Leaving a good impression, presenting themselves well and displaying confidence are all goals that high school students should strive to achieve throughout their school days. These traits can positively affect self-esteem and even academic performance, making them beneficial to high schoolers. When looking at trends and images from past decades, it is clear that students’ prioritization of these aspects of their school day has diminished greatly.
Throughout different decades, students used to value getting ready for school—doing their hair, putting on a nice outfit and ultimately feeling presentable. However, in recent times, students have started to dress more comfortably and put limited thought into what they wear out of the house. This new norm may very well be an overlooked cause of the recent spike in depression, decreased motivation and lack of focus seen in today’s students.
Throughout the 1980s, many students chose to wear high-fashion apparel such as bold and bright colors and preppy clothing to school. Likewise, throughout the 1930s and 1940s, young women wore dresses daily, and young men typically wore a formal button-down shirt out of the house. This style was mainly influenced by fashion trends seen in television shows and worn by Hollywood stars. However, as the times have changed and fashion trends evolved, many teens today feel drawn to the recent normalization of comfy clothing where they wear a simple sweatshirt and sweatpants in public settings. This trend has taken over Gen Z, leading to nothing but negative effects.
What many don’t realize is that dressing well can highly impact students’ experiences in school. It boosts self-confidence and improves spirit, consequently enhancing academic performance and mental health. Each of these aspects allow students to thrive in a school or even a university environment.
Although many teenagers are notorious for looking as though they just rolled out of bed by dressing in sweatpants and sweatshirts, other new styles suggest that people are looking to bring back higher fashion. For instance, mom jeans from the 1980s and 1990s have recently made a comeback. This more fitted, put-together style is a positive change from the very baggy, oversized jeans that Gen-Z had been embracing in the past for their similarities to sweatpants. If students and teenagers took advantage of these emerging styles that are looked higher upon than the infamous sweatsuit, it could improve their own well-being and mindset in social settings
Students need to realize that “look good, feel good” is a real perspective that can have various substantial benefits for them in the long run. If students just put slightly more effort into the way they dress and present themselves outside of their house, similar to how they did in previous decades, it would allow for a shift towards a positive mindset and mood throughout the day, resulting in better grades, self-confidence and an improved social environment.
