What to wear as a parent at DD uni open day?

[livvymc]

My DD has an offer holder day at Kings College London next month.
We’ll be travelling down from the NW for it, but staying over the night before so outfit doesn’t need to be suitable for travel.
What on earth do I wear?! I’m normally jeans/tshirt or leggings/hoodie type person, although I wear suits for work.
Has anyone been to such a day and can advise on what they wore? I won’t wear leggings obviously but is there a suitable middle ground between that and a suit?
Thank you!

I have done more open days than I care to remember. Prospective students attending with their parents is the norm. It has been so for many years now.

Some do push it to extremes though. There is really no need to bring siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents.

As for dress code? Smart casual is what most parents wear.

Layers and comfy shoes

Wear whatever you normally wear that feels comfortable to you.

Comfy shoes, layers is the best advice here. I’m from Wales and didn’t feel uncomfortable in jeans / top/ jumper but a hot day, I could done with with sandals or something.

It’s offer holder day, not open day

I’m off to one today. I’m wearing a jumpsuit and trainers. Last time I wore jeans and a t-shirt- it was boiling.

It’s offer holder day, not open day

It’s offer holder day, not open day. A completely different vibe

You are definitely over thinking this.
Wear what you feel comfortable in 🤷🏻‍♀️

That’s funny, did it make his day? Dh would have pretended not to care but I reckon it would have made his year! 😁

Believe me, uni staff are far more concerned about making a good impression on you and the potential student at offer holder days than the other way around! Hope it goes well!

And the difference is?

I can tell you. A slightly different emphasis in the presentations. They are the same thing as far as I am concerned.

The dress code is the same regardless.

I’ve worked at many, many open days and offer holder days over the last 20 years. I don’t recall a ‘different vibe’ in terms of parent’s outfits between the two types of day.

Really no one is interested in parental style. I don’t think there’s much interest in the potential students’ clothes either.

When I had my undergraduate interview at King’s I was very scruffy - they still gave me a place. That was 1993 though.

20 odd years ago we didn’t see that many parents at the open days. And it was fine.

Information v celebration. I work at the uni across from KCL

@livvymc Why would parents wear business clothes? They are accompanying dc to a university. Jeans or chinos and trainers and a shirt. It’s true that no one is looking at you! You might find some overseas parents are a bit smarter but they are paying 3 times the fees UK students do so are generally wealthy. Just have a good day and enjoy London. Hope your DD likes the university.

Open days are usually the bun fights when half the world turns up to look around. Offer holder days are quieter from my experience. Clothes parents wear are identical. Wear what you feel comfortable in. Most people only look smart(er) for the degree ceremonies. You have got 3 plus years to plan for that.

I think the question may have been about the sartorial different 😁

Is this a thing???? Hilarious

What are they celebrating? It's not graduation. The point of an offer holder day is to decide whether to take up an offer, whereas an open day is for deciding whether to apply. Information is what they're getting at both.

There is no difference in how visitors dress for these events. Casual clothes are the norm.

Celebrating getting an offer

You have decided not to wear leggings, that is the only thing I think that matters. Apart perhaps from not having excessive make up.

DH tried to persuade me to wear shorts for one open day because it was warm at home.i ignored his advice and was still freezing in harem style trousers!
I might have worn shorts for one, though, I can't remember. I definitely just wore casual clothes. I'm pretty sure it's compulsory for dads to wear a navy polo shirt though! 🤣

Offer holder day - a last marketing chance for the Uni where there is mutual interest, so in depth intro to department/accommodation. And lots of targeted info - also usually some sessions without parents.
Open day - scatter gun marketing, and very very busy

Don't be ridiculous. They're information events, not a party. I've worked at or run these events for over twenty years and no parent has ever turned up dressed for a "celebration". Most people that attend are there because they didn't attend the open day and want to see the university. So there's going to be a lot of walking around.

I'd just wear your usual jeans etc. It's not some formal occasion and I think if you dress up, you'll stand out like a sore thumb for trying to be posh.