Academic Conference Attire: 14 Outfit Ideas for Grad Students
When it comes to figuring out what to wear at academic conferences, even though I'm now in my fourth year of graduate school, I don't consider myself an expert. I'm slowly figuring out my go-to pieces that work for basically any conference or other academic event.
In 2015, I wrote about what I packed for an academic conference in February, and I noticed that I packed many of the same items this time around for my conference in New Orleans. If you're wondering what you should wear to an academic conference with mild weather in the winter, below I shared my packing list and six outfit ideas to inspire you!
I also included packing lists and eight additional outfits from two other academic conferences I attended (and packed for in my Stylebook app!).
This post was originally published on January 18, 2016, when I was in graduate school! It was updated and recirculated on October 8, 2025. Most of the original copy was preserved.
Academic Conference Attire
As a grad student, I don't "dress up" as much as perhaps the post docs or professors (unless I was there to formally meet potential new employers). I do, however, like to put effort into how I look so I don't come across as a student that doesn't care about being there. I bring pieces that I can mix-and-match with everything else, so depending on the weather and/or the event (presentation, reception, etc.), I have an outfit that will work for it.
WHAT TO PACK FOR AN ACADEMIC CONFERENCE
I pack for all of my academic conferences in carry-on roller suitcases. I’m able to bring the suitcase, a personal item (tote bag), and my poster tube along without the poster counting as a personal item, but luckily my department switched to fabric posters that are folded flat so we don’t have to carry a poster tube anymore!
I packed 18 pieces for this conference. Here’s everything I brought!
2 sleeveless tops
2 sweaters
“Nice” sweatshirt
Skirt
Ponte pants
Dark wash skinny jeans
Ankle boots
Ballet flats
Sneakers
2 pairs of earrings
Necklace
Vest
Trench coat
Longchamp Le Pliage Neo tote
Umbrella (did not use)
I needed six different outfits for the trip, which included two travel days. I brought three pairs of shoes so each pair was worn twice, and I used the same method for bottoms, though I could have gotten away with only bringing two bottoms if I didn't have the space for a third.
Above are two more packing lists from two other academic conferences I attended! There was a lot of overlap between the packing lists; I leaned heavily on my ankle boots, trench coat, my “nice” sweatshirt (from Helmut Lang), lightweight sweaters, sleeveless tops, and Longchamp tote.
Academic Conference Outfits
Let's break it down outfit by outfit. Outfits 1 and 6 above were the days that I traveled, so I wore my comfy J.Crew Pixie pants (however, these feel nice enough to wear during the conference, too). I had kind of planned the outfits in my head in advance, so I opted to wear my ballet flats for the first travel day and ankle boots for the last.
Even though the sneakers are comfy, I didn't want to deal with taking them off and putting them back on at airport security, so the ballet flats and boots were the easy options. I wore my trench coat on the plane and used my Longchamp bag as a carry-on (in addition to my Kipling carry-on roller bag).
Outfits 2 and 3 were worn on days that I did not present, so I decided to wear my sneakers for comfort. Outfit 2 looks strikingly similar to an outfit I wore to the conference I wrote about last year (I actually could have worn that exact outfit again this time if I needed, since I brought the exact same items!). I love layering sleeveless tops under my asymmetrical Helmut Lang sweatshirt. I also wore my jeans because it was pretty chilly.
Outfit 3 was not worn to the conference (this was the day I had my bike tour; I changed into Zella leggings for the ride), but it was worn to an evening reception hosted by my department. I changed into my ankle boots for the reception. The vest was the only extra layer I needed over my sweater to keep warm on my ride. It was such a lovely day! (Have you seen the photos?)
Outfits 4 and 5 were worn on days I had my poster presentation; I had an afternoon session and then on the following day, a morning session. I wore my skirt both days because of that. It was also warm enough to go sans tights, though I did change into tights and ankle boots when I wore outfit 4 because I had an awards banquet to attend in the evening. I wore my sweatshirt again but with my crocheted top and ballet flats. I really loved this look! I'll probably repeat it.
Outfit 5 should have been worn with tights because the conference center was blasting their AC! Plus, it really wasn't that warm outside, especially with the imminent rain (which I did not get caught in, thank goodness). I pulled out a sweater for this look and finished it with my ankle boots and simple necklace. My Longchamp tote proved to be quite the workhouse during the course of the week.
Since I discovered the packing list feature in Stylebook in 2014, I've used it ever since. I shared the packing list for this conference along with two others above, and below are what the outfits looked like in the app. There are 14 outfits across the three conferences I attended (and packed for in Stylebook!). I seriously ADORE this app. I think Stylebook is my favorite thing ever. (And no, they're not paying me to say this. I just love it so much!)
Academic Conference Attire Dos And Don'ts
When you’re putting together outfits for an academic conference, there are a number of conference attire Dos and Don’ts to follow to make sure you look as confident as you feel!
DO stick to the basics
It's best to go with basic yet somewhat dressy pieces that have multiple uses (and that also make you feel like a boss!).
DO wear layers
Conference venues are notorious for blasting the A/C because there are usually a lot of bodies in the room (especially in the poster hall!). Sometimes it’s on a little bit too high, especially if you’re in a smaller room listening to oral presentations. Make sure to wear layers (or at least bring an extra layer in your bag if it’s too hot to wear it outside).
DO wear comfortable shoes
You will be on your feet almost all day long. Comfort is more important than anything else! Don't be afraid to wear sneakers; I saw a very wide range of attire at my conference.
DO show off your personality
I absolutely love seeing my fellow grad students embrace their personality in their conference outfits! Wear a fun dress, a tulle skirt, bright pink, patterned tights, or bold jewelry.
DON’T wear anything you have to constantly adjust
It’s just plain annoying to have to fix your clothes! You won’t want to worry about that when you’re walking from session to session and chatting with friends or colleagues.
DON’T wear activewear or loungewear
An academic conference is akin to any other professional environment. Wear what you would typically wear to an office. This includes no activewear (leggings) and no loungewear (casual joggers).
DON’T wear ripped jeans
In general, jeans are fine to wear, just don’t wear any that are heavily frayed at the bottom or that have holes in them. Think business casual: wear jeans that are solid white, dark indigo, or black.
DON’T wear brand new shoes
OMG, please do not do this to your feet. You will be in pain and it will ruin the rest of your conference! Make sure any shoes you bring have been tried and tested at home. Comfortable shoes only!