Five Wardrobe Essentials for the Female Academic in the Humanities

As soon as the weather cools off, my single most-worn item is a grey pencil skirt. Dress it up with hose and heels for a meeting with the Dean or dress it down with tights and cute, comfy flats for a Friday morning seminar. It can be accompanied by belts, blouses, sweaters of nearly any colour, and if you choose opaque tights you don’t even have to shave your legs! When I wear it with my red leather jacket (not an essential, but oh how I love it) I feel like a super-hero-professor.

Great list! My go-to comfortable shoes are the Unstructured By Clarks un.pump Slip Ons. I have them in brown and red and adore them, and even have a backup brown pair stored away anticipating that they might be discontinued eventually. I get them at a shoe store near my parents’ house that typically has them about 20% less than retail. But the value of investing in good quality shoes cannot be exaggerated.I’ve also found that a couple of good quality, well-structured jackets (at least one denim) are helpful for looking pulled-together.

Editor’s note: Hopefully those commenters who contribute to the discussion from here on out will understand that this ProfHacker post, like all of our “5 Things” posts, is told from one person’s point of view. Also, you might notice that you’re invited to take part in the discussion in the following way: “What are your go-to wardrobe items now that school is back in session? Please share in the comments section below.”As always, comments that don’t abide by our Commenting and Community Guidelines—or that are off topic—will be deleted.

I endorse the opinion on cardigans and tshirts and shoes. I too buy shoes in multiple pairs when I’ve found a brand and model that works. Beige shirts and cardigans are a great alternative to too much of the black and white look, which can sometimes seem “waitress-y.” Earrings and necklaces are useful to draw attention away from the pounds put on from all the time spent in front of the computer writing and grading and answering emails. I never work makeup as a tt prof, but as a tenured full prof I don’t, alas, leave home without it.

–Black skirts, many different styles.– T shirts from Target (I like the ones made with a double layer of fabric in the front panel, which gives a smoother look, in black, gray, and colors) ($10)–Tights from Target, in black, gray, and colors ($5)Jeans for days when I’m not teaching (nice dark blue; straight leg).– I am trying to add brown to my wardrobe (variation on black).I like the idea of th white t-shirts, but I just can’t keep them looking good!

1. Crocs — cute little ballet flats and wedge heels (not the old ones that many people won’t even wear gardening now) Very comfortable – I can walk back and forth campus a couple of times and still teach standing up for a 3 hour class at the end of the day.2. Tide pen (for all sorts of colored shirts not just white)3. Cardigans and Cami in basic colors 4. Really interesting (possibly junk) jewelry5. An excellent hair cut.

–black Target ballet flats. so many expensive brands get worn and are wrecked within a year anyway. –good hair, including color. if you spend the money on good color/cut at a stylist, you don’t have to have a high-maintenance hairstyle. And if you’re concerned about looking too young for your job, it will help you look more sophisticated but not matronly.–knit dresses. I have a handful of v-neck knit dresses (sleeveless or short sleeves) in various dark colors that I can pair with cardigans/jackets and flats and still feel comfy as I sit and grade or write. Be careful because you don’t want to look too casual: think more “diane von furstenberg” than “old navy beach coverup.”–basic makeup. for me, it’s primer, SPF foundation, and setting powder, combined with mascara, brow pencil, and gloss. Get your brows done.

I ditto the cardigans. Since I started teaching they are my favorite!! I will have to try glasses and see if I still get mistaken for a student. I also ditto the person who is trying to add brown to their wardrobe! I bought some brown pants but haven’t found a shirt to go with them yet… I wear WAY too much black!

Brown is a neutral, so can be paired with just about any color.Fall – pair with orange or purple tops (solid color). Use multi-colored scarfs or jewelry to pull together.Winter – pair with basic white top for day, red in evening.Spring – pink tops, green pin striped tops.Summer – white sleeveless buttoned crisp cotton shirt (formal), or white cotton gauze tank with some frill or other detail (informal).I LOVE brown! BTW – this works with grey (as a neutral) too.

I teach at both a community college and a career college. For the first, I can wear even a nice pair of jeans topped by a navy blazer while for the second it must be “corporate attire” (which usually translates into some version of a black suit). Thus, I buy blazers and some comfortable trousers that can work for both venues. But the glasses, haircut and Danskos are critical everywhere!

