They were polyester, green polyester, and the members of the hiring committee considered that a serious offense. Participate in an unscientific poll on how fashion affects professors' chances at gaining tenure. Then and only then did they move on to weightier matters. He did not get the job.
Many professors say they can, although there is quibbling over the reasons why.
Talk about appearances might seem unjustified given the profession's showing in the arena of good looks and good taste. But despite their threadbare reputation, scholars spend a lot of time thinking, talking, and writing about appearances. Last month, Elaine Showalter, an English professor at Princeton University, came out of the closet, so to speak, and admitted in Vogue magazine that she has a fetish for fashion. She waxed eloquent about her Cossack minidress and turquoise boots from Bologna. She is not alone.