Dress Code Links

The dress code is a shared experience and an everyday practice that signals seriousness of purpose and mutual respect within our community. It promotes understanding of the often-unwritten rules for the adjustment of attire based on setting. Dress code represents a standard of formality while providing room for personal expression and inclusion of our diverse identities and cultures.

Deerfield employees are expected to hold students to these guidelines; when students are reminded that they are out of dress code, they are expected to comply quickly and respectfully with the faculty/staff member’s request to change into appropriate attire.

Academic Dress for Fall and Spring Terms:

All Deerfield students must wear:

• A blazer or sportcoat (with lapel)
• An appropriate top
  • Collared shirt
  • Blouse
  • Dress
• An appropriate bottom layer
  • Pants
  • Shorts
  • Skirt
  • Dress

Additional requirements:

Boys are required to wear neckties with a collared shirt, tucked in; golf shirts may not be worn with a tie. T-shirts and athletic tops may not serve as blouses.

Bottom layers should be of a length that supports full and comfortable participation in all school-day activities. Leggings and tights may be worn as a bottom layer, if paired with shorts, skirts, or dresses.

Clothing inconsistent with a formal academic atmosphere is not permitted: this includes blue denim pants, denim jackets of any color, sweatpants, yoga pants, crop tops, athletic attire, and hooded tops.

Hats are not to be worn in academic buildings or in the Dining Hall at any time, except as part of a student’s religious or cultural tradition.

All students are expected to adhere to basic standards of hygiene and grooming. Neatly-trimmed facial hair is permitted.

Academic Dress must be worn (not carried) in the Dining Hall and in all academic buildings during the entire class day—regardless of individuals’ schedules.

Academic Dress may also be required on occasions designated by the Head of School or the Assistant Head of School for Student Life.

Winter Term: Casual Dress

While our Academic Dress serves to promote the principles above, we also recognize the practical challenges students and employees face as they strive to uphold dress code and maintain Deerfield’s rigorous pace of life, particularly in the winter.

To assist with these challenges, we adopt a different standard of dress in the winter. During the timeframe between the end of Winter Break and the start of Spring Term, dress for all classes and meals (except Sunday dinner, which requires Academic Dress) shall be “Casual Dress.” Students are asked simply to dress appropriately; torn or ripped garments and athletic apparel—including sweatpants and yoga pants—are prohibited. Leggings and tights may be worn if paired with shorts, skirts, or dresses. Clothing choices should allow full and comfortable participation in all school-day activities.

Free Dress

After the class day is over, students’ clothing choices are unrestricted.