Since the beginning of the pandemic, people have begun to dress differently because of excessive sitting and having to work from home.
College students have definitely taken advantage of wearing lounge clothes while working on classwork online and attending Zoom classes.
However, students are not the only people taking advantage of casual wear while working from home. We all have seen the commercials where business people dress professionally from the waist up, but then are wearing sweatpants or pajama pants. But are professors doing this? Or are they still continuing to dress professionally?
At Winthrop University, professors have always dressed in a way that is appropriate for the field of study they are teaching. Professors that are teaching classes that are physical classes, such as weightlifting or basketball, can be found wearing athletic clothing or clothing that allows movement easily. Other professors who mainly give lectures in front of the class are found wearing business attire.
However, since most of our classes are online or meet through Zoom and Blackboard Collaborate, professors, like students, may begin falling accustomed to wearing clothing that is more casual or clothes they would not wear to a class in a traditional setting. English professor Dr. Jo Koster shared that as we continue meeting for class virtually, she has begun mainly thinking about what she looks like in the small amount the computer camera shows.
“I think the rhetoric of self-presentation is changing as we interact more online,” Koster said.
“I know I think mostly about how I look from the shoulders up on my teaching day because that’s what students will see on camera.”
Dr. Peter Judge, the department chair of philosophy and religious studies and a professor of religious studies, shared that he too has begun to dress more casually for Zoom classes.
“I’ve become a bit more casual when our class meetings are exclusively on Zoom,” Judge said. “I don’t wear a tie as much, but I will still wear a collared shirt.”
However, as many professors are beginning to dress more casual compared to the way they previously would dress for class, assistant English professor Dr. Joyce White said, “I always try to look professional and put together.”
Many professors dress professionally because of the important and leadership position they hold, as well as following a specific dress code required by their workplace. For many professors, the professionalism of their attire is worn in order
to gain the respect of their students.
“I do think dressing in a professional way shows a certain respect for our profession and often times, like it or not, dressing professionally elicits a certain respect from our students,” Judge said, “but ultimately, respect comes from who you are and how you treat people, not from what you wear.”
As we begin to transition back to in person classes opposed to Zoom meetings, it will be intriguing to see how professors dress. Will it be the business attire they wore before the pandemic, or will their dress be more casual and laid back?
“When we go back to face to face, you’re going to see more informality in some people,” Koster said, “but also some people who break out the nice clothes just because they haven’t worn them in a while.”
Photo by Emma Crouch
