Dressing the Part: Professional Style on Columbia’s Campus

About this episode

This episode explores how Columbia and Barnard students navigate professional fashion amidst cultural identity and industry expectations.

On Columbia’s and Barnard’s campuses, what clothes you wear make up more than just an outfit—they become a language. In this episode of Pod-Tone 292, reporter Sharanya Maulik explores how students navigate professional fashion while balancing cultural identity, industry expectations, and pressures tied to gender and race. Featuring conversations with students across disciplines and Anne Higonnet, the Barbara Novak professor of art history, this episode unpacks the archives, influence, and complexity behind looking “professional” at an Ivy League institution.

People in this episode

Host: Sharanya Maulik

Guest: Anne Higonnet

Topics covered

• professional fashion
• cultural identity
• gender
• race
• student experiences
• Ivy League
• fashion expectations

Keywords

• professional style
• Columbia
• Barnard
• fashion
• cultural identity
• gender
• race
• Ivy League

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Columbia University, Barnard College

Places: Ivy League

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