Style Perceptions Interview: A Dress & A Bike

Last week, we at Fashionable Academics featured our first style perceptions interview with Elaine of clothed much.  Today, I would like to introduce you to Dawn, an Irish blogger and student.  She blogs at A Dress & A Bike.  Dawn recently finished her undergraduate work in Politics and Sociology, and is now studying for a Masters in Politics.  She is focusing on the issues of International Development and Conflict.  Dawn is also a mountain biker, a hobby which clashes nicely with the pretty dresses in her wardrobe- hence the name of her blog, A Dress & A Bike.  She began blogging to help develop and refine her style, and to contribute to the discussion of style which she admired from many bloggers.  In her words, "as a feminist, ex-tom boy and then-sociology student, it seemed that blogging was one way in which the norms and values surrounding fashion, style, femininity and 'womanhood' could be negotiated, critiqued and re-written to suit the individual woman rather than the industry of fashion. It also looked like a really enjoyable hobby!"  

I asked her similar questions to those I asked Elaine to get Dawn's take on how she perceived her professors and how their style might have impacted those perceptions. 

What do you notice about what your professors/teachers are wearing?

The first thing I notice about everyone is the condition of their clothes. It doesn't matter whether you don't care about fashion at all or are a die-hard fashionista, there is no excuse for not ironing a shirt or forgetting to wash a pair of stained pants. While I love the battered look of the traditional academic outfit, there is a major difference between a piece of clothing having an interesting background story mixed with lots of love and a threadbare, worn-out sad garment. 

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? 

Personally, I think that as long as they manage to look smarter and older than the majority of students they are teaching, most teaching outfits are generally fine. At university level (or maybe it's just my background), there is no need for a professor to have to dress authoritatively in order to make a good impression. Obviously for younger teaching assistants, this is a greater issue as they frequently teach students the same age or only a few years younger than them. Just as long as the fatal jeans/ UGG boots & hoodie combination is avoided, most teachers and professors will be appropriate for the classroom. 

In what ways do the dress and style of your professors/teachers 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?

I don't think I respect a lecturer more for their appearance but if a professor/ lecturer/ teacher is well-dressed, I would privately admire their style. For me, attitude and personality rather than appearance affects approachability, but the two facets are probably intertwined in how approachability is perceived. It does take time and effort to be stylish and well-dressed, particularly as they are defined by certain norms and values in society which often are rejected by certain faculties within the academy, but it really isn't difficult to look neat. The association of being well-dressed with respect is also turned on its head within academia so, having acknowledged that factor, it can also be seen that many academics do dress down in order to be seen as serious and focused on their research and teaching. 

How would you react on the first day of a class if you discovered that a fashion blogger was your professor?

Very very excited but a little bit nervous!

Thanks so much to Dawn for letting me interview her.  We wish her the best of luck as she begins her Masters program!  If you've haven't already been reading A Dress & A Bike, I suggest you check it out right now!