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Original poster

What do you wear to a school open day?

155 replies

upsidaisie · 04/10/2007 09:13

We are off to an open day for an independent school at the weekend and I have no idea if you need to be dressed in casual or smart clothes for these things . It only really occurred to me last night when DH asked if he needed to wear a shirt and tie, adding that he hoped not!! A recent episode of Eastenders springs to mind when Ian made a total prat of himself and I am keen to avoid standing out for being different/stupid!! My feeling was smart casual probably, but if anyone else knows different I'd appreciate some input.
Thanks

OP posts:
nailpolish · 04/10/2007 12:40

tbh i would dress smartly to a school open day whether it was private or not
dressing smartly gives me confidence

claricebeansmum · 04/10/2007 12:51

Have worn jeans/casual clothes to all open days (private) and there are so many people milling around nobody knows who you are anyway.

Interviews with Headmaster - no jeans but if you are a SAHM they do not expect you to be in a suit etc.

And yes there are still prep schools that have Saturday school and there are prep schools that will ask you to wear your uniform when looking around another school...

LadyMuck · 04/10/2007 12:52

Hatwoman - you miss the point: it is not the school who give a toss what you wear (unless ridiculously inappropriate). It is the other mothers who judge you! Same at any school gate I find.

Lilymaid · 04/10/2007 13:32

In my area people wear smart casual (or not even particularly smart, but at least clean) clothes to open days. If you wore a suit to a Saturday open day you would be confused with a teacher. Wear what you might wear to shop in town on a Saturday. If I had to dress up to go to an open day I'd know it was the type of school you went to in order to meet the right sort of people rather than for a good education.

seeker · 04/10/2007 13:41

I don't want to offend anyone - but would you REALLY want your children to be educated by people who make professional judgements on people based on what they wear?

hatwoman · 04/10/2007 13:43

ladymuck I was responding to Anna888's point: "Independent schools do select their customers - you have to sell yourself to the school first and foremost."

Anchovy · 04/10/2007 13:44

Well, yes - up to a point.

Firstly, I don't think that anyone has said they felt judged on what they wore to an open day. If you go to an interview with the head, I don't think the head would be sitting there going "oh, she got that in Hobbs - we only take people in full Boden". But if you turned up for something like an interview and were looking dirty/slovenly/unkempt then I think the head would judge.

TellusMater · 04/10/2007 13:47

If you came in looking unkempt, what would that tell them about your child I wonder?

FioFio · 04/10/2007 13:51

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FioFio · 04/10/2007 13:52

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Anchovy · 04/10/2007 13:52

LOL - what Fio said.

Hulababy · 04/10/2007 13:55

For our one to one with the Head and the first Open Day I wore smrt casual tope clothes not becase I thought the Head or staff would judge, but because I feel more confident when dressed smarter, rather than in jeans. So I did it for me, not for school - who I truely believe couldn't have cared less. AND I also dressed the same when I visited the local state school to look around and meet the Head.

singersgirl · 04/10/2007 13:55

Maybe the prep schools had told them to 'dress up' to make a good impression!

maisemor · 04/10/2007 13:58

In answer to your question Tellusmater, that you spend all your money and efforts on your well kept child, and therefore have no time for your own upkeep , or so I hope {{{tries to straigthen jacket and wipes back hair from her face}}}

TellusMater · 04/10/2007 14:01

Ah. My dc also pretty unkempt. Clever though

Millarkie · 04/10/2007 14:01

I wore jeans to the first open day we went to for our dc's independent school, and then jeans again for the individual tour/chat with the HM. They accepted him and dd happily - I was more worried about the dc's behaviour during their trial day/assessment that what dh and I wore tbh. As long as we pay the bill why should they care!

Although - I do get stroppy comments from one of the secretaries about my being a working mum (and therefore my dd being in the nursery class for more days than secretary thinks is warranted) but I am quite happy to talk to the head about that! (and have done already). I have pointed out that if I didn't work, we wouldn't have put our dc into an independent school.

TellusMater · 04/10/2007 14:02

Well, not really. But they could be
Minds above mere clothes...

TellusMater · 04/10/2007 14:04

I would be pissed off with comments from the secretary...

Hulababy · 04/10/2007 14:06

Millarkie - I would be furious with a secretary saying that to me, and Iwould be speaking to the Head about her comments, along with my complaint. How rude of her.

seeker · 04/10/2007 14:12

As I said some time ago - who's selling a service to whom!

Bink · 04/10/2007 14:14

re the cravat.
We went to a parents-and-prospectives open day, with ds (then aged 6) and there was a boy's ds's age

in a cravat

Anchovy · 04/10/2007 14:18

LOL Bink

islandofsodor · 04/10/2007 14:24

I went to the open day at dd's school in a 3rd hand grubby maternity dress smelling of wee (dd was 2 and potty training at the time). I still remember the look of horror on the senior school lad allocated to taking us around.

I went again 12 months later (the nursery and pre-prep wasn't actually built the first time) and can't remember what I wore, probably black trousers like I wear nearly every day, dh went in shorts and trainers.

Dd is singing at the open day this Saturday, she has to go in full uniform.

Caroline1852 · 04/10/2007 14:35

Bink - marvellous.

About this schools thing in general. People have it in their heads that because it is an Independent school, people must dress smarter than they do in the State school sector. Where on earth does all this come from? My sons go to an boys' independent school and there are scruffy boys and smart boys, fashionable boys and geeky boys (though noone in a cravat yet!) and there are smart mums and dads and scruffy mums and dads and embarassing mums and dads and cool mums and dads, super posh-sounding mums and dads and cockney mums and dads, brand new Merc convertibles and P-Reg Vauxhall Vectras (that's ours by the way). The boys and parents at my sons' school are a far more diverse bunch than the parents and pupils at the local comprehensive faith school (where full Boden would definitely not be out of place).

seeker · 04/10/2007 14:39

I really don't think that it's possible for the parents and children at an independent school to be more diverse than the same at a comprehensive. There won't be anyone there who can't afford 3K-odd a term for example!

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