freezing inside of course)
 
None among graduate students that I heard about. Occasional minor issue (i.e. "Don't wear jeans" to the first-year) but nothing substantive.

We definitely had the same issues others have mentioned with undergraduate RAs wearing inappropriate clothing at the lab. We have a dress code in place, but for reasons that are unclear to me there are always folks who (while often otherwise sane and reasonably competent) just seemingly refused to dress like they are going to work and not to a club. I don't understand what is so difficult/objectionable about it. Its importance is further compounded by the fact that some of the indices we study have actually been shown to correlate with RA attractiveness (per a poster I saw at a recent conference)...so I'm not just a prude - inappropriately dressed RAs may actually be experimental confounds!

I'm just grateful we had an outstanding team of very professional female coordinators in the lab who were good about addressing these things on their own, using myself or the male faculty as the threat (i.e. "You need to stop wearing things like that or Dr. _____ will have to talk to you"). Can't count the number of awkward conversations (and HR complaints?) they likely saved us from.
 
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i was hoping there were some really bad ones lol
Ie A student that has dark sunglasses on as he's about to do an assessment.
 
cara susanna said:
Mostly women wearing leggings as pants.
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Yes, this was an issue at my current placement. Now we have a rule that if one is wearing leggings, they must wear a dress or long sweater that covers the butt. I do not like the way I look in leggings, so it was luckily never an issue for me lol
 
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During grad school, none of our cohort ever wore anything that was inappropriate. On non-clinical days our dress got more and more casual as the program went on. A teen client told me about a therapist he saw once who wore a revealing top so he asked her if she was wearing that because she had "daddy issues". If you make poor choices about your clothing, it will reflect on you, that's just the way it is. It is all about time and place and social context, what I wear at the beach would look a little silly in the air conditioned office. When conducting a diagnostic interview, appropriateness of clothing is one of the things we assess and it makes me wonder how we assess that in others if we can't monitor it for ourselves.
 
What do you all think about visible tattoos in either clinical or teaching settings? One of our faculty has (really, really nice) almost-full sleeves, and she makes an effort to cover them when teaching. I'm guessing she did the same when working with clients (she specializes in young children and their families), but I honestly don't think they look unprofessional at all, because they are "neutral" subjects and really well-done.
 
When I've worked in school settings people tend to be very laid back about them. Multiple teachers I worked with had visible tattoos. I personally opt to keep them covered because mine are easy to hide and it seems like you're inviting controversy by showing them in a work setting.
 
futureapppsy2 said:
What do you all think about visible tattoos in either clinical or teaching settings? One of our faculty has (really, really nice) almost-full sleeves, and she makes an effort to cover them when teaching. I'm guessing she did the same when working with clients (she specializes in young children and their families), but I honestly don't think they look unprofessional at all, because they are "neutral" subjects and really well-done.
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You can't go wrong with no visible tats
 
psychrat said:
Yes, this was an issue at my current placement. Now we have a rule that if one is wearing leggings, they must wear a dress or long sweater that covers the butt. I do not like the way I look in leggings, so it was luckily never an issue for me lol
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...I confess I've worn leggings as pants, but always with a tunic, a drippy cardigan that covered even more, and knee-high boots.

Our worst was a guy who showed up to man the front desk in a t-shirt and basketball shorts. He didn't last long (but I believe went on to be quite successful in a field where that was totally appropriate).
 
SmithPsy24 said:
Our worst was a guy who showed up to man the front desk in a t-shirt and basketball shorts. He didn't last long (but I believe went on to be quite successful in a field where that was totally appropriate).
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He played minor league basketball?
 
SmithPsy24 said:
...I confess I've worn leggings as pants, but always with a tunic, a drippy cardigan that covered even more, and knee-high boots.

Our worst was a guy who showed up to man the front desk in a t-shirt and basketball shorts. He didn't last long (but I believe went on to be quite successful in a field where that was totally appropriate).
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It's okay if it's a tunic or longer shirt that at least covers your butt.
 
