Fashion: expressing oneself through clothing. Even though fashion trends always come and go, we see now that styles from the ‘90s are surprisingly back and better than ever: flare jeans, big sleeves, overalls, platform shoes and the list goes on. I see a lot of these styles on Instagram, but in high school I don’t see cool trends. I see leggings, sweatpants and basically pajamas.  Although people love clothes and have a lot, in my opinion, students at Solon High School (SHS) don’t put their clothes to good use.

I walk into school everyday loving my outfit and feeling stylish and unique. Walking past students at school, I feel like the outcast for “dressing” up. But for me, I love fashion and I believe it impacts your mood and work ethic.

SHS Junior Sophia Baldini said that fashion is a form of art and way to describe oneself. Baldini agrees with the phrase “dress for success.”

“When they [students] have a class or a presentation that they have to dress up for, I feel like it puts them in a more professional mood,” Baldini said. “I don’t know how to describe it, it’s like they are trying harder.”

When someone is sitting in class they work more diligently when wearing professional attire in class. Personally, I “dress-up” for myself because I love to wear cool and unique outfits, but I do notice a difference from when I wear leggings. When I wear sweatpants or leggings I want to sit at home and watch movies all day, not sit in a class and learn new information.

SHS teacher Robin Joseph, has taught at Solon for 12 years and notices her students energy when students have to dress up for a class.

“I do see a little bit of a difference,” Joseph said. “It seems like they aren’t slouching as much. They seem more attentive in class.”

Although Joseph sees a distinction in students, she also believes that there needs to be a level of comfort in students. Yes, students should feel relaxed in school, but you can dress comfy and not be lazy.  

In a study counted by Yale found by “Business Insider,” men dressed in two different ways, lazy and nicely, to see who would perform better in a mock negotiation. Senior writer for “Business Insider,” Dennis Green focuses mainly on retail and tech. Green used research from the Yale study to prove that dressing for success works.

“Those dressed poorly (in sweatpants and plastic sandals) averaged a theoretical profit of $680,000, while the group dressed in suits amassed an average profit of $2.1 million,” Green said.

If research proves that looking more professional impacts your success in work then it must be true, right?

Others don’t agree. SHS junior Mikah Lance has a more casual and comfortable attire while attending school. Lance has a long day ahead of her, so she likes to plan accordingly. She said that she picks out a cute outfit the night before, but then ends up not wearing it the morning.

“I want to wear the cute outfit, it’s just [that] the school day is so long,” Lance said. “Sitting in classes [and] not moving all day and just taking notes, it is more comfortable to be in comfy clothes.”

Overall Joseph and Baldini both agree there needs to be a level of happiness in the students to work well in school. Baldini said that she thinks students need to dress their style and be confident to be successful, and Joseph said it is a long day and students want to be cozy.

“They do want to be comfortable at school, [since] it is a long day to be sitting in nice clothes and wearing high heel shoes,” Joseph said. “I always feel sorry for girls when they have to wear high heels to school.”

While I do understand that point, I don’t necessarily agree. I wear dresses and skirts a lot of the time and I feel good in my outfit. Obviously when its cold a dress may not be your first option, but you can always wear tights. You can still dress up and look professional without a dress and heels and/or a suit and tie.

“I just saw someone walk by wearing slippers, leggings, and an oversized sweatshirt,” Baldini said. “That to me is just not appealing on a Tuesday afternoon when it’s sunny out. When it’s sunny out and a little warm I want to wear cute booties, jeans and a cute shirt with some accessories and always hoop earrings.”

Baldini is serving chic looks while wearing a more formal attire for school. Baldini is one example to show you can feel good, enjoyable and better dressed without wearing something “fancy” like a dress.

Not only does dressing up improve your work ethic, but people have also noticed that it can improve your mood. Lance has to dress up a lot for her English class and notices a difference in herself from her other weekly outfits.

“I kind of do have more energy [and] I’m always in a better mood,” Lance said.

Think about this: when you go out with your friends you want to look nice. You put on makeup, do your hair, possibly take hours to pick out your outfit. Don’t even get me started on shoes. If you get into the habit of doing that for school, putting on cute clothes would come like clock work.

Dressing up can be nothing but beneficial. You can look more professional, have a better work ethic, have an increase in your mood and you will always be ready for a picture.

“Follow your style that you’re comfortable with and that’s how you dress for success,” Baldini said.