Tuskegee University requires business suits, bans bonnets and du-rags in new dress code

Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Dr. Mark Brown, president and CEO of Tuskegee University in Alabama, is introducing new policies aimed at creating what he calls a more "professional educational environment" at one of the nation's most prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Dig deeper:

Under the new rules, students must bring a business suit and dress shoes to campus for professional events and meetings. They also will be expected to dress professionally in classrooms and cafeterias. Head coverings, including bonnets and du-rags, will be prohibited except when worn for religious, medical, cultural or university-approved reasons.

What they're saying:

"The university has developed a new policy for student attire on campus, classroom attendance, and cell phone use in classrooms," Brown wrote in a message to students. "Tuskegee students now have a dress code for public and professional places."

"The Student Handbook requires students to arrive on campus with a business suit and proper shoes for a business meeting," the message continued. "Students are prohibited from wearing revealing clothing in class, to the cafeteria or in official settings like Convocation. They are also not able to wear bedroom shoes, bonnets, or du-rags to class or the cafeteria."

The updated policy also limits revealing or sexually explicit clothing as part of a broader effort to prepare students for the workplace.

"The goal here is not meant to restrict you from enjoying the Tuskegee Experience, but to prepare you with a solid foundation for the workforce you will enter once you leave Tuskegee," Brown wrote. "Employers are less forgiving and too often presentation may overrule stellar preparation."

"Tuskegee University continues to prepare the best and brightest for a lifetime of success," Brown added. "With these changes, we want to ensure every student is as prepared as they can be. I look forward to seeing you in August."

The university's fall orientation guidance says business attire is expected for career fairs, interviews, meetings and other professional events. It also extends dress expectations to classrooms and cafeterias.

"Hats, bonnets, head scarves, caps, hoods, du-rags, bandanas, sunglasses, and other non-religious or non-medically required head coverings should be removed while in the classroom or cafeteria unless they are required for documented medical, religious, cultural, or University-approved purposes," the student dress code states.

The policy also outlines expectations for clothing worn in academic settings.

"Pants, skirts, dresses, and shorts should be worn in a manner that is appropriate for a professional educational environment. Clothing should fit properly and not expose undergarments or other private areas. Excessively short shorts, swimsuit bottoms, body suits, sleeveless undershirts, and similar casual garments are not appropriate for professional classroom settings," the guidance says. "T-shirts worn as dresses and sagging pants are not permitted. Baggy or loose fitting pants must be worn with a belt that fits around the waist."

Faculty members will be authorized to address dress code violations, although Brown's message did not specify what disciplinary measures, if any, students could face.

Some of the updated rules reinforce standards already included in the university's 2025-26 student handbook, which required students to dress "in good taste," prohibited sleepwear outside residence halls and barred men from wearing "do rags," stocking caps, bandanas, baseball caps and other headwear inside campus buildings. The handbook also banned sagging pants in academic facilities.

The other side:

The revised policy has sparked debate online over professionalism, cultural expression and expectations at HBCUs. Critics have argued that restrictions on du-rags and bonnets reflect respectability politics and disproportionately target clothing associated with Black culture.

Supporters, however, say colleges should prepare students for professional settings such as job interviews, meetings and workplace environments.

Several alumni have publicly backed the policy. Tuskegee graduate Gwen McKinney told NBC4 Washington the changes were "a breath of fresh air," adding that there is "a time and place and a setting for every kind of dress."

"A critical part of being ready for and confident in business environments is being appropriately dressed," said Walter P. Cooper Sr., director of the university's Career Education and Leadership Development Center.

"We know that every workplace doesn’t require business attire – our center includes business casual and casual attire, too – but as our students prepare to enter those workplace scenarios that do, it is important that access to the right wardrobe is not a barrier."

Students who need professional clothing can obtain assistance through the university's Golden Tigers Community Closet.

"One of the key pillars of Tuskegee’s Renaissance Era is our focus on career readiness for our students," Brown said. "Academically, we are equipping our students to stand shoulder to shoulder with any candidates competing for roles in the global economy."

"The Golden Tigers Community Closet is an important way to ensure that every student can also feel confidently dressed when they step into those spaces."

Big picture view:

The dress code is part of a broader package of classroom and career-readiness initiatives being rolled out as Tuskegee prepares for its largest incoming class in 32 years. The university is also banning cellphone use during class unless an instructor gives permission.

"Faculty will be empowered to respond to students who are inappropriately dressed based on these guidelines," Brown wrote.

"Faculty will also be able to respond to a different classroom challenge – cell phones. Unless directed by the professor, students are no longer allowed to use their cell phones while in class. They should be turned off to eliminate any distraction from the instructor’s lesson."

Fox News Digital contacted Brown's office and Tuskegee University for additional comment. Vice President of Strategic Communications Thonnia Lee confirmed the president's message and the new dress code but declined to comment further.

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