On the topic of tattoos...I totally get covering them up when you're conducting therapy. What about academics, though? The undergraduate institutions I've been through have all been on the liberal side, so no one has really gotten bent out of shape about professors or students with tattoos. I have more than the average person though. Nothing offensive, and nothing that can't be covered with clothing (or Dermablend, which is my friend when the heat index is 110 and I just can't deal with long sleeves).
 
undertoad said:
On the topic of tattoos...I totally get covering them up when you're conducting therapy. What about academics, though? The undergraduate institutions I've been through have all been on the liberal side, so no one has really gotten bent out of shape about professors or students with tattoos. I have more than the average person though. Nothing offensive, and nothing that can't be covered with clothing (or Dermablend, which is my friend when the heat index is 110 and I just can't deal with long sleeves).
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It's been my general experience (and about half the people in my MS program cohort had visible tattoos...) that professors aren't too concerned about your appearance unless it is wildly inappropriate. I wouldn't be too worried about it.
 
RE: Tattoos, when you're in your own grad school classes, I don't know that it'd ever be a big deal (although when in doubt, never a bad idea to check with the prof). When teaching, you'd just want to see if there are any university or departmental policies on the matter. And when TAing, check with the instructor of record about their preferences/requirements; I've worked with some who wouldn't care, and others who'd likely want them covered.
 
This discussion makes me really glad that I never got any tattoos myself. I have enough to worry about with just trying to be a good psychologist. I actually told my step-daughter when she was considering a tattoo that none of the people I knew in grad school had tattoos and she didn't get one partially due to that discussion. The world changes, though. When I was a kid only sailors and bikers had tattoos.
 
smalltownpsych said:
This discussion makes me really glad that I never got any tattoos myself. I have enough to worry about with just trying to be a good psychologist. I actually told my step-daughter when she was considering a tattoo that none of the people I knew in grad school had tattoos and she didn't get one partially due to that discussion. The world changes, though. When I was a kid only sailors and bikers had tattoos.
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Well...I was a sailor in the past 😉

Most people I know, including several PhD candidates, have at least one visible tattoo. I don't worry about it a whole lot, since I've been good at placing everything in areas covered by long sleeves or long pants. I'd love to end up teaching somewhere with liberal views on tattoos, but I'm prepared to be that one conspicuous person wearing a long sleeved shirt in summer.
 
Tattoos are definitely (seemingly) more commonplace now than they were even just 5 or 10 years ago. And more extensive tattoo work (e.g., full- and half-sleeves) in particular seem to be around a good bit more.

My take is that if the content of the tattoo is unprofessional in nature (e.g., nudity, swear words, etc.), then it needs be covered in a professional setting. Beyond that, if the dress code is adhered to, it's a toss-up. But by having tattoos exposed, you're essentially inviting folks into that (sometimes private) aspect of your life, with its associated judgments, opinions, and assumptions (founded or not). I personally try to initially put as little "out there" about myself as possible, but that's just me, and I realize that plenty of folks approach things differently.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
Tattoos are definitely (seemingly) more commonplace now than they were even just 5 or 10 years ago. And more extensive tattoo work (e.g., full- and half-sleeves) in particular seem to be around a good bit more.

My take is that if the content of the tattoo is unprofessional in nature (e.g., nudity, swear words, etc.), then it needs be covered in a professional setting. Beyond that, if the dress code is adhered to, it's a toss-up. But by having tattoos exposed, you're essentially inviting folks into that (sometimes private) aspect of your life, with its associated judgments, opinions, and assumptions (founded or not). I personally try to initially put as little "out there" about myself as possible, but that's just me, and I realize that plenty of folks approach things differently.
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I think you've brought up a really good point, and that's why I wouldn't want to expose any tattoos while conducting therapy, regardless of the practice's dress code. It's not a matter of thinking they're unprofessional, but rather the fact that I'd want to present a fairly neutral image to my clients. My tattoos are a pretty cool icebreaker in normal conversation, but I feel like they could be a distraction in a therapeutic environment. I don't have any personal experience to base this on yet, but I feel like presenting visible tattoos would affect how a client might react to you, even if they don't have a negative opinion of body modification.
 
undertoad said:
Well...I was a sailor in the past 😉

Most people I know, including several PhD candidates, have at least one visible tattoo. I don't worry about it a whole lot, since I've been good at placing everything in areas covered by long sleeves or long pants. I'd love to end up teaching somewhere with liberal views on tattoos, but I'm prepared to be that one conspicuous person wearing a long sleeved shirt in summer.
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I wear long-sleeves to work and it's summer and I don't even have any tattoos! I would prefer wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but I think I would be in a lot of trouble with admin.
 
