Alison Schneider

Trends in college fashion are often associated with students. As author Alison Schneider reveals, however, professors are also subject to clothing crises and stereotypes. Schneider looks at the expectations held by students and other faculty regarding professors' dress styles. She describes the association between "frumpy" clothing and intelligence. Traditionally, academics are often thought to be too busy with scholarly concerns to worry about their appearance. Well—dressed faculty, by comparison, are thought to be less serious than their more casually attired counterparts-a perception that may affect one's job status, or even getting hired in the first place. Schneider also discusses how some professors use fashion to explore-and repress-gender and ethnic identity. While universities have become more tolerant regarding personal expression in the classroom, ethnic dress, youthful styles, and other nontraditional fashions remain...