Proper Debate Dress      home
Here is a big thumbs down to baseball caps, leather jackets, skateboarding t-shirts, other t-shirts (except for dress shirts), baggy pants, jeans, mini-skirts, tank tops, sneakers, sandals, and wallet chains at debate tournaments. Here is an even bigger thumbs down to tuxedos, three piece suits (especially ones with leather vests from the colonial age), evening gowns, six-inch high heels, pounds of make-up, pounds of hair grease, bow ties, and alligator boots. Finally, a bronx cheer to the ridiculous partners that were spotted walking down the hall at a tournament last year: one wearing a baggy, pin-striped gangster suit; the other wearing an outrageous plaid-green sweater over the ugliest yellow tie in history. The worst part was, they thought they looked "classy."

Debate dress has gotten out of control. Everyone is either "too hip" to dress up, somehow making the backwards baseball cap and fleece sweater acceptable; or so hip that they wouldn't dare wear anything less than what they had been planning to wear to the prom. But to define proper debate dress, it is important to consider why debate dress matters in the first place.

A debate is theoretically supposed to be a formal event. There is handshaking before, and handshaking afterwards. It is a "gentleman's (and gentlewoman's) competition". The baseball cap just doesn't fit in. At the same time, debate is an extracurricular activity. The food usually stinks and competition takes place on turned-around desks, in an empty classroom. Debaters lug boxes around, and spill evidence on the stairs (always amusing). Persons wearing formal attire to such an event usually look ridiculous (especially persons wearing vests that make them look like musketmen). This is why dockers and skirts were invented. This is why button-down shirts and blouses were invented. This is why sports coats and casual dresses were invented.

A properly dressed debater should command the respect of the opponent and the judge without appearing to have an over-inflated ego (although all debaters seem to have that anyway…). A properly dressed debater should show respect for the formality of the event (we're not playing football, you know) while protecting the sanctity of the high school student's dress-rights on a weekend.

In short, a male high school debater should wear khakis, a button-down shirt (short sleeve for Florida, long sleeve for North Dakota), a tie that matches well, and an optional sports coat (black). A female debater should wear either a blouse and skirt (knee length minimum), or a casual dress. No high heels, ladies! No one should be asked to lug a filebox up two flights of stairs in high heels.

If debaters would all dress decently (and that is the key, appearing decent), tournaments would be a lot pleasanter for everyone.