Student Council Dress Up Day Ideas

Student council dress up day ideas are most of the council's creative job during spirit week. The themes below have run successfully at hundreds of schools, and each one pairs with a specific council apparel piece that makes the council itself look unified while the rest of the school dresses to theme.

Eight Dress Up Day Themes That Work

• Color Day: Each grade wears a different color. Freshmen blue, sophomores green, juniors red, seniors gold.
• Decade Day: 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. Each grade gets a decade.
• Twin Day: Pair up and dress identically.
• Jersey Day: Wear any sports jersey.
• Pajama Day: Comfort wear all day.
• Beach Day: Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses, lei necklaces.
• Career Day: Dress for the job you want.
• School Colors Day: Friday culmination, everyone in school colors.

Council Tee for Each Spirit Week Day

The council itself stays in council attire all week. The simplest approach is a single council spirit week tee printed in five colors, one per day. Each council member picks the color sequence they want to wear. The Bear Grips Airlume Cotton Athletic Tee is the right blank: $19.88 VIP base, available in 20+ colors, and prints the same council logo on every color variant.

For one design across five color variants, members order through the council store. The advisor never coordinates color or size.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

Spirit Week Hoodie for the Cold Mornings

If spirit week falls in February or March, layer the Comfort Soft Hoodie ($36.88 VIP base) over the daily theme tee. The council hoodie carries the year stamp and the council mark, while the under-tee changes color by day.

Council Member Outfit Ideas Per Day

• Color Day: Council tee in the day's color over jeans.
• Decade Day: Vintage council tee or DIY iron-on year stamp.
• Twin Day: Council president and VP dressed identically. Other officer pairs.
• Jersey Day: Council-branded performance tee or the Bella+Canvas Performance Workout Tank.
• Pajama Day: Council hoodie + sweatpants. The Bear Grips Pro Shops catalog includes Independent Trading Co. sweatpants and Jerzees pocket sweatpants.
• Beach Day: Council members in matching Hawaiian-print accessories with the council tee underneath.
• Career Day: Officer polos and quarter-zip pullovers (the actual professional wardrobe).
• School Colors Day: The full council in matching color-coordinated sweatshirts and hoodies.

Print the Spirit Week Tees Without Bulk Ordering

Each council member orders their own spirit week tees in their own sizes through the council store. Total cost to the council: $0 upfront. Total profit to the council: $5 to $10 margin per tee. For full setup, see student council shop setup guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should we announce dress up day themes?

Three to four weeks gives members time to order their council tee and any theme accessories. The store delivers in about a week, so announce three weeks ahead at the latest.

Can we change themes year over year?

Yes. The council store carries the council logo and member identity. The dress-up theme changes; the council tee design stays.

What if a council member misses ordering their tee?

They can still order it after spirit week starts. It just ships after the week ends. Some councils run a winter or spring re-order for members who missed the first round.

Can the council monetize spirit week beyond the council itself?

Yes. The store is public. The general student body and parents can buy spirit week themed council tees. The council collects margin on those orders the same way.