COLLOQUY Responses
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COLLOQUY Responses
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 First, I was horrified to read Elaine Showalter's Vogue article. Don't get me wrong, I'm every bit as inclined to run off to the mall after a conference presentation as she is. And I enjoyed the piece altogether. I was horrified because I had not written it. You see, as a writing teacher and licensed cosmetologist with years in the industry, I find it interesting to consider the role of fashion in our work and have done so from day one in the classroom. It "does" matter. But let me add that what I've found dominating our discussions so far (or maybe it's just the subsequent hallway talk) is the notion of "how" teachers should dress (frumpy or chic?) rather than that they should simply consider fashion as a variable in the "effectiveness" equation at all. Dress, fashion, whatever you'd like to call it, is, and should be aligned with our notions of kairos. What I mean is that dress is context-specific; if I wear suits for the first three weeks of a semester, I will usually end up in jeans during the last two; this is likely related to the levels of formality and informality I've encountered with my students. And while I'd love to see a world where my intelligence and expertise wasn't directly related (in the minds of my critics/employers/husband...) to the way in which I dress/look, I realize it's unlikely to materialize any time soon. Personally--and I don't mean this to suggest any antifeminist leanings (and I find it sad that I'm compelled to say so)--I don't "really" mind.
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