Student Overalls 

Student overalls are a colourful piece of clothing worn by university students in Finland. Students wear them at various events, such as student parties or other student gatherings, where they want to identify as students. Each field of study has its designated overall color, which varies between universities and regions. It is common for students to collect various patches and decorations from these events, which they attach to their overalls. This allows students to showcase the types of events they have attended. Patches can also be purchased online or from, for example, the Kaakko offices or kide.app. Fun meme patches are very popular collector’s items for the overalls. Overalls also often feature logos of the sponsors that help the students obtain their overalls. 

How to obtain overalls? On all of our campuses overalls are taken care of by the student associations on campus. Read more about student associations and check their contacts from here. 

Overall Etiquette 

There are no official national guidelines for overalls, but various customs are associated with them. These customs can also vary by region and student organization. Here are some of the most common overall etiquette rules: 

  • Overalls are worn not only at student parties but also at national student events (e.g., Appros, cruises) unless otherwise specified (e.g., overalls are typically not worn at annual celebrations). 
  • Overalls should be tied around the waist so that your university/academy or student organization’s (XAMK) logo is clearly visible. 
  • Patches must be sewn on by hand; they are not to be glued, machine-stitched, or sewn by someone else. 
  • The logos/advertisements on the overalls must not be covered by fabric patches or other decorations. 
  • In addition to patches, you can collect other items or memorabilia, such as bottle openers, stuffed toys, lanyards, or even artwork from friends using markers. The overalls should reflect the wearer’s personality, and customization is encouraged. 
  • Overalls can only be washed if you are wearing them, for example, in the shower, fountain, or even a lake. However, washing them is not recommended. 
  • You may exchange a leg of your overalls with your partner if they have a different-colored overall. With a friend, you can swap sleeves or pockets. If you study again and want to get new overalls, you can sew half of the old ones and half of the new ones together. 
  • When wearing overalls, you represent your school, student union, and student organization, so always remember to behave politely and consider others. 

Overall Colors at XAMK by Campus: 

Mikkeli: 

  • Engineer – White 
  • Forestry Engineer – Green 
  • Hospitality Management – Purple 
  • Social Services – Turquoise 
  • Nursing – Red 
  • Public Health Nursing – Fuchsia Pink 
  • Business Administration – Yellow 
  • Community Educator – Orange 

Kouvola: 

  • Engineer – White 
  • Business – Burgundy 
  • Culture – Black 
  • Social and Health Care, and Community Educators – Pink 

Kotka: 

  • Engineer – Black and Burgundy 
  • Maritime – Blue 
  • Social and Health Care – Yellow 
  • Business Administration – Olive Green 
  • Cyber security engineering – Black 

Savonlinna: 

  • Physiotherapist – Purple 
  • Engineer – White 
  • Podiatrist – Dark Green 
  • Sports Instructors – Neon Yellow 
  • Nurse – Red 
  • Social Services – Turquoise 
  • Security Services – Yellow and Black 

Where Can I Get Overalls? 

Mikkeli: overalls are ordered through your field’s association. The associations in Mikkeli are Mikro ry, MIO ry, MTO ry, and Nila ry.
Kouvola: all overalls are ordered by Kupla ry, and they can be purchased from their office.
Kotka: Meteli ry is responsible for most of the overalls of the campus. KoIO ry takes care of the overalls for engineering students and Cyberclub for cyber security engineering
Savonlinna: student overalls are available through Sohva ry. SAIO ry takes care of the overalls for engineering students.