Mahira Nooruddin, first-year biology major
How do you define fashion?
“It’s the appearance that you put out and it kind of matches your persona, and it helps define who you are to people that don’t know you.”
Who in your eyes is the most fashionable faculty or staff member?
“I think the most fashionable faculty would probably have to be Dr. [Ellen] Barnett, she’s my FYE teacher.”
How would you describe her style?
“She’s very like sundresses and cutesy vibes, and she just seems relaxed and put together and professional at the same time.”
How would you describe the overall fashion sense of professors on our campus?
“I feel like most of them just give off a very professional vibe, but then it’s not that they’re going to be dying in this weather either. I feel like it’s very put together and planned.”
Do you think students’ perceptions of professors are influenced by their clothing choices?
“I feel like if you do see professors that are really well-dressed, very professional, you might sometimes — some students might be nervous to go up to them and approach them if they don’t think that they’re that friendly.”
How have you observed professors using fashion as a means of self-expression?
“I saw this one faculty member — I don’t know who they are — walking in CSI with bright pink and yellow shoes, and I thought that was really cool and they were trying to express themselves in a way that was more expressive of their personality.”

Emma Randles, first-year biochemistry major
How do you define fashion?
“Kind of like an expression of yourself.”
Who in your eyes is the most fashionable faculty or staff member?
“I don’t really have too many options. I feel like they all just wear suits or a button-down.”
How would you describe the overall fashion sense of professors on our campus?
“Business-casual.”
Is there a difference in the way certain professors dress that reflects their department or field of study?
“I feel like they’re all the same. Maybe the science people wear longer pants and stuff because they have to for labs.”

Kai Kallingal, senior computer science and business double-major
How do you define fashion?
“I think it’s the external style people have, so people’s way of expressing themselves with tactiles.”
Who in your eyes is the most fashionable faculty or staff member?
“That is so hard. I feel so bad for saying this, none of my faculty really stand out in terms of fashion. I think Dr. Fogarty has some pretty cool piercings.”
What do you admire about his style?
“I like that it doesn’t conform to the typical idea of ‘professor.’ When you think of ‘professor,’ you don’t think of industrial piercings. That’s cool. And he paints his nails too. I think that’s really cool — doesn’t care, does what he wants.”
How would you describe the overall fashion sense of professors on our campus?
“Unremarkable, if we’re being honest. I like, though, how casual it is. Nobody’s super dressed up. All my professors wear cool T-shirts or just fun things.”
Is there a difference in the way certain professors dress that reflects their department or field of study?
“Yes. I have one professor who always wears Scala-related T-shirts, and that’s one of the programming languages he teaches, and that’s pretty cool.”
Do you think there are certain fashion norms or expectations for professors and do they adhere to them?
“I’d say there’s the typical expectation that they’re going to look professional, and I don’t think they necessarily adhere to them, but not in a bad way. I think that they change the standard to reflect their relationships with students, and that translates into more of a casual style.”
How have you observed professors using fashion as a means of self-expression?
“I think humor is one, like with the T-shirts. I know some professors probably just get up and get dressed, but you can tell some people put a lot of effort into their fashion choices.”

Danna Ramirez Jimenez, sophomore undecided major
In your eyes, who is the most fashionable faculty or staff member?
“I think the most fashionable person on campus is Dr. Montoya.”
What do you admire about his style?
“He always walks around in his little suits and it doesn’t matter how hot it is. He’s either walking with his suit and his glasses or his sunglasses. He’s just, little pocket, hand in the pocket, walking around all fashionable.”
How would you describe the overall fashion sense of professors on our campus?
“I would say it is pretty casual, but it’s kind of cute. It’s very cute, very cute.”
Are there any trends that you’ve observed in the way that professors dress?
“I would say the breeziness of their outfits, depending on how hot it is. But I’ve never seen male professors wear long sleeves, oddly enough, it’s always females that are wearing short sleeves.”
Do you think there are certain fashion norms or expectations for professors and do they adhere to them?
“No, I think they really don’t care, and they just dress however they feel like, which is cool.”
Do you think students’ perceptions of professors are influenced by their clothing choices?
“I don’t think so. It doesn’t for me, so I would assume no for everybody else.”

