Volume 124 Issue 10
kansan.com
Thursday, September 1, 2011
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FEATURE
Dress Speaks
Downing's belief that his outfit expresses how much he cares about himself, the occasion and even others, also influences his dress. Professor Kahn supports the KU student's theory, stating that fashion is largely a means of self-expression, and that the clothes we wear reflect the way we see ourselves.
From the color of your shirt to the type of shoe on your foot, your clothes send a message about you, whether you intend it or not, says Ryan Milner, communication studies graduate teaching assistant at KU. He has worn skate shoes since age 13, which might tell people he's a skateboarder; however, Milner's never skated a day in his life. Regardless of his skating experience, he values wearing the shoes as a marker of who he is and the subculture he identifies with.
In addition to conveying how we see ourselves, says Milner, our clothes speak to how we feel we fit in with others, and how they perceive our character, credibility and investment in them. "Appearance is strongly tied to ethos, so I always tell my students when they're giving a speech that they need to dress just a smudge better than their audience," Milner says. "Not so far above that they're alienating them, but not below them to where they don't have credibility."
Tom Beaver, De Soto senior, echoes Milner's classroom advice with his philosophy on dress. Beaver's casual graphic t-shirt, jeans and boots contrast the stereotypical preppy, business casual attire of the fraternity to which he belongs. Dressing apart from what Beaver calls his "fratty" roots allows him to branch out and associate with people outside of the Greek system. "I dressed fratty my first two years of college, but last year, I just stopped giving a crap," Beaver says. "I've made friends with people who might not have talked to me if I was wearing the typical polo and boat shoes."
To offset the Greek stereotype (and perhaps give him one less thing to worry about each day) Beaver intentionally dresses to say, "I don't care about what I wear." He believes college students' lives are hectic and a put-together outfit isn't a priority for everyone. If students go to class in pajamas or athletic clothes, it doesn't reflect their professionalism.
Even if Beaver's dress — or any student's — inaccurately represents his professionalism, appearance still says something to others and makes an impression, says Margaret Miele, psychologist and professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. "I look differently at a student coming from an internship or work who is dressed well and professionally than I do at someone who comes to class in her pajamas," says Miele. "It sets up a different dynamic between you and classmates, and also you and your instructor."
In addition to the unfavorable impression it makes on others, wearing what you sleep in to class can also affect how well you function. Not taking the time to put yourself together before work or school can cause you to have a slightly different demeanor than if you put effort into it.
Miele parallels the classroom with the philosophy behind "casual Friday." The idea was that if people dressed down, then they'd be more productive because they'd be comfortable; but the reality was that people were less productive because the comfortable clothes made for a less-productive mindset. "We all have a tendency to fall into it — we get overtired or extremely busy — but when that happens, just throwing something on is sending a message to yourself that you're not really caring and you're too tired," Miele says. "I think it has a self-fulfilling prophesy in terms of not just physically attending class, but being cognitively present, and perhaps how well you take notes and what you take away from that class that day."
Even if you're just staying home all day and you have a few things to take care of, you're a very different person if you stay in your pajamas than if you had gotten dressed, says Miele. You're different in terms of how much you accomplish, how much energy you generate and your mood. Whether or not a person takes the time to groom him or herself each day can be indicative of a person's mental health.
Emily Lyle, a sophomore from Overland Park, might be an exception. She's healthy and doesn't care much about getting ready or what she wears unless she's going out on weekends or to an important occasion. The rest of time, she sports an effortless combination of t-shirts, sweats or leggings. "If I'm just waking up and going to class or running errands, what I have on doesn't really faze me," Lyle says. "If I'm in tight jeans and an uncomfortable shirt, it distracts me, so I prefer to wear something comfortable so I'm more focused."
Not every sweatpants advocate or person who regularly wears pajama pants to class will be fazed by how they dress, says Jennifer Baumgartner, fashion psychologist and author of "You are What You Wear" (available Dec. 2011). In working with such clients (people with healthy self-perceptions), she challenges them to step it up.
"Plenty of people who walk around in sweatpants, especially [on a college campus], and are fine psychologically and feel great about themselves, but even then I would say 'Aren't you worth a little more than that?' Baumgartner says. "Why not match the outside to the inside? Then people will look at you the way you see yourself internally."
While Baumgartner prioritizes working internally and focusing on psychological health before making wardrobe changes, she says clothing's effect on people makes changes possible externally, but those changes are often temporary. Makeover shows capitalize on such a transformation, improving the way someone sees herself through a new appearance and wardrobe. Even though the effects might not be long-term, Baumgartner says it's a useful strategy for everyone, especially college students.
Dress the Part
College years can be the most difficult years of your life. The transitions from high school to freshman year, and then from the last semesters of college to the workforce subject students to changes in identity and increasing responsibilities. If you want to feel more mature or a part of the adult workforce, you have to dress the part. "You're kind of trapped between two places and then the expectations the world has on you become much harder very quickly." Baumgartner says. "You can use your wardrobe to facilitate a shift that doesn't feel so drastic, and it's quite effective if used well."
