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Solomentseva S.B. University dress code: between formal regulation and personal expression. Journal of Clothing Science. 2026; 11(1). Available at: https://kostumologiya.ru/PDF/06IVKL126.pdf (in Russian).

University dress code: between formal regulation and personal expression

Solomentseva Svetlana Borisovna
Bunin Yelets State University, Yelets, Russia
E-mail: ss00001@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2442-1235
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=707311
SCOPUS: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=56809374100

Abstract. This article presents the results of a study that identified and ranked the key characteristics that shape the wardrobes of university faculty and students, as well as the attitudes of educational institutions toward the possible introduction of a regulated dress code. The representative focus group included 73 informants from among the staff and students of Bunin Yelets State University.

In the first stage of the study, the author identified six generalized groups of business attire characteristics, which were rated by the study participants using a questionnaire. Processing the results using descriptive statistics revealed the dominance of aesthetic characteristics in the structure of respondents’ preferences when creating a university wardrobe (30,1 %), with functional (23,3 %) and psychological (17,8 %) characteristics ranking second and third, respectively. Other generalized groups of characteristics were distributed in descending order as follows: social (13,7 %), utilitarian (9,6 %), and cultural (5,5 %).

During the second stage of the experiment, respondents’ attitudes toward the idea of introducing a uniform dress code at the university were determined. The empirical results indicate low support for this initiative among the target group: only 24,6 % supported the proposal, while 75,4 % expressed a negative attitude due to the reduced opportunities for self-expression and creative expression through clothing.

These research findings may be useful to higher education institution management when developing internal policies regarding the introduction of a formal dress code, as taking into account the opinions of educational stakeholders is essential to ensuring their loyalty to the decisions made.

Keywords: university dress code; formal attire characteristics; regulated clothing; empirical research; declared preferences; corporate style; self-expression

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