Students sometimes wonder about the secret lives of their teachers, but one thing they often overlook is what is right before their eyes: The clothing they wear.
When asked to rank their coworkers based on style, faculty members produced a group of nominees with diverse fashion interests. Faculty members were invited to participate in an online survey which asked who the best dressed teacher is in their respective departments. Four teachers among those with the most votes share their philosophies on fashion in the workplace.
Christopher Vick:
African-American and Latino Scholars Program Director Christopher Vick described his style with with one word: “sharp.” A typical outfit for Vick could include a suit, tie or bow tie, suspenders, and tie clips. According to Vick, the small things one wears show that a person cares how he or she looks.
“To a degree, what you wear is an outward manifestation of your personality,” Vick said. “As a teacher I can be a little formal sometimes and that comes across in my dress.”
One of the teachers with the most nominations on the online survey, Vick is well known for his attention to style.
An anonymous faculty member commented, “Dr. Vick intimidates me with his excellent taste in fashion. Sometimes my sweaters cower in his presence.”
Another commenter wrote, “Dr. Vick’s clothes speak for themselves.”
Vick thinks people carry themselves differently when they dress up. For this reason, it is important to him to dress up sometimes, said Vick.
Dressing up to work is not just for personal satisfaction, however, according to Vick: The way teachers dress affects students.
“When you dress up you show young folks that they matter, that they are important, that they’re worth dressing up for and setting a standard for them,” Vick said.
It is important to show students what a professional looks like, Vick said. Some students do not have someone in their life who wears a suit everyday. Vick wants his students to have something to aspire to.
Ultimately, Vick said, he wants his students to know that the way he comes to school shows that he cares about them.
Showing students the respect you have for them can look different on different people, according to Vick. For example, Vick noted, teachers who move around and sit on the floor as part of class might wear jeans to work. A social worker might dress casually so that students feel comfortable talking to them.
“You’ve got to do what makes sense for you,” Vick said. “Whatever you wear, wear with confidence.”
Peter Sedlak:
What English teacher Peter Sedlak wears to school is hardly different from what he wears at home, he says.
“I wear jeans every day, and I wear a shirt that is not ‘student’. I don’t really think a whole lot about it other than I try to keep it simple,” Sedlak said.
His outfits generally consist of a button down shirt, sometimes a tie or bow tie, and sometimes a jacket. Sedlak described his closet as full of multiples of the same articles of clothing with the intent on minimizing energy spent on clothing.
“Einstein apparently had 10 copies of the same suit so he wouldn’t have to waste time thinking of what to wear,” Sedlak said. “That’s sort of the same way I approach it. I’m not as smart as Einstein, though!”
Despite his simple style of clothing, the survey indicated Sedlak as one of the best dressed faculty at the high school.
Sedlak does not think he dresses formally. However, he said, dressing well does not necessarily mean dressing up to be fancy.
“I think you could do your job with a plain sweatshirt,” Sedlak said. “You don’t need to wear business suits or sportcoats to do your job.
Cori Green:
World Language teacher Cori Green pays attention to high fashion when deciding what to wear to work. She describes her style as classic with some trendy items mixed in.
Green follows fashion icons such as Chanel and Versace when shopping and dressing. From Chanel, Green learned a trick for wearing jewelry.
“Once you put on all your jewelry, take off two things so that you’re not over-accessorizing,” Green said.
She first became interested in fashion when her great-aunt, who was in the fashion industry, gave her abundances of jewelry and clothing.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t really appreciate the stuff as much,” Green said. “I was into fashion, but I was more conformist and wanted to wear what everyone else was wearing, but the stuff she gave me was very unique.”
Green said she feels good wearing something she likes. Her parents taught her that it is always better to be overdressed than underdressed.
Her favorite stores to shop at are Anthropologie, White House Black Market, department stores, outlets and designer stores, said Green.
Green said, “It is fun just to think about what I’m going to wear.”
Sophia Rintell can be contacted at [email protected]
