what to wear being a student researcher?

[yowhatup]

My PI has not stated a dress code, but is there an dress code expectation when conducting research?

Do I have to be formally dressed, or casually dressed? In addition, should I take my undergrad white lab coat or not?

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[austinap]

Look at other students in the lab and follow what they're doing. Labs are generally pretty casual with a few expectations due to safety: in general, no shorts or open shoes. If you're doing potentially hazardous bio work, you need a bio lab coat. If you're doing wet chemistry, you should have a flame-proof lab coat. If you're doing radiation work, you should have a radiation lab coat.

Generally jeans and t-shirt are acceptable, add safety gear on top.

 

[todipotent]

Is it a lab or clinical setting? If it is a lab and if possible take a peak into before starting to see what everyone else is wearing. You might want to take your lab coat with you in a back pack or not at all because if it were like my lab you would deff get made fun of if you came in wearing a lab coat. In the labs that I worked in no one wore a lab coat unless they were working with something they didnt want spilled on them and even then most grad students were still worked in tshirts and flip flops.

 

[austinap]

Don't sweat it. Show up the first day in jeans and a t-shirt. Most labs will provide lab coats if necessary because different grades of material are needed for different applications.

Don't show up in flip-flops.

 

[CyclistOK]

Every lab I have been in has been jeans and t-shirt, with lab coats and/or full scrubs for instances that require them i.e. BSL-2/3 work. It's pretty standard fare really.

 

[saveourpens]

in all the labs in the bio department here at pitt, you can wear whatever you want. Shorts and a t-shirt are my usual wear.

 

[theacks1]

Is it a lab or clinical setting? If it is a lab and if possible take a peak into before starting to see what everyone else is wearing. You might want to take your lab coat with you in a back pack or not at all because if it were like my lab you would deff get made fun of if you came in wearing a lab coat. In the labs that I worked in no one wore a lab coat unless they were working with something they didnt want spilled on them and even then most grad students were still worked in tshirts and flip flops.

This was my lab. Protein work, Bacteria, DNA, RNA, Cell Lines, Live Specimens, it was all done in jeans/tshirt for me, shorts and flip flops for others.

 

[witness23]

dress for the job you want, and you want to be the boss

hopped upofffda beddddd, turned my swaggg awnnnnnnn. took a look in the mirror, said whatsup. get monaaaaaaay

 

[Medwell]

I'm working in chemistry research this summer and I just wear normal clothes... jeans and a t-shirt usually.

(I suppose this would be different if I was working with dangerous acids, etc., but I'm not.)

 

[todipotent]

I'm working in chemistry research this summer and I just wear normal clothes... jeans and a t-shirt usually.

(I suppose this would be different if I was working with dangerous acids, etc., but I'm not.)

Plus if you were working with acids or bases you are going to want to be under hoods and and be wearing at least level 3 PPE's. Vinegar and baking powder make some pretty gnarly combination.

 

[CoolWhipp]

Jeans, Polo, and Vans.

 

[YouAreAwesome]

Sweats, tennis shoes and a t-shirt unless that cutie from the genetics department is scheduled to come in.

 

[redlight]

um..wear what you would to a chem lab or something. if there is a problem, im sure you'll notice or be notified.

 

[JJMrK]

Jeans and a T-shirt the first day. After that wear what everybody else wears.

I usually wear basketball shorts and a T-shirt, since that's what I often wear to school.

 

[kami333]

Dress code is one of the questions I ask PIs (towards the end of an interview), I refuse to work in a lab that won't let me wear shorts and flip-flops. Of course when OSHA or radiology does their inspection I will wear regulation clothes (closed toed shoes is all they care about), and I keep pants and shoes in the lab to change into as experiments dictate. I very rarely wear lab coats, our building's HVAC is screwed up enough already.

 

[Adamarama]

I'm chillin' in the lab right now wearing a thin T-shirt, gym shorts, and my slippers. Research is where it's at.

