Dress for success

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By Chin Poh Nee, Yeoh Ai Tee

Susan and Jonathan were excited at the prospect of entering university. Fresh out of high school and SPM, the only things they were thinking in their minds were, “No more uniforms! We’re free to dress as we like!”

Now there, stop at the red light please.

While it is true that there are no more uniforms to be worn in university, we still have something we need to abide by, and that is the dress code. But, why? Why the need for dress codes? We are already young adults, surely we know how to dress ourselves?

That’s right. However, dress codes are still needed so that you don’t cross the line between casual and overly comfortable. While wearing jeans and sneakers are perfectly acceptable when attending classes in the university, pairing short pants with slippers are an absolute no-no.

Before you groan in disbelief, we here at UTAR don’t really have it that bad. If you would care to compare our university to public universities such as Universiti Malaya, Universiti Utara Malaysia, and so on, you would find that their dress codes are even more restricted than ours.

How so restricted, you ask? Well, let’s see. You would have to wear formal wear to classes all the time, to say the least. Now, in comparison, UTAR’s dress code will seem petty.

We here at J-On have taken the liberty to introduce to you UTAR’s dress code, so that you won’t be inappropriately dressed, and won’t have to face the wrath of any passing UTAR officer who so happened has had a bad day.

For the ladies, here are a list of things that you shouldn’t wear while on campus grounds:-





1.Low-cut tops.
2.Midriff-baring tops.
3.Skirts above the knee length.
4.Spaghetti-strapped tops.
5.Short pants.
6.Flip flops.

As for the boys, there are only two things which are restricted, and they are:-



1.No short pants.
2.No slippers.

At a glance, the dress code may seem too much, especially for the ladies. However, if you think about it a little more, you will find that the university is actually trying to do us good. Don’t believe me? Allow me to clarify.

For example, low-cut tops for females may show off your bountiful assets, but wouldn’t that be an eyesore for the lecturers! As for guys – well, they might appreciate it, but the line between appreciating and leering is very, very thin.

If you haven’t already noticed, the buildings in UTAR are very, very open. No closed spaces whatsoever so you can easily look up and see whoever’s in the first or second floor above you. Not such a good idea for girls who wear short skirts now, would it? Short skirts may flatter the legs and look nice, but hey, we’re here in university to study anyway.

Another thing that we would like to warn you about is the “climate” in UTAR classrooms and lecture halls. When in stellar condition, the air conditioning is absolutely, terrifyingly, cold. Therefore, wearing short pants is not a very wise idea. So is wearing spaghetti strapped tops and slippers. Unless, of course, you’re planning on getting a frost bite because seriously, the classrooms and lecture halls in UTAR can be very cold. While we’re on the topic of cold classrooms, it’s advisable for you to bring jackets, cardigans, or shawls to class. It’s nicer to study when you’re comfortably warm, rather than freezing cold.

One last thing that we would like to remind UTAR students is to wear your student ID and lanyard at all times, when you are in the university grounds. Our university has implemented a rule whereby if you are caught not wearing your student tag more than three times, a fine of RM20 will be imposed on them. A complete student tag is your dark blue UTAR lanyard, together with your student ID.

With all that restriction, what can you actually wear to classes? A hunt on the university grounds led us to these few students who dressed appropriately, yet stylishly.



Final year Public Relations student Chen Pui Mun, 21, here is dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans, complete with cute ballet flats. When asked about how UTAR students should dress, she commented that they should dress in a proper way, with the pants or skirts below the knee length.



Final year Advertising student Koh Weng Hong, 22, is dressed very smartly in t-shirt, jeans, and closed shoes, wrapped up in a snug blazer.

As you can see from the above, it’s really not that hard to abide by the dress code yet look stylish! Although UTAR is still not very strict with disciplinary actions in students who do not obey the dress code, students should still dress properly and abide by the dress code to respect themselves, as well as their lecturers.

All in all, this situation can only be summed up with what final year Communications & Networking student Chan Choong Yong, 20, said,

“The campus is a place to study and learn, not a place to party.”

Filed Under: English , Features , Freshie