Dress code

The dark suit dress code for men is a solid black, navy blue, dark grey, or charcoal grey suit.

The tie worn with a dark suit should be chosen according to the occasion. 
At formal events, the tie is preferably a festive silver-grey, possibly patterned with a design woven into the fabric. At more informal events, the tie can be more colourful and have more patterns on it. A black or coloured bow tie can also be worn at the events.

Black thin-soled shoes are suitable for the events.

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With the dark suit, merit and service year medals should be worn on the left side of the chest, if mentioned in the invitation. 
See the section on wearing medals of merit earlier on this page.

The dark suit dress code for women, despite the name, can be colourful. It is a one-piece or two-piece evening gown or a formal pantsuit made of elegant, festive fabric. The evening gown can be ankle-length or shorter, depending on fashion and the occasion.

The shoes are elegant court shoes or sandals, and the bag should be a small, handheld or shoulder bag for formal occasions. Gloves are not usually worn. The tights are thin and match the colours of the outfit. They can be patterned, metallic or dark coloured.

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At events starting before 6:00 PM, a dark suit dress code for women can be an elegant dress, a suit, a combination of a jacket and dress, or an elegant pantsuit.

The shoes should be thin-soled court shoes. The tights should be thin and single-coloured, either skin-toned, matching the colour of the suit or coordinated with the shoes. The bag should be a small envelope-style clutch or an elegant shoulder bag.

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With the dark suit, merit and service year medals should be worn on the left side of the chest, if mentioned in the invitation. 
See the section on wearing medals of merit earlier on this page.

If you prefer your outfit to be non-binary, you can put together a suitable outfit for yourself – or create your own – by following the abovementioned suggestions.

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With the dark suit, merit and service year medals should be worn on the left side of the chest, if mentioned in the invitation. 
See the section on wearing medals of merit earlier on this page.

The formal academic dress for men consists of the following:

• tailcoat including a black vest (white vest with the normal tailcoat outfit)
• matte black shoes (glossy patent shoes with the normal tailcoat outfit)
• black (sufficiently long) socks
• no pocket square (a pocket square is worn with the normal tailcoat outfit)
• a white bowtie
• no wristwatch

In addition, if decorations are mentioned in the invitation, large decorations should be worn on the left side of the chest with the academic dress. See the separate section for instructions on wearing decorations.

The formal academic dress for women consists of the following:

• a black, full-length gown (dress or skirt) made of eveningwear fabric. For the inaugural lectures of new professors, a black, knee-length dress or skirt, or long trousers, is also acceptable for the speaker.
• the dress can have either a wide or narrow cut
• the neckline must not be low-cut (this rule does not apply to regular women’s evening gowns)
• the dress should have long sleeves or be paired with a long-sleeved jacket (no sleeve length has been specified for regular women’s evening gowns)
• black closed-toe formal shoes and black tights
• no jewellery

In addition, when specified in the invitation, large decorations should be worn on the left side of the chest with academic dress. See the separate section for instructions on wearing decorations.

If you prefer your formal academic dress to be non-binary, you can choose elements from both the men’s and women’s dress codes that suit you.

In addition, when specified in the invitation, large decorations should be worn on the left side of the chest with academic dress. See the separate section for instructions on wearing decorations.

Smart casual for men refers to attire less formal than a dark suit, such as a grey or blue suit or slacks and a jacket. A smart cardigan or jumper can also be worn instead of a blazer. A dress shirt can be worn without a tie.

Black everyday shoes or dress shoes are suitable.

Smart casual for women includes a suit, a dress, or a smart cardigan paired with a skirt or trousers. A fitted dress paired with a jacket is also suitable as smart casual attire. The blouse worn with a pantsuit can be either light-coloured or more vibrant and expressive.

Shoes such as court shoes are suitable. The height of the heel and the colour of the shoes should be chosen to suit the occasion and outfit. Tights should be either skin-toned or match the colour of the shoes or the outfit. Shoes should never be lighter in colour than the tights.

If you prefer your smart casual outfit to be non-binary, you can choose elements from both the men’s and women’s dress codes that suit you.

At the University’s opening ceremony, doctoral graduates participating in the procession wear doctoral hats. Due to this, the dress code for the procession is a dark suit, even if the general dress code for the opening ceremony is smart casual. Doctorates who have graduated from foreign universities wear their own university’s academic dress during the procession. The doctoral hat is worn indoors as an exception when coffee is served at the University of Jyväskylä’s opening ceremony.

The custos and opponent wear the doctoral hat during a public examination. Because the doctoral hat is usually not worn indoors, it is carried on the left arm with the lyre facing forward when entering and leaving the event. At the hall where the public examination takes place, the hats of the custos and opponent are placed on the table in front of them with the lyre facing the audience.

All doctoral graduates can bring their doctoral hats to the doctoral reception. The hats can be placed on the side table reserved for this purpose.

Additional instructions and dress code for the audience can be found on the guidelines page for public examinations.

At the inaugural lectures, new professors enter the hall carrying their hats on their left arm with the lyre facing forward. The procession is led by the host (the Rector or a vice rector), who also carries their doctoral hat. Both the host and inaugural lecturers take their doctoral hats with them when they go to the front of the hall to give their lectures. At the front, the hat is placed on the table next to the speaker, the lyre facing the audience. After the lecture, participants take their hats with them. When seated, the doctoral hat should rest in the lap, with the lyre facing forward.

The dress code for the audience at the inaugural lectures of new professors is smart casual. The dress code for new professors giving the lectures is formal academic dress. Female lecturers may also wear a black knee-length skirt or dress, or long trousers. (See detailed instructions in the section “Formal Academic Dress”.) 

Brief summary of the instructions:
During the conferment ceremony (doctoral conferment), the doctoral hat can also be worn indoors, but not in church during the service. The general rule is that the hat must be worn whenever the promotor is wearing theirs. During the conferment ceremony, all doctors put on their hats when the conferment of doctors begins.

Detailed dress code guidelines for the conferment ceremonies are available on the conferment website.