COLLOQUY

denotes a response with photos.

"A few random thoughts on fashion: During the 60s, the sartorial rebellion against America's button-down conservatism was..." -- D.G. Whiteis, Indiana-Purdue University at Ft. Wayne (posted 4/15, 1:19 p.m., E.D.T.)

"I used to think that competence was hallmark of academe. I have come to understand through a variety of recent feedback that attire is..." -- anonymous, large Southern technical university (posted 3/3, 12 p.m., E.S.T.)

"I really don't care what people wear. However isn't it helpful if..." -- Jack Hill, Dir. Distance Learning (posted 2/23, 3:45 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Of course clothing matters... when the quality of education and professorial expectations from students is so low, there must be..." -- W.E. Waisala, Ramapo College (posted 2/23, 11 a.m., E.S.T.)

"Having lived for the past five years, contiguous to the campus of my alma mater, I've had ample opportunity to scan "fashion." It seems to me that..." -- Mattiene' Moustakas, M.A., Ed.M., Designer/Educator (posted 2/23, 10:55 a.m., E.S.T.)

"The debate over dress and brains takes on a peculiar twist for non-American nationals, at the job interview or on the job. To dress in non-western clothes is to invite..." -- Esi Dogbe, Assistant Professor, Pan African Studies, Univ. of Louisville, KY (posted 2/20, 10:30 a.m., E.S.T.)

"I dress for my own comfort and that of people who see me. I teach seven or more yoga classes a week, am on the..." -- John P. Giunta, Part-time faculty, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia (posted 2/20, 9:50 a.m., E.S.T.)

"I will have to be anonymous, much to my regret, since I will be on the job market next year. Yet another example of "academic freedom", much as the following commentary is. I have read all the debate entries so far, and have yet to see..." -- anonymous (posted 2/20, 9:45 a.m., E.S.T.)

"The mild irritation expressed by some of the respondents is most interesting. Of course, the original article was..." -- Thomas F. Connolly, Professor, University of Ostrava (posted 2/19, 11 a.m., E.S.T.)

"Frumpy can also be a distraction in the classroom. I think that..." -- Karen Patricia Williams, Administrator/Ph.D. Cand., College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University (posted 2/18, 5:10 p.m., E.S.T.)

"My impression of an academic wardrobe was always the tweed jacket with leather covered elbows. After attending..." -- Tom Cushman, graduate student, University of Oklahoma (posted 2/16, 9 a.m., E.S.T.)

"The fashion sense, or lack thereof, of my professors from my undergraduate days made a huge impression. I later learned in graduate school that some of them had been tracking..." -- Thea Volpe, Director, postbacc premedical program, Columbia University (posted 2/11, 10:55 a.m., E.S.T.)

"Being a part-time teacher of children now and a one-time "straight" academic, I have the following theory of dress in class, which may or may not apply to..." -- S. Hecht, Consultant (posted 2/10, 4:47 p.m., E.S.T.)

"I'm a female physicist who is working towards tenure. One minute I'm lecturing to a class or attending a faculty meeting, and the next minute I may be cutting metal in the..." -- Vickie Frohne, Assistant Professor of Physics, Western Illinois University (posted 2/10, 4:40 p.m., E.S.T.)

"The Professor of Classics at the University of Sydney, Kevin Lee, is the only man I've seen wear a black beret and..." -- Rosalind De Sailly, Ph.D., University of Western Sydney, Nepean (posted 2/9, 10 a.m., E.S.T.)

"If you would like to see academics who dress well, visit the foreign language department. I do use Coach handbags because I was replacing cheaper handbags every 3 months. While I don't wear..." -- Dr. Jane Branam, Assistant Professor, Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC (posted 2/9, 9:35 a.m., E.S.T.)

"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..." -- Bonnie L. Kyburz, Lecturer, Comp/Rhet, Arizona State University (posted 2/6, 11 a.m., E.S.T.)

"It never crossed my mind about how much this debate matters until I was marked down on a performance evaluation for the way I dressed..." -- Mary Taylor Huntsman, Reference and Bibliographic Instruction Librarian, Campbellsville University (posted 2/5, 3:45 p.m., E.S.T.)

"I teach a social/behavioral/diversity class at U. Mass. titled "Dress and Culture." I have an enrollment of..." -- Susan Michelman, Assistant professor, U. of Mass., Amherst (posted 2/3, 10:25 a.m., E.S.T.)

"In reviewing the responses to this issue, I'm struck by how frequently people focus on what 'should be' rather than 'what is'..." -- Beatrice Greenwald, Ph.D., University of Washington (posted 1/30, 4 p.m., E.S.T.)

"The most compelling reason to dress conservatively is the photographic record. Now, instead of scrapbooks evoking snickers and the cry of 'God, I can't believe I used to dress like that!,'..." -- Marc Mayerson, Assistant Dean of Social Sciences, UCLA (posted 1/30, 2:30 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Aside from really liking mathematics and the teaching of mathematics, one reason that I went into academia was that, upon acutely observing how my instructors dressed,..." -- David Robbins, Professor of Mathematics, Trinity College (CT) (posted 1/30, 2:30 p.m., E.S.T.)

