Arts and Sciences and...Fashion? Sociology Professor Gets 'Buttoned Up'

The evolution of the 21st century workplace has upended expectations of men (and women) who grew up with strict definitions about “white-collar” and “blue-collar” jobs. Between casual Fridays and telecommuting, modern men face new challenges when it comes to looking professional and fitting in.

In her new book, Sociology Associate Professor Erynn Masi de Casanova shares a collection of true stories about the impact of those changes on men’s senses of masculinity and identity. “Buttoned Up: Clothing, Conformity, and White-Collar Masculinity” features interviews of dozens of men from Cincinnati, New York and San Francisco—all cities with distinct local dress cultures—who talk about what it means to be “white collar” today.

“Across categories of race, sexual orientation and occupation, men talk about ‘blending in’ and ‘looking the part’ as they aim to keep their jobs or pursue better ones,” she said.

Casanova said that more casual workplaces and relaxed ideas about grooming, along with shifting gender expectations, can actually increase men’s anxiety about their work attire and discourage them from experimenting with their dress and appearance.

The book has already gotten high, and hip, praise, from Pop Matters.

Meet the author and get the book, and find out what Cincinnati’s local dress culture for men is in the first place, at The Booksellers on Fountain Square, 505 Vine St. downtown, on Thursday, March 10, from 4:30-6 p.m.