Rules For the Fashionable Professor

As the fabulous Coco Chanel once said, “you can never be overdressed or overeducated.” With high levels of education and expertise, the lovely professors of Central Michigan University are more than qualified to teach their students the skills necessary to be successful within their careers. When it comes to their clothing in an academic setting though, it isn’t exactly designer couture.

But with a little help from us, they can learn the tricks of the trade for classroom style. Here are three rules to stay fashionable in the classroom.

Dress to impress

Blazers, blouses and button downs – oh my! Building a professional wardrobe can be tricky without breaking the bank and it’s easy to fall into the routine of wearing the same old slip-on loafers every morning. If profs are really looking to captivate their students’ attention, they should try trading those faded dress pants for a pair of pumps or colorful tie.

Spicing up an outfit will not only develop an appreciation from students, but also ignite their confidence and energy to make it through long and tedious lectures.

Fire up or retire

It’s almost impossible to miss the infamous “fire up or transfer” slogan among CMU students. If tomorrow is game day, we better see our professors repping maroon and gold, just like us.

Everyone knows behind that cold, stern façade is a face paint wearing fanatic dying to yell, “Chipp-ewwwwwww-a!” at the top of their lungs. Imagine if a professor strolled into class wearing a jersey, maroon and gold striped socks and a foam finger – they would get a 5/5 on “Rate My Professor” the next morning.

Learn from your students

Professors teach us everything from how to dissect an animal to how to present a speech in front of a huge audience. So what do students teach them? Students can teach professors a thing or two when it comes to dressing fashionably.

Cardigans in October and ugly Christmas sweaters in December are only a few examples of fun professor fashion.

Waking up and getting ready for school is always a drag for students and professors alike, but the rewards of spending a couple extra minutes to get ready in the morning are more than worth it. A new trendy handbag or your favorite colored dress shirt is motivation to push through the entire day, even without a daily dose of Starbucks.