Where are you right now in your science carrier?
I am entering my
fourth year as a PhD candidate in Genetics and Development.
Your earliest fashion memory
Trying on my mother's
costume jewelry and funky accessories when I was a kid and absolutely insisting
on wearing bright, floral dressy-dresses to kindergarten. EVERYDAY.
Who and what has influenced your style?
Style mainly came
from my mother (she'd be flattered to know this!)-- she dressed me well, I was
that cool kid with the off-the-shoulder sweater, faded jeans, and high boots -- which brings me to my next influence:
the 80's! Wish I were born a decade earlier so I could have really appreciated
that fashion era but certain styles and characters from movies filmed in the
80's greatly shaped my style from my early years. Then I totally had to look
like the super cool Swedish chicks from A*Teens with the cropped tees and tight
capri pants. And it goes on and on. But over the past few years, I would say my
greatest fashion influence has been bits and pieces of certain designer styles
that inspire me when I peruse the shops ;)
Your favorite brands and places to shop
My favorite places to shop include H&M, White House
Black Market (my new obsession!-- this store was specifically MADE for
me), and The Limited. I also tend to find good stuff in the department stores
such as Macy's, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, and Lord & Taylor. Some of my
favorite brands include Ralph Lauren, Hudson, Michael Kors, and Seven for all
Mankind.
Since you live in NYC, how does the city inspire you in your
style choices?
Living in New York for several years has inspired me to
adopt a 'multidimensional-multicultural' perspective that I've embraced in
several aspects of my life, one of which is my sense of fashion and style.
Aside from the fact that NYC is the fashion "Mothership" and I'm only
a subway ride away from the hottest shops and designer boutiques, the city
provides me with this avante-garde feeling, encouraging me to mix and match
more. Amidst the juxtaposition of the classic Brownstones with modern glass-windowed
flats, I develop new styles everyday by 'inventing' new and fresh combinations
of colors, textures, and accessories that reflects my cultural exposure
and that I most likely wouldn't have thought to put together had I have
lived elsewhere. It's not so much that I'm following particular designer
collections or attending fashion shows more because I'm in the city, it's just
a desire to explore more and take some risks when it comes to constructing my
look. So even though I'm shopping in the same stores you would find in say, New
Jersey or Connecticut, my experiences in NY have influenced my creativity and
ability to revolutionize my own personal look that I like to call,
"sexy-meets-chic-meets-smart-meets-GINA" & can basically be
anything I want! ;)
Your everyday science uniform
My everyday science
uniform = stylish blouse, denim or black pants, high heels, cute dangling
necklace with matching earrings... + the lab coat!
What do you think about dressing nicely while doing experiments?
I like to dress in style everyday (perhaps I
have selected the wrong profession!) but I do try to be practical with how I
dress when working with reagents that could damage my beautiful couture. For
such occasions, I have fashioned my own "closet" in lab, fully equipped
with more scientist-like (simple, plain, cheap) clothes and flat shoes or
sneakers. However, if I decide to go all-out with my Hudson jeans and White
House Black Market blouse on a day I'll be working with messy bacteria, I am
EXTRA careful and always wear my lab coat!
Any thoughts about how the general public perceives scientists and their appearance?
The stigma:
scientists appear unfashionable, slovenly, sloppy, unkempt, ..[insert more
adjectives for messy]. They do not care about the clothes they put on their
backs, just the thoughts they brew in their minds. For some, this is due to a
genuine lack of interest and sense of style, while for others, it's about
showing the world they're too smart and busy to care about the clothes they
wear in an effort to be respected and taken seriously.
How do scientists
perceive scientist that dress stylishly?
Unless you're wearing
headphones and blind folders to distract you from your surroundings, you have
to have tough skin to walk around the lab in style on a daily basis. There is
definitely an underlying condescending attitude towards people who dress nicely
& clearly care about their appearance because it does not conform to the
typical image of a scientist. Moreover, there's the potential judgment you may
receive, that is, being perceived based off of your looks and not you brains.
Be mindful of this-- all of these factors can make going to work a little
awkward... So proceed with
caution because your overall image may invite both wanted and unwanted
attention that will bring about compliments, dirty looks, and gossip. Despite
these undesirable consequences, bear in mind that dressing stylish is
simply an expression of oneself -- a physical manifestation of a person's
individuality, so if at the end of the day, you don't care what people think
and your attire is still appropriate, go all out with the bright colors,
bangles and stilettos!
Do you have any advice about laboratory dress code?
Even on your most
fashionable day, abide by some variation of the laboratory dress code-- I say
variation because I've noticed this is a bit different from lab to lab but use
your judgment! Decide what body parts/areas need to be covered as you work. My
rule of thumb: no leg or arm exposure and shoes with minimal skin exposure (or
throw a latex glove over your foot!). I'm usually fine as long as I wear a lab
coat and keep my feet under my bench as I work with chemicals.
Pictures taken and edited by me.