I guess I've never worked anywhere that formal! Unless the dress code calls for a suit, women tend to have a little more latitude with professional clothing, and it is actually easier for me to find a nice short sleeved shirt than it is a long sleeved shirt (unless I defer to the old standby of a button down).
 
undertoad said:
I think you've brought up a really good point, and that's why I wouldn't want to expose any tattoos while conducting therapy, regardless of the practice's dress code. It's not a matter of thinking they're unprofessional, but rather the fact that I'd want to present a fairly neutral image to my clients. My tattoos are a pretty cool icebreaker in normal conversation, but I feel like they could be a distraction in a therapeutic environment. I don't have any personal experience to base this on yet, but I feel like presenting visible tattoos would affect how a client might react to you, even if they don't have a negative opinion of body modification.
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I also wanted to add that I agree with having a more neutral presentation, in general, and have advocated for that on this board for precisely the reason you enumerated - potential for distraction. On the other hand, solid clinical skills trumps appearance and how we handle these issues is part of being an effective clinician. I think that being genuine and congruent are important factors to bring in to the room, as well. Self-disclosure is one of my favorite topics and we definitely need more research in that area. I have worked with adolescents and substance abusers a lot and if you don't self-disclose to a certain extent, you will not get very far with this population. At the other extreme is the "cool counselor" that has tats and "did lots of drugs too man". Don't be that guy! 😀 I have to grin a little at that cause that was my natural tendency. Fortunately, I think it is easier to moderate that tendency and develop rapport than it is for some of our more "uptight" colleagues to loosen up enough to work with these difficult populations.
 
My experience has been that acceptance of tattoos and other things are just site-by-site (including within programs and across different prac sites) variation. When I was on internship we had a great applicant who had full sleeves does to his fingers and no one cared. Actually, at that site and with the population we served, it was probably on the good side of neutral. I had shaved off my mini-mohawk the summer before internship (which was fine at my VA), but they told me they wouldn't care if I let it grow back, at that same site.

Other contexts wouldn't work as well, obviously. Older people maybe. But a lot of people who are old now were young adults in the 60s.
 
smalltownpsych said:
I wear long-sleeves to work and it's summer and I don't even have any tattoos! I would prefer wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but I think I would be in a lot of trouble with admin.
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Haha as do I, along with a tie (although that's personal preference).

Maybe one of these days I'll "break down" and start going with polos in the summer. We'll see.
 
I have two full sleeves of tattoos, two tattoos on my calf, and one thigh tattoo, and frankly, no one I work with even knows unless I see them outside of work. I just wear long sleeves & pants, which works because hospitals are freezing any ways. No one can really complain if they never see them.
 
MCParent said:
My experience has been that acceptance of tattoos and other things are just site-by-site (including within programs and across different prac sites) variation. When I was on internship we had a great applicant who had full sleeves does to his fingers and no one cared. Actually, at that site and with the population we served, it was probably on the good side of neutral. I had shaved off my mini-mohawk the summer before internship (which was fine at my VA), but they told me they wouldn't care if I let it grow back, at that same site.

Other contexts wouldn't work as well, obviously. Older people maybe. But a lot of people who are old now were young adults in the 60s.
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These are all good observations. I've also thought about how the situation might vary, depending on population served. I'm specifically interested in working with veterans of OIF/OEF (many of whom have way more tattoo coverage than I do!) and that it might not matter so much in that situation. Might even help establish rapport, depending on the person.
 
