When was the last time you dressed up?
Was it for a special occasion, such as a school dance, a wedding or an awards ceremony? Was it to go out somewhere, like to a restaurant or a concert? Or was it for an everyday occasion, like school?
Have you noticed that you — and others — are dressing up less these days? If so, why do you think that is?
In “Why Don’t People Dress Up to Go Out Anymore?” Vanessa Friedman, the chief fashion critic for The New York Times, answers a reader’s question:
It has become the style to dress down when eating out, even at fine dining restaurants. Why is this, and when did it start? When my wife and I go out, we always wear our best. I think it makes the experience more enjoyable. Haven’t we lost something by abandoning all formality? — Michael, Palm Beach, Fla.
It’s not just at restaurants that the dress code has become more relaxed; it’s pretty much everywhere. People don’t dress up for the theater, the opera, work or travel. Sometimes airports look more like giant sleepover parties than transportation hubs. And it’s been that way for some time.
This lack of formality, or interest in occasion wear, has prompted some complaining, especially among those in the baby boomer generation who see it as an erosion of public standards. I think that the right way to look at it, however, is as an expression of a much larger and more significant social and cultural shift. One that has been taking place over decades and essentially says that we all have a right to dress as we want. It’s a shift that reflects the prioritization of the individual over the institution.
Linda Przybyszewski, an associate professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, wrote a whole book on the subject called (natch) “The Lost Art of Dress.” She traces the phenomenon back to the 1960s, when a generation of young people began questioning received rules and conventions. Before that, she said, rules of what to wear were actually a part of the home economics curriculum.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
Do you like getting dressed up? If so, what do you enjoy about it? What does it add to your life? If nothing, why do you think that is?
When, if ever, do you get dressed up? Do you dress nicely for school? For outings like going to a restaurant or a show? Or do you reserve your best outfits for special occasions only, like a dance or a wedding? Why?
What are your thoughts on the casual dress of today? Are you happy that people are embracing a more relaxed dress code? Or do you wish they would generally put more effort into their appearance when they’re in public?
Were you surprised to learn that how to dress used to be taught in schools and even promoted by the government? What is your reaction to that? Do you think that should happen again?
What do clothes mean to you? To what extent do you use them to express yourself? To have fun? To show respect to the place you’re in and the people you’re with? To just be comfortable?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