"I realize that a person's clothing makes a certain 'statement' to others. Of all the previous responses I read to the "frump vs. chic" question, I agree most with..." -- Diqui La Penta, Visiting Assistant Professor, Colorado College (posted 1/30, 11:15 a.m., E.S.T.)

"I find it both amusing and distressing that fashion should become such an issue in academe..." -- Barbara Keller, Graduate assistant, Louisiana State University (posted 1/30, 10:30 a.m., E.S.T.)

"This story is offered as an example of disciplinary differences in dress codes. Twenty-one years ago, I interviewed for my current position (as a microbial ecologist) in bare feet. Job applicants were..." -- Ethelynda Harding, Professor of Biology, California State University, Fresno (posted 1/29, 2:30 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Regarding sartorial considerations in academia. Yes, I'm English-oriented and wondering if..." -- Mahala Yates Stripling, Ph.D., Independent writer and lecturer (posted 1/29, 2:25 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Like many others who have joined this debate, I can't believe we are concerning ourselves with this matter. We are supposed to be..." -- Edward Zehr, Professor, Northern Marianas College (posted 1/29, 2:20 p.m., E.S.T.)

"The next thing you know they will be asking us..." -- Trevor Montroy, unemployed (posted 1/28, 4:50 p.m., E.S.T.)

"As a refugee from banking now trying to wear out those Dress-for-Success suits in front of business students, I find that..." -- Susan Peters, Asst. Professor, U. of Maryland, Schwabisch Gmund Germany (posted 1/28, 4:10 p.m., E.S.T.)

"In response to Shannon Thornton's concern about the rule for women that says not to wear pants to an interview: As far back as 1983 I wore..." -- Jane Zimmerman, Fort Lewis College Extended Studies Director (posted 1/28, 12:20 p.m., E.S.T.)

"After ten years of teaching, I've seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of professorial fashion. The most intriguing of all..." -- Maureen Carrigg, Wayne State College (posted 1/28, 8 a.m., E.S.T.)

"Although I enjoyed reading 'Frumpy or Chic?...' in The Chronicle, I was dismayed that you failed to give credit to..." -- Jennifer M. Malloy, Program Assistant, PSU Conferences & Institutes; freelance scholarly copyeditor/proofreader (posted 1/27, 7:15 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Student surveys indicate they want to be able to tell us apart from the cleaning crew, but more importantly..." -- Martin S. Bressler, Professor Thomas College (posted 1/27, 7:10 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Of course how we dress does not affect the correctness of our reasoning, or the value of our research. But..." -- Jeffrey Hall, Graduate Student, Department of Mathematics, University of New Hampshire (posted 1/26, 4:45 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Hmmmmm....I never really thought about this topic too often -- but in retrospect something happened two years ago that may be relevant. Each year..." -- Scott Sechrist, Associate Professor, Nuclear Medicine Technology (posted 1/26, 4:40 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Back when revamping the literary canon in order to make it more inclusive (of women, gays, people of color, and et cetera) was the hot new thing, I had this creepy feeling that..." -- Jacqueline Rodrigues Smetak, PhD, University of Iowa (posted 1/26, 4:35 p.m., E.S.T.)

"My husband, a college professor for 15 years, vowed..." -- Anonymous (posted 1/26, 4:30 p.m., E.S.T.)

"I realized my adolescence had ended when I ceased to judge people by how they looked and stopped worrying so much about..." -- Toni Levi, College Admissions Consultant (posted 1/26, 12:30 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Fashion and being fashionable is part of the game of life. Wether you're an academic or a medic you send a signal by what you wear. I think the key is in..." -- Dana Rosengard, Assistant Professor, Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, Vermont (posted 1/26, 12:25 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Maybe because of my South American heritage, I have always cared about my appearance. During my years as..." -- Emily Chalmers, Freelance editor and writer (posted 1/26, 11:30 a.m., E.S.T.)

"Fashion and "school" clothes are fine for a person who works behind a desk all day or who simply has to lecture in front of the class, but would you wear your Donna Karan in a chemistry lab with solvents? What about..." -- Laura Rhoads, Assistant Professor of Biology, Western Kentucky University (posted 1/26, 11:25 a.m., E.S.T.)

"When I moved from life as an attorney to academe, at age 29, I abandoned my "power suits" forever. I am now 35, but..." -- Elizabeth Guss, Division Head for Business & Professional Studies, Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, NM (posted 1/26, 11:20 a.m., E.S.T.)

"This discussion prompts recollection of the profound wisdom shared to me by a thirtyish ex-graduate student..." -- James J. Ward, Professor of History, Cedar Crest College (posted 1/23, 5 p.m., E.S.T.)

"A professional appearance is important. My mentor is a woman who..." -- Faithe Hart, Graduate student, North Carolina State University (posted 1/23, 4:30 p.m., E.S.T.)

"Some of the responses below seem to be taking this issue too seriously: the life of the mind vs. the trivial notion of..." -- Bob Wilson, Ph.D. candidate, C.U.N.Y. Graduate Center (posted 1/23, 4:25 p.m., E.S.T.)

"I'd say that where there is an observable or assumed class difference between professors and students, that students more often express the fear that..." -- Jon-Christian Suggs, Professor, English, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, C.U.N.Y. (posted 1/23, 4:20 p.m., E.S.T.)

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