 

[amph119]

Hahaha oh man. This thread makes me chuckle. I spent 2 years in a chemistry lab while an undergrad, and my dress ranged from, at best, a polo shirt and jeans (usually for when I had to give a presentation that day or something like that), to, more frequently (read: almost always) a few items from the following list to make up an "outfit": ratty/nasty sweat pants, pajama pants, gym shorts, a white T-shirt/hooded sweatshirt, flip flops (hello safety code violation), and a white baseball hat.

I'm sure it depends on the lab, but in mine I routinely spent 10 hours a day there, so dammit I wanted to be comfortable!

 

[Caprica6]

Seriously? Has anyone ever worked in a lab that had a dress code? I've never heard of that, other than the safety stuff, and no one follows that anyway, unless they are expecting an inspection. Do you know how many people I see in open toed shoes a day?

What do you mean we're not supposed to eat in here either?

 

[sully677]

Wear clothes that you don't mind getting messed up with chemicals

 

[wingiv]

Wear clothes that you don't mind getting messed up with chemicals

I totally agree with this if you're working in a wet lab. But on the topic of jeans and closed-toed shoes. That is what you're always supposed to wear, but a lot of people don't do that. I personally prefer flip flops and maybe shorts every now and then. Even some PI's that I know of walk around their labs barefoot, even though they aren't supposed to. There's a lot of things that happen in labs that shouldn't happen. Just depends on who your PI is. So safest bet is to just go in with jeans, normal t-shirt, and closed-toed shoes for the first day. A lot of people don't wear lab coats or goggles. Too much of a hassle.

 

[andrewnwi]

Don't sweat it. Show up the first day in jeans and a t-shirt. Most labs will provide lab coats if necessary because different grades of material are needed for different applications.

Don't show up in flip-flops.

Yeah, I did that, and will continue too. It is at school, and it is usually in-between classes or when I am at school, so it is just whatever I am wearing that day. And yes, as always like it was stated...NO SHORTS AND NO FLIP-FLOPS! Haha

 

[normlsaline]

I don't know about the others here, but I'm always stuntin in da Lab, always got all my chains on so everyone knows I mean business when I turn dat scale on or use da triplebeam

 

[mirado]

Your finest powder blue tuxedo.
Sure, your co-workers may be dressed in t-shirts and cargo pants, but you want to intimidate them with your sartorial acumen.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

birthday suit.

 

[adele87]

dress for the job you want, and you want to be the boss

hopped upofffda beddddd, turned my swaggg awnnnnnnn. took a look in the mirror, said whatsup. get monaaaaaaay

Best ever.... take your cues from soulja boy and you'll be fine.

 

[Omni]

Long pants, closed shoes, and a t-shirt. Its casual. Just nothing too baggy that can catch on fire. Almost the same thing you'd find in high school lab, etc.
And common sense

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

khakis, sperrys and brooks brothers shirt

 

[texaslily]

I wear pants and sneakers when I work with the animals, if I'm doing computer stuff then shorts and flip-flops are OK. Just think about what you'll be doing.
From the posts here I feel like my lab is a bit more strict than most... PIs walking around barefoot!? N.B. you might not have to buy your own lab coat at all, at least where I work there are some you can just grab and use.

 

[Quix]

It will depend on the kind of research you are doing and how the others dress. For lab work, just check and see what the others are wearing (or ask your PI). When I have students doing clinical research and working with patients, I want them looking professional (e.g., shirt and tie).

 

[TooMuchResearch]

During my bench research, I dressed in the oldest clothes I owned. Since I was doing this research every day, I got to dress it old dirty clothes all year...it was great, paint stains and all.

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

Ha ha, I wear shorts, t-shirt and flip flops every day. If I'm giving a presentation I might switch to jeans. Research is great because it's so flexible (at least mine is). I can work the hours I want, I can take a day off whenever I want and I don't have to ask my PI (I tell her), I can go to lunch whenever I want for as long as I want. I can run errands in the middle of the day. I can check my email 20x a day. As long as I get my work done and work 40 hours a week, everyone is happy.