As the saying goes, “Class never goes out of style.” Well, in your Intro to Computer Science course, neither does your professor’s outfit. Despite the rapid revolution of changes that the internet brought to the world, the computer professionals who wander the halls of UTD have boldly stuck to their style roots. It’s a big risk for them to wait out all the cyclic fashion changes, but with the recent revival of so many ’90s trends, their fashion clout has gone up like Microsoft stock in the early 2000s. While fanny packs, neon clothes, round sunglasses are difficult to bring into the business wardrobe, if you’re looking to bring out your inner mid-level professional this fall, here’s how to get the most exclusive look that all your computer science professors are rocking. 

Supercuts option III ($28.49)

Now, I know what you’re thinking: How can I attain that simultaneously trimmed yet unstyled, thinning hair look that I so desperately need? Supercuts: the peak of hair care and styling. Working in the harsh air conditions of an indoor office, your favorite computer superstars need to treat their hair with the same mid-level importance that they had in their industry job. This treatment gets you not only the perfect haircut, but also a hot towel refresher, a shampoo, and a blow dry. 

In the lawless days before screen brightness controls, dark mode, and blue light filters, before basic web design principles existed, your professors were on the front lines of the technological revolution staring at their screens all day long. These chic aviator frames provide enough metal to fit thick and wide lenses, perfect for squinting at a computer screen when they can’t figure out how to make the text bigger. As college students, the amount of time we spend on phones and computers is only increasing. Take a note from the elders and invest in these sassy aviator frames before the eye damage sets in. 

Stressed about finding clothes that fit? Don’t know what size you wear? No worries. For this polo shirt, just go straight to the men’s XL section. Fashion has seen a renaissance of big and baggy clothing in the rich and famous — just look at Kanye West and Billie Eilish. Your professors, though, are rarely recognized for their work in keeping the trend alive. Besides the obvious style points, this shirt epitomizes fashion meeting function. The large amount of fabric in this polo works great for keeping warm in chilly air conditioning, and the texture is just rough enough to keep you awake through any boring lecture or meeting. Not to mention the neutral tones of this shirt complement the sought-after washed-out look of being under fluorescent lighting. It’s perfect for your selfies on Facebook!

The barriers between casual, business casual, and professional dress is difficult to understand. Trying to figure out at which level to dress takes valuable time out of busy morning schedules. These computer professors can’t waste precious mental energy on such detail. That’s why these pants are their go-to choice. A la Hannah Montana, these pants will give you the best of both worlds. The color is just barely formal enough to have a meeting with your boss, but the looseness is just comfortable enough that when you get home you can immediately collapse on your couch with a half-eaten bag of potato chips and watch the Home Improvement Channel. In short, these are pants are perfect for anyone that enjoys a casual game of golf with the boys on Sunday mornings. 

There is no worse or more distracting feeling than when your sock slides down into your shoe while walking. How can you prevent it? Do you risk the discomfort and wear ankle socks, or do you go for the unprofessional thigh-high look? To truly live a life as carefree as the upper echelons of society, this sock shoe conundrum can’t even be a fleeting thought. These mid-calf socks are the solution. They are high enough that they will never be able to slide down and low enough to be professional length. Their length is also optimal for keeping your feet and the lower half of your calf lukewarm while leaving the rest of your leg slightly chilled. This temperature imbalance will keep you awake and ready to talk about syntax errors for a seemingly endless amount of time. 

If you’re thinking a pop of color would bring some much-needed energy to this look, you’re wrong. A completely beige, grey, and black color scheme is the only reasonable option to complete the style. Wearing brightly colored or patterned shoes is distracting, which is why your professors wisely choose this sleek, all-black shoe model as a staple. The orthopedic design of these shoes also puts the spring in their step, letting them speed walk to class, just barely arriving on time. Exactly the type of shoe a college student needs, right?For any interview, good advice to follow is to dress for the job you want. With this guide, though, you’ll be one step ahead of the crowd: You’ll be dressing for the job you get after you retire from the one you want. So if you’re a student looking to get a job in the tech sector, these staple pieces are essential to appearing like a seasoned industry professional. Don’t be afraid to add your own flair to the basics, though; mix it up with a long-sleeved shirt or even a dark grey pant to really stand out. However you choose to wear this look, you’re ready to live the post-midlife-crisis lifestyle. Go crazy! Go responsible! Open up a Roth IRA, get a BlackBerry, watch the History Channel, maybe even try your hand at amateur investment. Just keep in mind the soul of the outfit and pay proper homage to the geniuses who wear this outfit quite literally every single day.

Sophia Boisvert (freshman | software engineering & computer science)

She’s definitely not a swarm of bees.