[fwdude]

I can remember when college professors wore coat and tie and looked like professionals, or it was their career.

[Bodega]

Yes, exactly right. I went to all my colleges in the 70’s and 90’s. Even in the 90’s dress codes were relaxing...I remember looking at a professor’s knobby knees and thinking, “I wonder if he thinks they are attractive or if he even cares?”

[OldMissileer]

I can remember when college professors wore coat and tie and looked like professionals, or it was their career.

Summer term 1982 my Calculus 2 professor (back then the actual professors had to teach anything higher than Calc 1) walked in wearing tan cargo shorts, a "wife beater" t-shirt, and sandals. He turned his back to us and started writing on the chalkboard, talking in an Indian accent that we could not understand, and never once during the whole hour took a question or looked at us. I dropped his class and picked up another with a professor I already knew.

[Verginius Rufus]

A former colleague, who was also the department chairman, would wear a tie to the first meeting of a class. About five minutes into the class he would dramatically remove the tie, denouncing ties as an evil invention of Joseph Stalin.

I have never taught anywhere where ties were required of male professors.