redavis001
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 101
- Location
- Beautiful Norman Oklahoma
I teach in a BIG university. Because of our president there are historical pictures of the U. in all of the building. The pictures range from the late 1890’s to the 1990’s. When I stop and look at then I always see the well-dressed students and professors in the earlier pictures. In the Late 50’s the students become more casual. Slack and sweaters instead of suits. By the late 1960’s the students are all casual and the Profs in suits.
When I walk around campus today it’s all pajama pants and bellies mixed with T-shirts and flip-flops. Even when it was 20 degrees there were flip-flops. The professors are almost as bad.
I wear a shirt, slacks and tie everyday to work.
I wear a suit about twice a week.
My students ask why I wear a suit everyday.
They don’t really know what a suit is.
Suite = tie
Sad really, but I can do nothing for them, except explain the power that comes from a suit. You get treated better. As a young fellow it helps me be taken seriously. It impresses my boss. It makes me look serious and academic. It gives me credibility.
My department had to send out a notice about what was appropriate to TEACH in last year after a colleague of mine wore here pajamas. She is no longer with the company.
There are a few holdouts though. There is one older chap on campus that wears a fedora everyday. I have not had the pleasure of making his acquaintance. Some of the really old professors on campus really look nice. Seem to be keeping the standards of the profession alive.
I try to encourage my students when the present to the class to dress up or rather dress nicely. It’s like pulling teeth! Should not be surprising as the way suits are portrayed in the popular media is generally poor. Necktie as noose et al.
My point (if there ever is such a thing) is that ironically wearing a suit in my line of work is in fact a form of rebellion. By reconfiguring the nature of the interaction I gain power in my favour through something that is rebellious. The nature of rebellion is going against the norm to increase personal identity power. The suit works for me in this way. It makes me professional ON MY TERMS. As opposed to the terms dictated by the normalizing effects of accepted fashion practices. That is the fixed norms of the college campus.
And it makes the ladies turn their heads.
When I walk around campus today it’s all pajama pants and bellies mixed with T-shirts and flip-flops. Even when it was 20 degrees there were flip-flops. The professors are almost as bad.
I wear a shirt, slacks and tie everyday to work.
I wear a suit about twice a week.
My students ask why I wear a suit everyday.
They don’t really know what a suit is.
Suite = tie
Sad really, but I can do nothing for them, except explain the power that comes from a suit. You get treated better. As a young fellow it helps me be taken seriously. It impresses my boss. It makes me look serious and academic. It gives me credibility.
My department had to send out a notice about what was appropriate to TEACH in last year after a colleague of mine wore here pajamas. She is no longer with the company.
There are a few holdouts though. There is one older chap on campus that wears a fedora everyday. I have not had the pleasure of making his acquaintance. Some of the really old professors on campus really look nice. Seem to be keeping the standards of the profession alive.
I try to encourage my students when the present to the class to dress up or rather dress nicely. It’s like pulling teeth! Should not be surprising as the way suits are portrayed in the popular media is generally poor. Necktie as noose et al.
My point (if there ever is such a thing) is that ironically wearing a suit in my line of work is in fact a form of rebellion. By reconfiguring the nature of the interaction I gain power in my favour through something that is rebellious. The nature of rebellion is going against the norm to increase personal identity power. The suit works for me in this way. It makes me professional ON MY TERMS. As opposed to the terms dictated by the normalizing effects of accepted fashion practices. That is the fixed norms of the college campus.
And it makes the ladies turn their heads.
