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Writer's pictureVariant Magazine

Professors experiment with fashion in professional roles

By Libby Evans, Copy Chief


Professors, just like all working professionals, have expectations for themselves and from their environments to uphold a standard of attire to be respected. However, they can still express their own unique styles and show creativity to redefine “business casual” as an expression of self without societal restrictions of what that looks like. Fashion is constantly changing with new trends and ideas to explore. This ocean of experimentation allows people to create their own wardrobe that most strongly represents who they are, what they love and how they wish to be perceived by the world. Here are four professors at Ohio University who use fashion as an act of self expression and empowerment while maintaining professionalism, and who have fun doing so.  


Candice Rios Wenmoth

Photo: Sylvie Ballou


Candice Rios Wenmoth is an assistant professor of instruction at OU and the associate director of undergraduate studies, which is a new role she has recently stepped into. Additionally, she is the internship coordinator for the School of Communication Studies. Rios is originally from Philadelphia, and she majored in communications for her undergrad at OU. 


Q: How would you say your fashion style has evolved over time?


A: I was an athlete growing up, so fashion was not at the forefront for me. I grew up on the East Coast, and I was a water girly, so I was in a bathing suit or a sundress all summer. Otherwise, I was just kind of frumping it at school. If I'm being quite honest, I feel like this is kind of the first time in my life that I'm putting fashion forward more.


(Prior to coming to OU) I had two kids, and I very much was a stay at home mom, kind of working in the margin. It’s been comfort and ease up until now. This is the first full time job I've ever had in higher education, and so I've never felt important or the need to dress in a particular way. So I think for me, it feels like I get to play dress up every day. 


Q: How would you describe your style?


A: Now, I would describe my style as fun because life is short. I don't think there's anything about me sitting in this office that means that I need to wear boring clothes. I think that I like to have fun, and I consider myself to be pretty bubbly. For the first time really ever, I feel like my clothes are reflecting that.


Q: Do you feel more empowered or confident in certain clothes?


A: Yes, actually in my public speaking classes, when I talk about professional dress, the phrase I use is ‘Wear the costume or wear the uniform’ because for people that were in athletics or people that were in theater, you just kind of snap into a different gear when you put on a certain outfit. I think the reason why I've leaned into getting excited about what I wear here is because I have to literally put on a different hat when I'm here, and I think my clothes are helping me do that.


Q: Do you think your style alters the way students perceive you? Do you want to be perceived a certain way?


A: I think I'm making style choices despite how my students perceive me. I think that there’s a really gendered component to that. There was a time (when) I can remember my professors saying, ‘You really need to dress more professionally because your students are not going to take you seriously.’ I rebelled against that, and I have not found that to be true. I think that I earned my respect in a lot of different ways, and that the way that I dress is not a reflection of who I am as an educator or as an administrator. I think my actions allow me to continue to dress how I want, and I'm inspired by my students. I love watching you guys come in and own whatever you're wearing. It's so exciting to me. 


Q: In what ways have your students inspired you?


A: I don't really wear sneakers, right? I don't know why, but I want to be a gal who wears sneakers with a dress. I've never done that, but I'm going to. See, in the 2010s we were out here struggling on those bricks in heels. That's why I don't wear heels, so I live life flat on the ground.



Tim Goheen

Photo: Sylvie Ballou


Tim Goheen is the director of the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University. He is also a professor in the School of Visual Communication, specifically in the information graphic publication design program. Goheen is from Michigan and graduated from Michigan State University with a major in public relations. He came to OU for grad school in the Visual Communications program. 



Q: How has your style evolved over time?


A: When I was in a professional world, I felt that I had to wear a shirt and tie. I would buy colored shirts, and I’d have really cool ties. I'm thinking to myself one day, ‘Why am I wearing a tie?’ I'm not interacting with the public. You know, no one's gonna say, ‘Oh, this guy's professional wearing a tie,’ and they're just not fun to wear.


I decided to wear shirts like this and see what would happen, and no one said anything. 

The third day, the person who was the actual boss of everything came up to me (and said), ‘I've been noticing the shirts that you've been wearing. They're nice,’ and just walked away. I'm like, ‘Okay, I'm golden.’ I realized that if you're a good coworker, and if you do your job and everything, I don't think people are concerned with how you express yourself.


Q: How has your style changed since you were younger and in your college years?


A: When I was your age, I wore only black, really, that was a thing. Yeah, in the early 80s, I couldn't imagine myself wearing any color. 


Q: Are there any specific items of clothing you have had for a while and have an emotional connection to?


A: The Dairy Barn here in town had an art auction and they wanted you to dress kind of funky formal. I have no idea what that meant, but I have a vest that I wore. It’s a paisley vest from when I was in college. I got it when I was an undergrad, and I still have it. 


I once had a pink dress shirt, and my mom remarked on it that she liked pink dress shirts. She said that the first shirt she ever bought for my father was a pink dress shirt. In the year 1955, that was actually the most popular color for men’s dress shirts.


Q: How does your style change when you are outside of work?


A: Well, I actually would be even more casual, probably. I love wearing Hawaiian shirts, and silk short sleeves.


Q: Have you ever felt societal pressures to dress a certain way? 


A: I don't feel ashamed or scared to wear what I want to wear. One of the success advisors in the college was talking to me about a student who was saying, “Oh, I really like what Tim was wearing. He had this really cool shirt and the jacket and everything, but then I looked, and he was wearing sandals,” like she was really disappointed. I thought it was funny because my wife, it bothers her too that I wear something that she thinks is nice, and then I'll decide to wear sandals. I don't really want to have to wear confining shoes. If it’s nice outside, I'm gonna wear sandals, even with a blazer.