Katie Brown, stylist from Kansas City, says the importance of first impressions is reason enough to dress the part every day. First impressions and judgments are made within the first 10 seconds of meeting someone, so that's 10 seconds to showcase yourself. The lasting impact of what your appearance says about you sets the tone for relationships and is a determinant in if you get that internship, reference or job.
Not only does Gwen Cooke, 22-year-old almaen from Flossmoor, Ill., feel better when she's put together, but the notion of first impressions also motivates her to look sharp every day. She acknowledges it's a college campus and many people couldn't care less about how they look — she, too, didn't care her first two years of school — but Cooke says the change comes along with a bit of maturity and looking at school as her job. "You start to take pride in the way you look and present yourself because you never know who you're going to meet or what professor will be able to help you later on," Cooke says. "If you make a good impression every day in class, it says a lot about you and I think that will translate when professors are recommending you and speaking on your behalf."
Clothes may not make the man or woman, but they certainly add a finishing touch.
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while, 11 of the top 40 recruits will be playing football in Austin, Texas this season.
A&M is making a move that will put them in the lower echelon of the top football conference instead of remaining in the upper echelon of one of the top conferences (abiteit a very unstable one).
Quite simply, this is Texas A&M giving the finger to Texas for being better than them in nearly every way, shape and form. Instead of beating the Longhorns head-to-head, they decided losing more games in a better conference would be the proper form of revenge.
So now it's the Big 12's turn, as they can say goodbye to Texas A&M. You can be sure they will take pleasure in watching them get "whooped" more often than not.
Edited by Sarah McCabe
program joins the West Coast Conference.
Jan 19, 2011
University of Texas president
William Powers said Texas is
"firmly committed" to the Big 12 and that league officials knew Texas was pursuing a network deal.
Aug 25, 2011
12 commissioner Dan Beebe explaining that Texas A&M is considering leaving the Big 12.
Aug 30,2011
texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin sends a letter to Big
&M denies the Monday New York Times report that it notified the Big 12 of its intention to leave the athletic conference.
become the 17th member of the Big East conference after
leaving the Mountain West
Jul 1, 2011
The Governors of Colorado and Utah deem June 30 'Pac-12 Day' as the Utah Utes and Colorado Buffalobees be come official members
of Pac-12
Aug 29, 2011
Aug 29, 2011
The New York Times reports that
President R. Bowen
Loftin informed Big 12
Board Chairman Brady
Deaton that the Aggies
will officially withdraw from the
conference as early as Tuesday.
Aug 31, 2011 Texas A&M officially notifies the Big 12 of its intention to withdraw from the conference.
Sara McClinton and Chelsea Albers may each be in their first season with the Jayhawks, but coach Ray Bechard is counting on both of them to contribute, and contribute early. McClinton started all three of the team's victories in the season-opening Georgia Bulldog Invitational over the weekend, and Albers started both of the Saturday sweeps.
"We're going to put the best six out there, and sometimes that's a bit of a stretch for freshmen to do that," Bechard said. "But we have a bunch of confidence in both of those young ladies."
McClinton finished the weekend with 11 kills, including seven in the finale against Georgia. To secure her role as a starter for the season's first three games, McClinton had to play catch-up with the upperclassmen who stayed over the summer.
.
"I knew we had a good opportunity to compete with some of the upperclassmen for the spots, but you can't come in and expect to start," McClinton said. "You have to
work to achieve it. That was my goal, to come in and start, but I guess I wasn't expecting it so soon."
Starting so early is an unexpected perk for Albers, but it is one she said she plans on working hard to maintain. Both freshmen had to work hard just to avoid being redshirted by Bechard, who said the decision to sit and develop a player for a year is a difficult one.
"That is a tough call," Bechard said. "You need to kind of get a sense for where you think their progress will be within the first month and if this is a kid that can help us by mid-
work to achieve
Albers had an impressive first start on Saturday morning, recording six kills in the sweep against Liberty. She may have ensured her spot as a starter through a decorated high school career at Papillion LaVista, where she notched a state-leading 487 kills in 2009 was named the Omaha World-Herald's Girl's 2010-11 Athlete of the Year her senior season.
"They have worked hard to include us and not make us feel like freshmen," Albers said. "Speaking for myself, I feel like they treat us like volleyball players and not by our age."
training in Italy, the freshmen were not permitted to tag along. Still, the upperclassmen have tried to make the Nebraska' natives feel at home, Albers said.
Since Bechard was hired as the coach of the volleyball team 14 years ago, he has had a player from Nebraska on his roster every season. Albers and McClinton first met as opponents in the state's notoriously competitive high school volleyball circuit. They would later come to know each other better as teammates at the even more competitive club level.
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"Growing up in Nebraska, I think it gave us a huge advantage," McClinton said. "High school volley-
SEE VOLLEYBALL PAGE 8
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