I mentioned in a previous post about the rise of what might be called librarian chic, or at least a deliberate attempt to allude to and update a stereotypical image of librarians. But apart from the one example I provided, what might library fashion look like?
Some people seem to have pretty loose standards in defining what constitutes the “librarian” in librarian fashion. Throw on a thick pair of horn-rimmed glasses and you’re halfway there. (In fact, that’s about 90% of the “sexy librarian” Halloween costumes.) It’s as if, in their minds, all it takes to get a library degree is a sweater and an astigmatism.
Over at eHow, an author has a few suggestions for vamping up a modern library look. What’s on the list? First, “pastels, neutrals, blacks, and jewel tones” to go with your “subtle hair and make-up.” Next, bohemian moccasins or (dear God!) Uggs paired with a pair of skinny jeans. Top it all off with stylish scarf or some antique or ethnic jewelry. (“Boring librarians wear predictable matching necklace and earring sets with a plain watch. Sexy librarians are modern and let current jewelry trends inspire them.”)
Moving on to the actual fashion world, some have pointed out that a few pieces in Michael Kors’ fall 2008 collection bore more than a little resemblance to librarians of yesteryear.
Although, as Tom & Lorenzo put it, this may have more to do with the much stronger impact that Mad Men is having on fashion and so may be more of a general period throwback than any attempt to sex up the proverbial spinsters. Here’s a video of the show.
Moving on, Vice Magazine even did a photo shoot in 2006 of Swedish librarians in their places of work.
Excuse me, Sweden, but where are the male librarians? So much for having one of the highest levels of gender equality the planet…
There are also all sorts of popular representations, whether through advertising or film, of what librarians look like, in the past, present, and future. This, by the way, is something we should also aspire to.
So what’s your library chic? Personally, I have my own J. Crew-ish style preferences that, I suppose, are more or less compatible with being a librarian (although not necessarily a cataloger or archivist, in which case anything goes, really). I guess one of the appealing things about working in libraries is the more relaxed and casual atmosphere garment-wise. Although I think I could get into this.
In the end, I guess I don’t really care how librarians dress, or what constitutes the “librarian look,” just as long as librarians don’t look like this any time soon.
Tags: astigmatism, Batgirl, fashion, feminism, gender equality, glasses, J. Crew, librarians, library chic, Michael Kors, robots, sexy librarian, Sweden, Swedish, Tina Fey
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