PASADENA, Calif.--Cable television started making people over in shows like Fashion Emergency, MTV Made, What Not to Wear, and Beauty and the Geek--all showing young Americans the importance of looking professional and fashionable for a variety of occasions. If one visits the California Institute of Technology campus during recruiting season, it will be obvious that many students don't watch enough cable TV.
When it comes to Caltech scientists, we imagine cutting-edge biotech research, earthquake modelers, astrophysicists, and Nobel Prize winners . . . tireless in their quest to address life's mysteries--both big and small. In November, Caltech scientists will be tackling another great challenge . . . fashion (or the lack thereof). Do the brightest minds in the world have what it takes to transform from geek to chic?
On Wednesday, November 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Dabney Lounge and Gardens, Caltech will present "Geek to Chic: Look as Smart as You Are," the Institute's first-ever student-run fashion show, with sponsors including J.C. Penney, Sephora, Avon, and Yahoo! A total of 21 students and professors will strut down the runway in a fashion show demonstrating how to dress for a professional presence. In addition, there will be makeovers, hair styling and makeup demonstrations, measuring for men and women's clothing, contests, prizes and gift bags, music by the Caltech DJ Club, and much more. No one is safe from this transformation; questions such as "On which side of your shirt are you supposed to wear your name tag?" will be asked, testing the entire audience on their professional awareness.
Caltech Career Development Center (CDC) director Jerry Houser says that T-shirts and sneakers or sandals (if shoes at all) are simply the norm at Caltech. "The whole culture at Caltech is incredibly informal," says Houser. "Although this may be the daily routine for a student, it is inappropriate for very important occasions such as an interview. I saw a student go into an interview with a shirt so wrinkled, it looked like he had sat on it for a year."
The casual look may be in style in the laboratory, but Yvonne Banzali, a career counselor at Caltech and co-coordinator of the event, says that many Caltech students simply do not know where to go to develop their own professional look.
"When it comes down to preparing for an interview or any occasion to dress professionally," says Banzali, "many students just don't have the resources or experience."
"Geek to Chic" is encouraging students to "look as smart as they are." Recently, Peter Fiske, a successful entrepreneur and scientist, gave a lecture at Caltech. A slide in his presentation showed a nerdy student with messy clothes, poor hygiene, and foul odor with a thought bubble above his head containing a very complex equation. Fiske commented, "Keep the bubble, but change the clothes."
That's where the CDC is stepping in. The idea came about during the summer of 2007. A committee of about 25 students organized the event. Tara Gomez, a second-year PhD student in the Division of Biology, says she decided to join the planning committee because fashion is one of her areas of interest.
"The truth is, I've always enjoyed fashion, but coming to Caltech, I haven't met many other people who share that interest."
Banzali hopes to remind Caltech students that wanting to make a good impression does not mean they are lacking in intelligence. "The thought bubble should always be there," says Banzali. "You just have to make sure that you look as smart as you are."
For more information, contact Yvonne Banzali, career counselor, (626) 395-6361, ybanzali@caltech.edu.
Written by Jacqueline Scahill