Style Perceptions Interview: clothed much

Yesterday I mentioned that students really notice what we wear in the classroom.  To help understand how personal style impacts our students' reactions I interviewed Elaine, who blogs at clothed much, and is in her final semester of study as a Political Science major at the University of Utah. Elaine is originally from Philadelphia, but now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.  She likes to spend time with her husband, friends, and family.  She also loves trying new foods and creating new outfits.  Elaine started her blog last May because she had been reading fashion blogs and "realized a lot of fashion bloggers basically dressed the same and seem to spend a lot more money than they should on their clothes." She wanted "to show the blog world that you don't have to have designer name brands and lots of money to have great style!"  I think Elaine has more than accomplished her goal!  

I asked Elaine several questions about how she perceived the style of her instructors and without further ado here are her answers.



What do you notice about what your professors are wearing?
I notice everything! I am a very observant person. I especially like to see what kind of shoes my teachers wear. I know most teachers are about practicality and functionality so it's fun to see what their personal preferences are.

What kinds of attire do you think are appropriate for professors to wear when they're teaching? Is there anything that you really don't like to see your professors wearing?
I don't like seeing very casual wear. It makes it hard for me to take them seriously. I would like professors to be one level dressier than the students. It doesn't have to be a shirt and tie and a dress but there's something about dressing that way that exudes a form of authority and self-respect. I definitely don't ever want to see professors wearing white socks with sporty sandals!! Two of my professors last term did that and it made me cringe every time I saw it!

In what ways do the dress and style of your professors impact the way you respond to them? Do you automatically respect an instructor more if s/he is well-dressed?  Does an instructor's attire make him/her more approachable/less approachable?
In my last response, I mentioned that dressing up gives them a sense of authority and self-respect. This is from a first-hand experience! One of my teachers was guilty of the sandals-with-socks. He often wore chinos with a casual shirt. I found I didn't pay that much attention in class and wasn't intrigued by his teaching or the subject. Once it got colder, he dressed up more. He wore dress shoes, a dress shirt, and a sweater. Just that simple change made me see him as more authoritative and I respected him more for that. As for approachability to me, a casually dressed teacher would be more approachable as a peer-to-peer way but a well-dressed teacher would be approached as an authoritative figure.

You read a number of fashion blogs.  How would you react on the first day of class if you discovered that a fashion blogger was your professor or section instructor?
That would be so fun! I would enjoy coming to class just to see what my professor is wearing! It would be great if a few pointers were added into the lessons too ;).

Thanks so much to Elaine for giving us her take on these professartorial issues.  If you haven't ever checked out her blog, you should give it a read!