Social and Psychological Aspects

Women University Administrators: Dress Choices and Meanings

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Abstract

Women administrators are accountable for diverse essential choices and administrative problems in higher education. Their roles within administration make them visible to stakeholders within and outside of their institutions. Given the underrepresentation of women in higher levels of academia and the importance of dress to convey one’s characteristics, values, and roles, this study examined how current women university administrators communicated meaning through their professional attire. We interviewed thirty-six women in the unit, college, and university-level administrative roles at a Midwestern doctoral university with high research activity. Findings revealed that women university administrators used clothing to establish their diverse roles and identities in their office and university. The interviewees noticed cues from their institutional and geographical environments, as well as listened to their internal “authentic” selves to present images of themselves that represented internal traits, such as competence, as well as external roles, of administrators, leaders of units, employees of an institution, etc. Sharing these findings with potential female administrators, either through formal programming or informal communication may ease anxiety or stress of would-be women administrators related to their clothing.

Keywords: Women Administrators, Higher Education, Dress For Success

How to Cite:

Dong, H. & Marcketti, S., (2022) “Women University Administrators: Dress Choices and Meanings”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13821