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Image
Counts Even in Romania
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*A
monthly column devoted to helping women and men
be their best and most confident in any situation.
Topics include dress, body language, attitude and
etiquette.
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Victoria Seitz, PhD
Image Expert |
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As an observer of fashion and etiquette it gives me a great priviledge
to be assigned to Romania for a year as a Fulbright
Senior Scholar. And while attending to my teaching responsibilities
I have had the opportunity to observe what people wear and do
in this East European country. Being in fashion is quite the must
if you're a student at the university I teach at. Unlike American
Universities, students dress up for class. You won't find here
sweatshirts, baggy pants, or baseball caps. Rather you'll see
students wearing leather jackets or coats, stretch bell bottom
pants and high heeled boots. Most Romanian young women have slim
physiques that allows them to carry off the latest craze in stretch.
Hair color ranges from natural to outrageous reds and either long
or short. Short looks are cropped really short while longer lengths
are straight or wavy. Are jeans here? You bet, in jackets and
pants as well as occasionally overalls. The faded look is worn
frequently in jeans with turtleneck tops and wide belts. Hip huggers
are also worn, but now that the weather's changed, midriffs are
rarely seen.
Guys dress too. You won't find college men wearing baseball caps,
in fact they take them off when they enter the building - a good
practice. Shoes are normally black along with black or brown leather
jackets with jeans or corduroy pants. Since it is cold outside,
sweaters of all types are worn with or without a shirt. Most men
do not wear much jewelry such as earrings or bracelets. And for
graduate students, you might mistake them for one of the professors
here because they are dressed in a suit.
As for those in the business world, dressing for work is common
practice, although some of the younger women's skirts are a bit
high and the blouses a bit low. Men wear suits on a daily bases
and women will dress in suits or dresses accessorizing them with
beautiful scarves. Often the scarves are worn underneath a coat
as an accessory to it rather than the outfit.
Regarding some etiquette practices common in Romania --one
is when you're invited to someone's house or to a company affair,
the guests arrive with flowers and either chocolates or a good
wine. Next door neighbors in large apartment complexes will bend
over backwards to help you to feel welcomed by bringing by sweets
or some kind of food or flowers to your place. And chivalry is
not dead here. Yes, it may be the boy's club but men, both young
and old will offer to carry a heavy bag or lift something for
you. Actually, after years of doing it myself, I kind of like
this behavior among men.
Bottom line, Romania, more specifically, Iasi where
I am currently assigned, is up on what is in fashion and they
have plenty of magazines, both local and foreign, to keep them
up-to-date on the latest trends. As well, Romanians are some of
the kindest, most polite people around. You would enjoy a trip
to this country - it would be a pleasant and most memorable experience.
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Victoria
Seitz, PhD is a professor of Marketing at California
State University, San Bernardino and is author of Your
Executive Image, AdamsMedia, Inc, 2000 and Power
Dressing, DonJon Publishing, 1991. In addition to teaching,
Dr. Seitz was a fashion coordinator for Burdines, Florida
and in retail management for Saks Fifth Avenue, Phoenix,
AZ. Clients of Dr. Seitz have included Abbott Laboratories,
Northern Telecom, Texas Instruments, Yellow Freight Systems,
Sally Beauty Company, the United States Armed Forces, Travellife
magazine, YWCA and Accountants Overload, in addition to
law firms, hotels, newspapers, universities, banks, credit
unions, national and local community and professional organizations
nationwide.
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To learn more about Dr. Seitz please visit her website at www.cbpa.csusb.edu/vseitz.
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