Do you dress up for parents evening?

[PolkaDotMankini]

It's DS's parents evening today. I'm trying to decide whether to dress up smart or just go in comfy clothes. My parents used to dress up: it was the only time of the year I ever saw my mum wear makeup! What do you do?

No. Whatever I've had on that day. Just re do hair if needed.
Dh often rocks up in his uniform which is often filthy! If hes running late

Absolutely not . As long as parents are wearing day clothes and are clean I am sure the teachers genuinely couldn’t careless.

I taught in an exceptionally diverse area in the state@WhiteFire and noticed Nigerian fathers were more likely than others to wear suits. They didn't all have corporate jobs but did take education very seriously and their children often excelled. You're right that other dads were corporate types on their way home from work.

There were plenty of high achieving children whose dads did not wear suits too!

I don't go in my sitting around joggers, I dress like I would to go shopping or somewhere like that

Just in whatever I have been wearing for the rest of the day.

However we live next door to the school my DS attended so they've probably seen me in my bikini or nightdress.

@karencarpenter

I was a teacher for 20 years and always appreciated the fathers who wore suits. It was a mark of respect to convey that they took education very seriously. Their children were often high achievers

This is madness - many jobs don't require suits and more & some never did (creative jobs). I don't think you should judge based on what Dad wears. What about the Mum?!

Lol! No. I might brush my hair and put a bit of make up on it I’m feeling particularly bedraggled though

Yes, I put on my good pyjamas.

Yes, working from home so wearing joggers or lounge wear. Always get up, shower and do my hair and make up.
Will put on a skirt/blouse/trousers and heels for work or school (not the school run).

DS has forbidden me from wearing my Christmas PJs with dancing Brussels sprouts.

They see me twice a day every day, early morning hauling 3 kids with me to school, early afternoon being being home with twins all day. If I dressed up for parents evening, I'd worry someone would think it was a come on!! I go clean. That's my standard.

@converseandjeans if you hadn't deleted my comment directly below, you'd see I said I wouldn't judge anyone for not wearing a suit. My own spouse certainly didn't.

As I said earlier, I was touched by the Nigerian dads without corporate jobs who wore suits to mark their respect for the occasion.

Do you always get this outraged over nothing?

God no
The teachers see me every day on the school run so they would wonder why I'd dressed up.
I just wear whatever I had on that day.

Yes but it's clearly not the local comp in the rough estate if parents evening turns into wine and cheese night. I like it tho, would boost attendance if they did beer and crisp night 😂

I once went straight from a book launch to parents' evening with no time to change in between. I was in a party dress, and I had written the words "HORSES, AUTOPSY" on my hand in thick black pen because I was signing stock and I couldn't find my notebook. It was not my best moment.

Bloody hell!

I don’t dress up exactly but I make sure I’m presentable. Smart jeans and a jumper or whatever.

@karencarpenter ·

always appreciated the fathers who wore suits. It was a mark of respect to convey that they took education very seriously. Their children were often high achievers.

There were plenty of high achieving children whose dads did not wear suits too! so did those Dad's not value education or has the suit in fact got nothing at all to do with it.

It wouldn't cross my mind to judge anyone for not dressing up though except for seeing a suit as a sign or respect and deference to you?

What does a woman wear to show she respects education? Heels and a pencil skirt?

When they were face to face, I’d change out of my dog hair covered clothes to attend, just into another pair of jeans and a top though. Now they’ve continued to be online since covid, I just stay in what I’ve had on all day. It’s parents evening, not a wedding.

I have finished Parent Evenings now that all DC have left school, however I always dressed up, in that I would wear my normal work clothes so smart trousers and top with shoes (not trainers). DH would always dress down, so changed out of work suit and tie into jeans and trainers.
Not sure how this would relate to @karencarpenter world as we both have good jobs and value education but DH is the high achiever.

It wasn't a mark of respect to me @SleepingStandingUp. It was respect to the institution ie their children's school and the education their children were receiving. British people don't appreciate education to the same degree as other cultures and their children sometimes underperform. Certainly my own spouse didn't wear a suit so I'm not saying we are any better.

Would you mind if someone turned up at your wedding or dad's funeral in their pyjamas or a dirty top? If not, it's probably because clothes are an outward marker of respect.

Before you dismiss me a snob, I introduced parents evening at the local pub at my school to drive better attendance and make the process less intimidating.

If I were your child's teacher, I honestly couldn't give a crap @Onthegrid I've turned up for my own children's parents evenings in clean jeans before, I'm sure.

My oint is you're saying oh I liked the Dad's who wore suits, they respected education and their kids did well. As did the kids of Dad's who didn't wear suits. And I don't judge anyone so I make no correlation between suits and attainment.

In which case, why were you impressed by suits?

Would you mind if someone turned up at your wedding or dad's funeral in their pyjamas or a dirty top? If not, it's probably because clothes are an outward marker of respect. nit sure why you're assuming I go to school in my PJs (i sleep naked) or dirty clothes tho.

Also @karencarpenter youve ignored several qns over what a Mom should wear to show she respects education?

Wouldn't occur to me to even think about what I was wearing.