Katherine Jellison

Photo: Sylvie Ballou


Katherin Jellison is a professor of history at OU and teaches the classes U.S. Women’s History, Women in American History before 1877 and Women in American History After 1877. She is originally from Kansas and went to the University of Iowa to double major in History and English with a specialization in U.S. Women’s History. She has been working at OU for 31 years. 


Q: How is your style different when you are at work versus at home?


A: I would say, when I'm off duty, jeans, T-shirts and exercise clothes. For professional purposes, when I'm up in front of the classroom teaching or going to a history conference or something… what would you describe what I'm wearing now, business casual? 

I started wearing slacks most of the time, and I do like dark colored slacks; blue or black, sometimes brown. I do wear a lot of cardigan type things, so a plain top and something over it. I like brighter colors, and fall’s my favorite season, so this seems autumnal to me.


Q: Do you think your style alters the way students perceive you? Do you want to be perceived a certain way?


A: It's rare that I teach a class where I don't show my sense of humor. I want to be taken seriously but I don’t want to distract you with my seriousness. (I want to be) serious but relatively casual and approachable. That’s how I want my students to look at me. We respect her, we listen to her when she speaks, but we’re not afraid to speak to her. 


Q: Do certain clothes make you feel more confident or empowered?


A: If I feel comfortable in what I'm wearing, then I always feel more confident and feel it just gives me the impression I'm doing a better job. Since I mainly teach women's history (I think) maybe I'm being a good role model to the young women in my classes.


Q: What inspires you in fashion? Are there any figures from media or pop culture that have inspired you?


A: Catherine Hepburn has been an influence on me forever, you know, since I was your age, or maybe younger. She wears slacks, comfortable shoes, and (in a picture) it looks like she's wearing a turtleneck and a jacket over it or something. She's my favorite actress.

When I was growing up, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was a big influence on girls of my generation. She was probably the first TV role model who had this independent career. She was single, she wasn't married and she really kind of built her own community at work. She worked at a TV station, and she would always come to work dressing that way I was describing. She seemed comfortable, not too flashy, but professionally dressed.


Q: Have you ever felt like societal restrictions other people’s opinions have kept you from wearing what you want to wear or fully expressing yourself through style?


A: I don't think anymore, but I do think when I started teaching my own classes in grad school. I was 24, and I probably wore some things sometimes that I thought, ‘This is too fru-fru, and I won't be taken seriously.’ Especially since I was that young, I wanted to reach the students and for them to recognize that I was the instructor, not one of them. So, I think I probably censored myself more at that stage. Some things that I liked and people might even say they liked looking at me in, but I thought that's not the right image I want to project.


Paschal Yao Younge

Photo: Sylvie Ballou


Paschal Yao Younge is a professor of world music. He is in charge of all non-western classical music at OU and this is his 20th year teaching here. He teaches the course, Introduction to World Music, which he designed, along with Music of Africa Theory, Music of Africa History and an African ensemble course with practical drumming. He is originally from Ghana and studied music at the National Academy of Music in Ghana, The University of Ghana and West Virginia University. Before coming to OU, he taught music at WVU for 12 years. 


Q: What influences your style?


A: I try to represent what cultures and countries I go to. I travel a lot with my wife, and I've gone to about 35 countries. Wherever we go to present, to perform, we try to collect costumes. Sometimes, when I'm teaching about India, I try to put on Indian attire. I try to mix the representations of the cultures. You can identify the culture through their fashion and through their food, and we love the food and the fashion. 


Q: What kinds of clothes do people wear in Ghana?


A: (The clothes are) very colorful. This will be something that you see in Nigeria too. It's like a West African thing. They call it Agbada because it’s very huge. If you go to West Africa, you see men wearing it. Sometimes two pieces, sometimes three pieces. Just, you know, they wear what they want. The whole thing is color.


In college years, there were very specific things you have to wear. They’re very conservative when it comes to the dress code for African universities. You have to iron (your clothes), or they’ll kick you out. 


Q: Has your style been influenced by American fashion?


A: The first day at OU I went to my class, and the professor said, ‘Are you wearing a robe? Did you just come from bed?’ What do you mean? I was wearing one long one, so it took them some time before they realized. Since I came here I’ve worn a suit only three times.


Q: Do you find that you prefer any one culture over the other?


A: Cultures are different, so personally we don’t judge because we travel a lot. You have to accept cultures. You have to understand them, and you have to learn from different cultures. About food, I won’t discriminate about what you’re eating. Whether I know what you’re eating or not, I will just close my eyes. You are eating, and it is your life, so I will eat with you. I will drink with you. 


Q: Do you think your style has been influenced by your career in studying music?


A: Oh, yes. The costumes that you use for the dances, some of them are so unique that you just want to wear them. There is a dance called Gahu. It’s from Nigeria and it’s supposed to be a dance for the rich people. So that will influence my style (because) sometimes I want to feel like I’m rich. 


Q: What does your African culture and heritage mean to you?


A: I'm so proud of my heritage. So, wherever I go, people see me and say, ‘Oh, you're from Africa!’ That means a lot. When I go to Ghana, back home, people say, ‘Oh, you’re from United States!’ It’s the way you’re walking, the way you work and you dress now. I'm here, I don't belong. I go there, I don't belong. 


The way you dress says a lot about you and you cannot sort of ignore your culture. Culture for people is not just because you are born in the U.S. It's because of what your fashion is, because of your food, because of your festival, because of your government, it's because of your family values. All those things are important.






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