What Happened to Fashion?

What started as a once-a-year spirit day has turned into an everyday school outfit for many high school students. Spirit weeks and the concept of “PJ day” influenced pajamas to first start showing up on campuses and schools roughly twenty years ago. 

In 2020 when remote learning started, school systems adapted and so did the fashion. Comfort was generally prioritized over fashion since most of the time cameras were off and students were only seen from the top up. Did COVID normalize comfort over fashion?

“I think students should not be wearing pajamas to school. Although I understand the comfort side of it to make getting through the school day better, I feel like if people dressed in somewhat nicer clothes, it may even allow them to wake up more,” NHS junior Skylar Urbina said.

While pajamas can symbolize comfort and ease for students and create an environment where they are more willing to participate, there can be equal negativity that comes with dressing so unprofessional. Dressing up and getting ready for the day can help mentally separate school life and home life which can be crucial to students who have anxiety or school and home stress.

 “Our brain associates pajamas with sleeping so students wearing pajamas hypothetically could be more tired and less focused than students not in pajamas. Also it just makes us as a school community look more put together,” Urbina said.

Pajamas are an equitable option and much cheaper than nicer clothes, or simply less than a pair of jeans. Dress codes or discrimination against informal clothes can unintentionally highlight economic differences amongst students.  

“I think pajamas are comfortable for an environment that keeps students working constantly,” NHS junior Rusa Elul said. 

Social media and pop culture influence also come into play seeing claw clips, UGG slippers, and matching pajama sets come into fashion and worn in Tiktok trends. Even popular loungewear brands blur the lines between pajamas and streetwear. The argument of allowing students to dress in pajamas to school goes with the argument of whether students should wear uniforms. While uniforms are clean and offer the promotion focus, they disrupt the authenticity and expression of students in their prime time to learn about themselves. The same can go with pajamas.

Although pajamas could be comfortable and a form of self expression, there are so many more benefits from dressing nicely, especially to school. 

“I honestly think students should be able to express themselves however they want as long as it’s not too crazy. And if that means dressing nicer, then by all means they should,” NHS junior Logan Ausderan said. 

Many school systems believe that sleepwear is disruptive and disrespectful. Some educators and teachers argue that even if deemed inappropriate, pajamas should be allowed because they could potentially promote focus and comfort. As the dress code is subjective to the school, teachers and students can create their own bias on students based on how they dress.

“There is something called dressing for the event, or dressing for the occasion,” NHS staff Trent Harrison said.

First impressions mean everything. Dressing in jeans and appropriate school clothes can make students come off as more formal and ready to learn. By not wearing pajamas but something more formal, this can boost students' mood and confidence, lead to overall better academic engagement, create a better attitude and studious environment, and improve first impressions.

“If you are wearing pajamas, your brain is subconsciously saying oh, we’re kind of tired. And if you are dressed nicely, you’re saying hey, I’m a leader, I’m a professional,” Harrison said.