Thoughts on the AMS/MAA Joint Meeting 2008 Part Two: How to get mistaken for a Professor at 22.

This is really a tongue-in-cheek guide to the dress code at the Joint Meeting. There are two basic axes: age and formality. From there most people can be accurately classified. However, there are some notable exception.

First is age. There are three broad bins: 24 and under, 24-32, and 32+. These roughly line up with undergrads/first year grad students, grad students/job seekers, and profs.

The second is formality (of dress). This is a much broader scale, but on the low end is jeans and a tee-shirt and on the other is a full suit or equivalent. I'll lump things into three categories nonetheless: casual, business casual (slacks, polo, sport coat; shirt and tie, no jacket), and business formal (shirt and tie with jacket, suit).

How to spot a:

• Prof: 32+ in either casual or business casual clothes. If it's business casual, it's probably not new or gently used unless they're presenting.
• Grad student/job seeker: Business casual most of the time as they're interviewing or speaking. Business formal means interviews or a presentation where they expect to be performing for future employers (not always true). Usually 24-32.
• Undergrad: Under 24, business formal will only be seen if presenting, but will present in business casual and up. Otherwise seen in jean and a tee shirt or slacks and a polo (but not much of the latter).

Wildcards:

• Exhibitors: If young and well dressed, probably a book representative/salesperson. Fortunately, they're labeled on their name badges.
• Undergrads who don't like to look like slobs. That would be me. Simply put, I walked around in business casual (polo and sport coat) or business formal (shirt, tie, sport coat) all week and was constantly mistaken for a prof or graduate student.