By Hailey Heinz
For students in the habit of throwing on jeans and a hoodie for their morning classes, dressing for co-op requires a different wardrobe, and a more professional sense of style.
Last Thursday Xcel, the Females’ Center for Excellence and Leadership, put on a fashion show to help students dress for the working world. The event featured guest speaker Mary Lou Andre, along with a short fashion show of Northeastern students modeling appropriate professional clothing.
Andre is a wardrobe consultant and speaker, and has written a book titled “Ready to Wear.” In her speech to the crowd who gathered in afterHOURS on St. Patrick’s Day, Andre reminded students their clothing makes a statement about them, both personally and professionally.
“It’s one of those ugly facts of life. People are sizing you up and judging you based on what you’re wearing,” Andre said. “It’s not fair, but if you dismiss it as not fair, it’s not fair to yourself.”
To emphasize the importance of appearance in the workplace, Andre cited statistics from a study done at the University of California at Los Angeles. She said the study found potential employers based their judgments 55 percent on physical appearance, 38 percent on tone of voice and 7 percent on the actual words being spoken.
Since Xcel is geared toward women, the event featured all female models, and dealt with feminine issues such as skirts versus pants, skirt length, hosiery options and characteristics of a good shoe. Andre also discussed revealing clothing, a major issue among young women entering the workplace.
“I always say, the more skin, the less power,” Andre said. “You’re all young; you don’t want your clothing to scream youth and inexperience.”
After Andre spoke, she brought out the models, three in pants and three in skirts. The outfits, which Andre helped the girls pick out from Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, were all different, but shared common themes. All were either black or gray, and included jackets or cardigans. Andre said a jacket is a must-have for a woman’s professional wardrobe because it immediately sets a business tone.
Andre discussed each outfit, explaining how it best complimented the model’s body type and which occasions the outfit would be best for, whether it be an interview, an evening event or just a day in the office.
Tricia Brunton, founder and president of Xcel, said the group received a lot of encouragement from co-op advisors, who have been getting complaints from employers about students dressing inappropriately. She said the goal was to help young women learn how to be both fashionable and professional.
Shola Abiade, one of the models of the night, said she knows how hard it can be to dress for co-op. Although she has now learned the techniques of dressing for the office, she said she won’t be keeping the outfit Andre picked out for her because of the hefty price tag.
Andre addressed the issue of price, and recommended students on a budget purchase basic essentials and add to their wardrobes slowly over time. She stressed the importance of a well-fitting black suit as a starting point.
Another model and Xcel member, Alisa Dehaney, said she thinks workplace attire is particularly important for Northeastern students.
“It’s really an important event, because Northeastern is known for being a co-op institution,” she said. “When we go on co-op, we just get a sheet that says what to wear, but this is a visual for students.”
That’s exactly what inspired Rosemarie O’Connor to give up a few hours of her evening to attend the fashion show. O’Connor, a sophomore physical therapy major, is planning to begin her co-op in the summer, and said she thought the show would give her a clear picture of how to dress.
“They tell you how to put together your r
