Clothing-what+to+wear

Teachers are expected to dress professionally, but that does not necessarily mean "dressy". For women, slacks, dresses, or skirts are fine as are capris that go down about mid-calf with a nice top when it is warmer. For men, ties are not required. Khakis, collared shirts, polo shirts are acceptable. Jeans are generally not allowed. Regarding shoes, as long as they are nice looking, closed or open toed is fine, and again, nicer sandals are OK when it is warmer. The Dress Code policy is available for review under Policies and Procedures (left hand column) of the Staff webpage.
 * Teacher dress:**

The only time I can think of that school colors are "needed" is when we take the faculty photo at the beginning of the year. Everyone is asked to wear khaki or navy bottoms with a light blue, navy or white shirt. Same for the day that we take the all-school "C" photo in the fall. Otherwise, faculty wear "Concordia gear" because they want to, especially if they are coaching because coaches are provided with nice coaching polo shirts. We also have a Phoenix Shop where you can get "Concordia" apparel. //K. Gordon//
 * When would you need school spirit wear or school colors?**


 * Student Uniforms:** The tops and bottoms of the school uniform can all be purchased here at Concordia. New students get first "dibs" on purchasing in August, and it is VERY EASY to find a place to do alterations if necessary. Most of the guys wear the navy or khaki pants, or the khaki cargo shorts (even through the winter!) Girls wear the pants or shorts in navy or khaki. There used to be skirts, but the school moved to skorts because the girls were wearing the skirts a little too short. However, very few girls in the HS actually wear them and there still appear to be skirts being worn. The tops are usually the polos, either short or long-sleeved. PE uniforms and sweats can also be purchased here at school. With everything else new teachers will want to be packing, it is best to wait until you get here to get the uniforms.


 * Seasonal clothing:** As for temps, it will be HOT and HUMID in August when you get here. Then things start to settle down and October is usually beautiful (our favorite month in Shanghai). By December, temps drop to the 40s F. We occasionally get to freezing, but don't usually stay there long. We also occasionally get snow, but it doesn't usually last long. I would recommend a winter coat, as the wind and wet weather can make things very chilly. It is very easy and economical to buy a winter coat here, or better yet, get a nice wool or cashmere coat made. Keep in mind that " off the rack" sizes for Chinese shops tend to be much smaller than western options. I have had two mid-length coats made in the past 5 years, and they have been great.

The tricky part about dressing during the "winter" here is being comfortable both outside AND inside. Depending which floor your room will be on will determine how warm it gets. My room is on the 6th (top) floor of the HS building, and I rarely need to wear a heavy sweater. I have learned to dress in layers…a shirt with a jacket so I can take the jacket off when it gets warm in my room. I have heard, however, that 2nd floor can be quite cool, so I really would recommend bringing things that you can layer and will allow you to adjust easily to whatever temperature.

The only reason you may want REALLY warm clothes is if you decide to do a trip to Harbin. They have an amazing snow and ice sculpture festival every winter, and it is definitely worth traveling to once. But IT IS COLD!!! If you think you might be interested in that, bring snow pants/snowsuits/boots/etc. as you will need them if you don't want to purchase items here. If your children are planning to play soccer or any other spring sport, the spring season starts out rather chilly in Shanghai, and there are some games where you will want warm clothes and layers! //Kathy Gordon//