AHA Street Style

This past weekend, historians of all stripes converged on New York City for the American Historical Association annual meeting. As predicted, the hotel lobbies and concourses were packed with women and men wearing blue and gray suits, sweaters and slacks (ugh, that word! slacks), and dark coats and sensible shoes. Sadly, no one wore the sequined dresses or giant white fur hats that I recommended in my previous post.

But there were several bright lights in the darkness, both women and men who pushed the limits and proved that not all historians are sartorially hopeless. Here they are.

Sweaters and Skirts — and Jackets and Tights and Boots

I love the diverse colors and patterns that these women brought to the otherwise drab hallways and meeting rooms.

(left) Anelise Shrout, Davidson College (middle) Rachel Rothstein, University of Florida (right) Sarah Zarrow, New York University

(left) Alma Igra, Columbia University (right) Porscha C. Williams, St. John’s University (and http://instagram.com/greatplatemigration)

(left) Michelle Moravec, Rosemont College, rockin’ the Miz Mooz boots (right) Sara Georgini, Boston University and Massachusetts Historical Society

Coats!

As noted above, almost everyone was wearing a boring blue, gray, or black coat (myself included). But these historians (and one editor, French of course) opted for more interesting looks, with great color and pattern combinations:

Rachael Ball, University of Alaska-Anchorage (so she knows from coats)

Nathalie Duval, Alexander Street Press

Kristi DiClemente, University of Iowa. Go Hawkeyes!

Accessories

Alas, the most common accessory at the AHA is the gigantic, awkward badge. But hooray for the fashionable fedora!

A.J. Rice, Michigan State University

Now, one might say that facial hair is not an accessory. But when you’ve got a curated ‘stache like this one, it really pulls the whole look together.

Jarret M. Wasko, young artist and historian

Best Dressed, AHA 2015

Let me just say that I did not see every single person who attended this conference. I was only there on Friday and Saturday, and for a few hours at most. But I did see this gentleman — how could you not notice his fashionable awesomeness? The hat! The scarf! The belted trench coat! The cross-body messenger bag! The skinny jeans!

Dann Broyld, FTW.

Daniel J. Broyld, Central Connecticut State University