I have tattoos and one is visible if I am not wearing longh sleeves. Some sites do not care and others do. I've always looked at other professionals for an idea of what is allowed or asked outright. Then I still judge based on patient. For some it turns into a conversation piece and takes the focus away from our work together, Sometimes it's good for rapport, and others don't care at all. Needless to say I have a large collection of Blazers and cardigans.
 
I was doing a rotation at a prison and therapist came in wearing a very short skirt with a slit. She unfortunately bent down frequently and we now all know what kind of underwear she wears....as do the defendants
 
btw, for people that have issues with lights/suffer migraines from lights..can they wear something like dark glasses in an office environment?
 
psych844 said:
btw, for people that have issues with lights/suffer migraines from lights..can they wear something like dark glasses in an office environment?
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I'd be shocked if not. It's just something that you'd likely want to explain the reasoning for to your patients.
 
futureapppsy2 said:
What do you all think about visible tattoos in either clinical or teaching settings? One of our faculty has (really, really nice) almost-full sleeves, and she makes an effort to cover them when teaching. I'm guessing she did the same when working with clients (she specializes in young children and their families), but I honestly don't think they look unprofessional at all, because they are "neutral" subjects and really well-done.
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So, one former grad student (and sadly for her, her ethics issues are larger than her tattoo issues) had a full sized elbow to wrist tat, on the inside of the arm. I think it said dreamer or dancer, or something like that. 96 point font (approx), blue, curisve. I wonder how many times that's not been covered and patients ask her about that.

I have a current coworker who wears bright colored running shoes to work- but when you're going all over the hospital, i think it's reasonable to change footwear.

Did an assessment last Thurs at a secure forensic unit, and the list of things you're not allowed to wear there was laughable. I'm sure most are aware, but my thought when reviewing that was "who would ever?"- especially when you know you're going into a place with people who have committed dangerous/violent acts and have a reasonable chance at having lowered inhibition... But sadly, rules are made for those without common sense sometimes.
 
I'm one of these students and I'll admit it haha. I'm the metal head in my undergrad psych class. Have the long hair (im a guy), black vans everyday and have a wide array of band shirts. I range from an Alice in Chains shirt with an "anatomical" heart on it that says Black Gives Way to Blue, to a Sam Amidon shirt (folk singer) with a cartoon horse on it, to a metal band called Suicide Silence with a screaming face on it and the words "Human Violence at its Finest" on the front and "And I want More!" on the back. Though for the last one, you can barely read the band logo.

I wear them proudly! Though on days that I have RA duty, I avoid the angry/demonic/creepy ones. Always keep a sweatshirt in my car in case
 
I don't know that anyone cares what undergrads wear to class (within reason). I've seen grad students and even faculty in jeans and a band t-shirt on low-key days. None of the things you described would phase me in the slightest. Beats the "Its 4PM but I'm still in pajamas for some reason" look.

Its a different story when working in a lab or clinic. Even the sweatshirt wouldn't fly there...dress pants and a button down is really the only option for men in the settings I've tended to work in. Labs physically located in the psych building tend to be less formal than those in hospital settings though.
 
Yeah, the whole IDGAF look is no big deal as an undergrad, but prepare for some wardrobe changes if you plan on going further. When your job is providing a service to people, wearing provocative clothing tends to make the conversation more about you. Once that happens, you're no longer providing said service.

Anyway, the most inappropriate thing I've seen was an undergrad working as receptionist at our university clinic wearing cheetah-print see-through tights.
 
UnknownPsych said:
Anyway, the most inappropriate thing I've seen was an undergrad working as receptionist at our university clinic wearing cheetah-print see-through tights.
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Under a skirt, or wearing them as pants? Either way it's not super-professional, but one is much, much worse than the other....
 
I recall us not having the dress code apply to us as students. However, every year I think we slowly dressed more professionally, and there was a lot of discussion about what to wear for clinical situations.

Re:tattoos, just make sure you can cover them up. No one even knew I had one. Some old farts think its okay to mock that kind of individual expression but have no problem being douchebags in other ways.
 
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