Thanks for some great suggestions. The idea that our fashion choices make rhetorical statements is obviously not a new one, but like many female academics, I struggle with the balance of comfort and professionalism, especially since I teach at a small (women’s) college where boundaries between students and faculty are often already blurry.

I very much enjoy the eclectic environment of academe. To some faculty, wardrobe choice is important; to others it’s largely irrelevant. As with most campuses ours (even in the conservative Southeast) sports anything from rumpled shorts and t-shirts to 3-piece suits by males and “weekend casual” to professional among females. They all seem to work and I hardly ever hear a discouraging word about anyone’s syle (or lack of). Of course, students provide the really interesting parades of appearance, providing insights to cultural dynamics in action.Sympathies to #16 anon1234 with the required suits. If administrative, that seems de rigueur; if faculty, that truly sucks.

Basic black, gray, brown, khaki, navy slacksSame for skirts but may add some prints for fun Pair any with appropriate solid colored tanks (Coldwater Creek has great ones) Add a 3/4 sleeve blouse in a harmonizing solid or print or a solid sweater (basics include black, white, navy, gray) and may be long sleeves, 3/4, or short sleeves (Ann Taylor, CW Creek, Chicos are some stores that carry)or a heavier jacket when cooler weather Add a great trench coat with zip out lining in a neutural color

Could I make some suggestions of a negative nature?All-black outfits, a la Morticia Addams, work only up to a point. There comes a time to notice that it’s been done before. By others.Idiosyncratic footwear, with proselytizing. Nobody gives two hoots what you have on your feet, but whatever they are, don’t consider them a religious message that must be passed on to as many people as possible.”Youthful” long hair. Not past a certain point it ain’t. Beyond some indefinable place, it just says, “I don’t get it.” Visible piercing, branding, tattoos, and scar patterns . . . In case of doubt, it’s a bad idea. In case of no doubt, it’s a worse idea. Sober up first.Anything more revealing than a sales clerk in an upmarket store would wear. Generally bizarre accouterments. Ambrose Bierce has a couple definitions that might be helpful in this:Eccentricity. n. The distinction of a fool.Fashion. n. A god whom the wise ridicule and obey.

I grew up in a state that basically had no winter season, so when I moved to teach college in the Northeast, it was a rude awakening on many levels. Essential for me were the puffy coat (bought at The Company Store catalogue), insulated snow boots (from Canada), and waterproof rubber shoes for wet but warmer weather. I just accepted the fact that each winter I would wear the snow gear and take my “real shoes” in a bag to school every day. Fortunately, from about December to March, there seemed to be an unwritten rule that all fashion bets were off, and it was OK to drift into the winter uniform of turtleneck and shetland sweater.

Totally agree on good glasses and hair. Also opaque tights are great and in the UK two good pairs of boots (one black one brown) a bit expensive but they last several seasons and go with most things and can make a slightly boring outfit look a bit more edgy. But get lowish heels so they are comfy to walk in. I wear them almost every day in winter. There are times when heels are a good idea, so just keep a pair of flats in your bag or office drawer. Don’t think people don’t notice shoes. They do, especially senior male admin types whom you might want to impress. On that score and in general I’d say wear what makes you feel good and what gives you confidence and makes you feel you look great. That doesn’t mean boring at all. But is does mean appropriate so not too much chest or leg being flashed, certainly not together. There was one young researcher we worked with who kept coming to meetings looking like she was out clubbing, and it wasn’t a great look. Notice what more senior female colleagues wear, especially ones you might want to emulate. Don’t copy exactly, it might look too matronly but think about what gets worn when. Do you need to invest in a good jacket for teaching or more formal meetings, or are you in a techie kinda role where anything but jeans would seem ridiculous? But I quite like the idea of dressing for the next job up the ladder rather than the one you have now, especially if you work with more senior people regularly. They do notice and it helps you get taken seriously. But mainly enjoy it and have confidence. You’ll look great if you feel it!

It is funny that so many of us are looking at similar things- Target is the best for T-shirts. Nice quality, variety of colors and cheap! I prefer to spend my money on good shoes. On that note, I have gotten two great bags for free from DSW by getting on their mailing list. One is black and one is brown and each would have cost $60 or $70 at least. Not top quality, but very good.