May 8, 2009

Being Smart and Looking Good

To the Editor:

Generally I would agree with Rachel Toor's conclusions about how poorly academics dress ("Can't We Be Smart and Look Good, Too?," The Chronicle Review, April 3), with one large exception. I find that female African-American and African academics are especially well dressed, particularly at all the conferences I attend and when I meet them on the college campuses that I have worked at and visited. And in their evaluations, students occasionally compliment me on my sense