James Bell // Personal Blog

How do people working, living and studying in the IT academic 'zone' manage to fail so drastically at fashion?

Female lecturers are clearly dominant, dressing like badly clothed men, while the men go for tight shirts and tight trousers, looking essentially what we'd all like women to look like.

Meanwhile, the students are attempting to keep up with a world of fashion 5 years ahead of them, walking around like characters out of Tron.

I mean, im no professor of fashion, or by any means an expert, but i atleast make an attempt to dress neutrally, or moderately smart. If im going out drinking/eating, then dress appropriately, or going to uni, be a student, dress comfortably - but looking like a fashion victim on 'Trisha' or Jeremy Kyle is just not cool. Tight jeans and IBM t-shirts are just not a good idea.

We seem to get walked on by the visiting students from other countries, notably the Nigerians in the lecture theatre all seem to come in shoes and shirts, often out-dressing the lecturer - which might not seem like much these days, but trying to listen to someone who looks like an utter fool is difficult, and trying to accept what they say as expert knowledge just isn't happening. Appearances count.

Obviously this is not the case for everyone, and no offence should be taken - but sometimes people need to question in the morning, before you leave the house - do you look like anywhere near how you should appear to others, or are you wearing your partners/computer game costume/gran's clothes?