Nicole Covarrubias, senior political science major
How do you define fashion?
“I feel like fashion is kind of up to the eye of the beholder. It’s really what you like for yourself, what makes you feel comfortable, what resonates with you in terms of how you’d like to present yourself in the world.”
Who in your eyes is the most fashionable faculty or staff member?
“I’m going to second Dr. Montoya on that one. I just love that he’s always dressed up and he has a little vest and a two-piece suit moment. I feel like he always puts in the most effort to look clean and ready to go.”
What do you admire about his style?
“Just how put together it all is. It’s also very based on the way that he dresses, I feel like he comes off as very put together, very organized, and I feel like that makes sense for him. He is [a] very organized, down to Earth, has-all-his-stuff-together kind of person.”
How would you describe the overall fashion sense of professors on our campus?
“I think it varies. I think some dress a little bit more casual than others and then some professors like to really dress it up. I feel like it’s kind of a good range.”
Is there a difference in the way certain professors dress that reflects their department or field of study?
“I think that they do, at least as a political science major, in the political science department most of the professors you’ll see always have suits — a button-down shirt with the tie, and I feel like that’s not always the same for the professors I see in other classes.”
Do you think there are certain fashion norms or expectations for professors and do they adhere to them?
“I think there are certain expectations. I think most people expect professors to always be dressed up, but I don’t think that really is the case. I think some professors like to follow that and others don’t, and that’s perfectly fine. I don’t care about what you wear as long as you’re a good teacher.”
Do you think students’ perceptions of professors are influenced by their clothing choices?
“I think some students are. I think arguably, the stereotypes with professors that are more well-dressed are more professional whereas ones that like to be more comfortable or casual might be more, less organized or that they don’t care as much about what they teach, but I don’t think that necessarily has to be true.”

Alexa Rivas, sophomore neuroscience major
How do you define fashion?
“The way that people dress and express themselves.”
Who in your eyes is the most fashionable faculty or staff member?
“My organic chemistry professor. She just dresses really pretty, for a job dress code. Her name is Dr. El Arba.”
How would you describe her style?
“Very professional but cute. I think it’s very fashionable but still appropriate for the workplace.”
How would you describe the overall fashion sense of professors on our campus?
“A five. I’d rate it a five. I feel like everybody just dresses kind of basic.”
Do you think there are certain fashion norms or expectations for professors and do they adhere to them?
“Yeah. I feel like they’re not going to come showing too much skin or being super unprofessional, and I feel like, the ones that I’ve had, they all dress that way.”

Vivien Allen, sophomore engineering major
Who in your eyes is the most fashionable faculty or staff member?
“Dr. Leifer. He’s our Design III professor. I love Jack Leifer. I love all of his outfits.”
How would you describe his style?
“It’s very individualistic, and it definitely tailors to his personality. It’s kind of just fun and happy. There’s a lot of bright colors.”
What do you admire about his style?
“That he does not care what other people think about it at all.”
How would you describe the overall fashion sense of professors on our campus?
“Honestly, I haven’t been that impressed by a lot of my professors, so I’d give it overall like a six out of ten.”
Is there a difference in the way certain professors dress that reflects their department or field of study?
“Yes, I think that the engineering department, besides Dr. Leifer, definitely does not try as much as the other departments. I don’t know why that is, maybe they don’t have as much time on their hands, but that’s what I’ve noticed.”
Are there any trends you’ve observed in the way that professors dress?
“For some reason a lot of the male professors that I’ve had wear bright-colored shirts, specifically in engineering.”
Do you think that students’ perceptions of professors are influenced by their clothing choices?
“Definitely. At least for the ones that wear something that’s noticeably different than everyone.”