This document discusses how appearance and fashion impact perceptions in virtual worlds. It notes that studies show better looking avatars receive higher evaluations, particularly for female avatars, and that fashion and style choices allow users to express identity without words. The document advocates presenting professionally and authentically in virtual spaces and encourages customizing avatars to find what represents oneself best. It also references literature on identity exploration and formation in virtual worlds.

1. Sonicity Fitzroy
(Phylis Johnson, PhD)
Southern Illinois
University
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3. Judge an avatar by its cover?
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5. Style Me Virtually
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8. …the best-looking instructor rated nearly a
full point higher on the average evaluation
score than the worst-looking instructor.
{University of Texas, 2003}
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9. The impact on evaluations remains
positive and highly statistically significant –
particularly for women. (Ponzo & Scoppa,
2012, p. 13)
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10. Beauty is subjective and learned through
experience. It is the whole package, not a
mere physical dimension. At its best, it is a
function of one’s character.
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11. Got Common
Fashion Sense?
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13. Mixed Data among teachers,
but students/public seem to care.
‘Be clean, neat, and if possible trendy –
always professionally appropriate.’
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15. Make a Fashion Statement
Speak Volumes without a
word.
Show You Care.
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16. Now Look into the
virtual mirror!
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18. DERENDER appearance
distractions!
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20.  ‘Confidence. If you have
it, you can make anything
look good.’ Diane von
Furstenberg

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23.  …is among the rise of fashion virtual
games and worlds and its significance
to understanding "self“ has been
examined.
(Gracie Kendal)
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26. Your students size you up – but you can
win them over with R-E-S-P-E-
C-T
Professionalism in all you do.
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27. Self Esteem goes a long way
toward learning
(e.g., Araujo & Minetti, 2007; Morris, 1996;
Schomaker, 2009-2013).
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28. DigDig DeepDee
Inside yourself and in others!
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29. Being authentic vs.
other?
Liking self vs.
avoiding self?
Encouraging diversity?
Race, Ethnicity, 29

30. Skin, hair, body, clothing and other
variables contribute to one's sense
of identity.
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31. Be yourself at your best
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32. 
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33. Commit time to customization.
Locate (free/quality) resources.
Create space for
experimentation.
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34.  Tom Boellstorff. (2010). ' Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist
Explores the Virtually Human.' Trenton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
 Tina Indale. (2010). 'Exploring identity in the virtual world is really you.'
Psychology Today, April 30. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/curious-
media/201004/exploring-identity-in-the-virtual-world-is-really-you.
 Phylis Johnson. (2010). 'Second Life, Media and the Other Society.' New York:
Peter Lang.
 Iris Junglas, and N. Johnson, D. Steel, C. Abraham , P. M. Loughlin. (2007).
'Identity Formation, Learning Styles and Trust in Virtual Worlds.' Data Base for
Advances in Information Systems 38 (4): 90-96.
 Lisa Nakamura, and Chow-White, Peter. (2011). 'Race After the Internet.' New
York, NY: Routledge.
Forthcoming -
Phylis Johnson. (2015). 'Virtual Fashion as an Industry: Making the World Look
Better One Avatar at a Time.' In (Yesha Sivan, Ed.) Handbook on 3D3C Virtual
Worlds: Applications, Technologies and Polices for Three Dimensional Systems
of Community, Creation and Commerce. Germany: Springer-Verlag. (In press)
See script transcript for PPT references
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