The Implications of Attire on Perceptions of Professional Identity

Note: This article is featured on behalf of the NPGS KC in the 2016 NASPA KC Online Publication: 2016 NASPA Knowledge Community Online Publication

ACPA–College Student Educators International and NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (2015) clearly outline 10 professional competency areas for student affairs educators. To progress within these competency areas, professionals should find congruence between personal ethics and values and the purpose, principles, and values of the profession (ACPA & NASPA, 2015). This interaction requires the demonstration of professionalism through the construction of professional identity, which may be conveyed through professional attire. The process of constructing a professional identity through clothing is complicated by the flexible standards of workplace attire for student affairs professionals. This article will explore the specific challenges of conveying professionalism through attire by new professionals within the field of student affairs by addressing unwritten standards for professionalism, implications of workplace attire, and standards of professional dress. Professionalism in student affairs requires the demonstration of knowledge and competency in a variety of domains (Carpenter & Stimpson, 2007). In addition to the competencies outlined by professional organizations, unwritten standards for professionalism exist within the field. Learning to comply with these covert expectations plays a role in the development of student affairs educators’ professional identities and may pose a unique challenge for new employees who may be transitioning between institutions and acclimating to a new campus culture (Scholar, 2013). Such unwritten standards vary by institution and functional area (Scholar, 2013).

One area in which the aforementioned unwritten standards are demonstrated is that of professional dress. In fields where there is flexible, acceptable workplace attire, dressing professionally may be a particular challenge for new professionals due to the significant implications of dress on perceptions of professional identity (Cardon & Okoro, 2009; Evetts, 2011; Furnham, Chan, & Wilson, 2013). Appropriate professional dress may establish legitimacy, convey unity, express institutional culture, and signify the purpose and significance of the profession (Evetts, 2011). Personal appearance and dress also influence perceptions of performance and ability, affect the likelihood of career advancement, assist in the formation of positive impressions on colleagues and students, and identify individuals as members of a specific profession (Cardon & Okoro, 2009; Furnham et al., 2013). Dressing for work each morning takes on greater importance when one considers the impact such choices have on career advancement and relationships with colleagues and students (Cardon & Okoro, 2009; Evetts, 2011; Furnham et al., 2013). How, then, should student affairs professionals dress for work? The cliché suggestion to “dress for success,” coupled with the lack of an explicit dress code, confuses new professionals (Cardon & Okoro, 2009). Appropriate dress should:

• be professional, yet not so formal as to create barriers between professionals and students;

• not emphasize economic differences between the educators and students;

allow educators to complete all practical aspects of their position;

• demonstrate core professional values; and

• not draw attention to the individual as a sexual object. (Scholar, 2013, p. 337)

Formal clothing, defined as a suit and tie for men and a suit for women, conveys credibility, intelligence, competence, organization, and preparation, while less formal clothing suggests friendliness, flexibility, fairness, enthusiasm, likeability, and approachability (Carr, Lavin, & Davies, 2010; Furnham et al., 2013). Professional dress also influences student perception of, satisfaction with, and respect for faculty (Carr et al., 2010). For example, young professionals and graduate students may prefer to dress in formal attire in order to establish boundaries and command respect from students; formal attire may establish young professionals as administrators and authority figures rather than peers. Students report higher opinions of faculty and their educational experiences when faculty dress in professional or business casual attire as opposed to casual attire (Carr et al., 2010). Business casual, or “smart dressing style,” attire consists of a shirt and trousers, with or without a tie, for men, and a blouse with a skirt or trousers for women; casual attire consists of jeans and a T-shirt for both men and women (Furnham et al., 2013). Although such descriptions of formal, business casual, and casual attire provide some additional clarity, they also fail to present explicit descriptions of appropriate dress for individuals whose gender identity does not adhere to the gender binary. The construction of professional identity through workplace dress may pose a greater challenge for individuals who do not identify as men, such as women and those whose gender identities do not adhere to the gender binary. In fields characterized by binary concepts of professional dress and those traditionally dominated by men, there is a demonstrated preference for male professionals over female professionals when both are dressed with equal formality (Furnham et al., 2013). These preferences are reflected in the greater confidence expressed in male professionals and the perception that male professionals are friendlier and easier to talk to (Furnham et al., 2013). These findings have implications for student affairs, as academia is a formerly male-dominated field that continues to place a majority of men in senior positions (De Welde & Stepnick, 2015). As previously stated, individuals whose gender identity does not adhere to the gender binary face challenges when constructing a professional identity through workplace attire due to a lack of explicit and inclusive descriptions of appropriate nonbinary professional dress. Female professionals also face additional challenges, including the management of representations of sexuality through clothing, to establish themselves as professionals rather than sexual beings (Scholar, 2013).

Although there are no universal or explicit guidelines for professional attire within the field of student affairs, professionals should consider how the students with whom they interact, their colleagues, and their supervisors might perceive their professional attire while also factoring in campus and office culture. Consideration for the implications of professional dress is of particular importance for new professionals establishing a professional identity and reputation within a young and interconnected profession (Carpenter & Stimpson, 2007, p. 268). By considering the impact of professional dress, of varying formality, on the presentation of professional identity, new student affairs professionals and graduate students may enhance their mastery of both the Personal and Ethical Foundations and the Values, Philosophy, and History competency areas (ACPA & NASPA, 2015). Professionals should engage in selfreflection and discussion with mentors, supervisors, and peers to determine the appropriate level of formal attire for themselves as individuals and professionals. The flexibility of workplace attire in student affairs allows for individuals to use clothing to express personal and professional identity, so it is essential that professionals engage in thoughtful consideration of what their clothing communicates to those with whom they interact.

References

ACPA—College Student Educators International, & NASPA– Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. (2015). Professional competency areas for student affairs educators. Retrieved from http://www.naspa.org{filedir_3} ACPA_NASPA_Professional_Competencies_FINAL.pdf

Cardon, P. W., & Okoro, E. A. (2009). Professional characteristics communicated by formal versus casual workplace attire. Business Communication Quarterly, 72(3), 355–360. doi: 10.1177/1080569909340682

Carpenter, S., & Stimpson, M. T. (2007). Professionalism, scholarly practice, and professional development in student affairs. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 44(2), 502– 521.

Carr, D. L., Lavin, A. M., & Davies, T. L. (2010). The impact of instructor attire on college student satisfaction. College Student Journal, 44(1), 101–111.

De Welde, K., & Stepnick, A. (2015). Disrupting the culture of silence: Confronting gender inequality and making change in higher education. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Evetts, J. (2011). A new professionalism? Challenges and opportunities. Current Sociology, 59(4), 406–422. doi: 10.1177/0011392111402585

Furnham, A., Chan, P. S., & Wilson, E. (2013). What to wear? The influence of attire on the perceived professionalism of dentists and lawyers. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43(9), 1838–1850. doi: 10.1111/jasp.12136

Scholar, H. (2013). Dressing the part? The significance of dress in social work. Social Work Education, 32(3), 365–379. Retrieved from doi: 10.1080/02615479.2012.667798