The North American College has five categories of dress code:
| Informal Clerical: | Black Roman collar with black slacks. Informal Clerical is worn on class days through pranzo (2 pm). |
| Formal Clerical: | “Informal Clerical” with the addition of a black suit jacket. As a general rule, Formal Clerical attire is only worn on Sundays and special occasions. [CASSOCKS are considered an equivalent for Formal Clerical in particular settings, such as Papal Events or some liturgical roles (e.g. Choir). It not necessary to have one, and if need be, they can be purchased over here. Choir members wear cassocks frequently.] |
| Casual: | A Collared Shirt tucked into Pants. Jeans are permissible. As a general rule, this can be worn after lunch and in the evening, so you should bring enough collared shirts. |
| Business Casual: | A Collared Shirt tucked into Slacks (No Jeans). |
| Recreational: | Recreational attire—shorts, T-shirts, sports attire, etc.—may be worn during free time. The frequency of visitors and guests to the seminary requires appropriate dress. Therefore, recreational attire is not to be worn in the public areas of the seminary building which includes the first two floors, the lobby, the refectory, the library and the chapels. |
- Note: CASUAL ATTIRE WILL BE THE DRESS CODE FOR THE ORIENTATION PERIOD. There will be a few occasions for FORMAL and INFORMAL CLERICAL ATTIRE during the orientation period.
- Therefore, seminarians should pack appropriate clothing to have it on hand when arriving at the College.
- Students should bring some clerical clothing with them, especially for use during the orientation period.
- Some may want to buy most of their clerical clothing here. The prices are less expensive than the US.
- However, larger sized clerical clothing is hard to find in Rome. These should be bought from the US.
- Black Shoes should be brought from the US.
- You may also want a more polished pair of black shoes for special events and liturgical assignments.
It is highly recommended that students bring one or two additional pairs of shoes with them. Keep in mind that clerical attire is worn to class, so appropriate black shoes with soles designed for improved traction is recommended. Leather soles tend to slip easily on wet cobblestones or marble. The extra pair allows a student to have one pair of black shoes for walking to class in the elements, and an additional pair that will look nice for liturgies and formal events. Shoes tend to wear more quickly here because of the constant city use. Sneakers will also wear quicker if used regularly on the artificial turf field. It is often difficult to find shoes here that offer good quality and a good fit, plus they are more expensive in Rome. Shoe sizes of 11 or greater are particularly difficult to find. Shoe repair, however, is excellent and inexpensive. Students in Rome do a lot of walking, so good shoes are important. Black walking shoes (e.g. Rockports) are often worn with informal clerical, or even formal clerical dress, and tend to have much better traction.
As for seasonal clothing:
- It is hot and muggy in the summers.
- It is cold, damp, and rainy in the winters.
- Because we have a damp cold here, you may want at least 2 grades of sweaters (light and heavy).
- Fleeces are allowed with casual, business casual, and informal clerical.
- Hoodies and Sweatshirts cannot be worn with informal clerical. They can be worn with casual.
Updated 24 March 2012
