Rant: Personal appearance and the sciences

[dzk]

Who cares? Don't take yourself so seriously... academics dress poorly, and that's just the way things go. Dress the way you want to; the same freedom that allows them to wear boring, tattered, and ill-fitting clothes allows the rest of us to wear what we like as well. It doesn't bother me that nobody in my scientist group of friends understands why I dress like I do, and it doesn't bother any of them either. Sure, I look different, but I see that as a good thing, not a negative. I stayed conservative for my style at my interviews (though I did have to bust out the Tyrian purple shirt) but you can be sure I won't keep that up.

Although it's funny, because I was interviewing for neuro programs, and I never saw anyone show up in jeans besides me (and I was wearing nice ones, so it hardly counts). I thought it was hilarious that other guys kept interviewing in black suits. Ew.

[martizzle]

Depending on your school/program, dressing styles varies...that being said, I respect professors who take the time to have a clean-cut dress sense/style. I remember this physics prof I had in high school...he was literally the best prof I ever had. Why? Because he had this no-nonsense thing about him; his clothes said it, his manner said it...his teaching style said it! And we had a great relationship...I might have been his only student with a great relationship with him lol...

In university, i had this asian prof who seemed to wear the same clothes twice (Mon/tues or tues/wed,...). But he was hands-down the best math prof in the department! the smartest too! and yes we had a great relationship too lol

The point I'm trying to make here is this: we all have our 'comfortable' people/profs/etc...those who don't stand out (those without tattoes, dreadlocks - which I want to get but don't quite have enough hair for yet , etc). For most of us, these 'comfort pple' are the professional looking people...no matter how much you may love your prof, you know that if he wears 'random/i-don't-care' clothes, then he probably isn't the very best in his field...every once in awhile though, it so happens that the very best do not care about their appearances as much as their fellow profs (who are more presentable but lack the spark of 'genius').

I personally dress how I feel. Since I started this whole 'waiting it out' thing, I've been wearing nothing but t-shirts and shorts; not really taking care of my dress-look. For our stage, it doesn't matter so much...but once I get into grad school (god pls help me get in) I'm going to be wearing slacks/dress pants 24/7. Its just me, I want to live in suits during my grad school exp so that when I get that job in finance/wall st....I will be comfortable...if I intimidate you...so what, you probably need to grow a set

[UnlikelyGrad]

Another scientist here: I can dress up & look really sharp when I have to. If I were going to a conference, I'd wear dressy clothes all the time, even when not presenting.

Why don't I do it on a day-to-day basis? Because I teach lab, and my students are klutzy. If I'm gonna get NaOH all over my pants, they'd better be cheap jeans, not my dressy Pendleton wool slacks. Ditto with shirts. (I do wear a lab coat but it doesn't cover everything.) Although I'm pretty good not spilling during my own lab work, I don't trust myself enough to wear a $70 Liz Claiborne top in lab. Sorry.

As for the hair thing: I've spent my whole life hearing people criticize me for having "unbrushed hair". My hair is wavy (at best) or frizzy (on a bad day). It never looks good. I don't understand the people who can put their hair in a ponytail and have it stay there, more or less, for hours at a time. Mine needs brushing/redoing every hour or so in order to look good, which isn't always a possibility. (I spend up to 6 consecutive hours in lab.) I do the best I can. But if you have nice, straight hair that does what it's supposed to...don't diss other people's hair!