By Evelyn Hoover

Teenagers love pajama day because it means they can just roll out of bed instead of changing into regular clothes, but over the last couple of years, it seems teens have started making “PJ Day” a daily routine. 

There is a new style emerging recently, in which teens have started dressing “down” rather than “up” for school and other public places. Loungewear such as pajama pants, slippers or crocs-and-socks have begun to make their way into the daily outfits of teenagers. This has also raised concerns on how our future generations will behave and the consequences that come with that. 

“I just wear whatever I think is my style and comfortable. If people don’t like it, that’s their problem,” says Sophomore Addie Mrenick.

Some argue that being too comfortable and feeling “at home” makes a student less likely to get work done.

Stephanie Weiss, a teacher at McDowell High School says, “I feel that there is something to changing out of your bed clothes to prepare for the day. There is a change in attitude when I go to work vs when I come home and change into ‘comfy clothes.’ I would imagine the same thing could happen when [students] come to school still in the clothes they slept in. I wonder if it just makes them feel like they will just go back to sleep on a desk when they get to school.”

However, some teens feel that the way they dress does not affect their ability to learn. 

“I do not feel that the way teens dress is unfit for a school environment,” says Anthony Merlino, a sophomore at McDowell High School. 

It makes sense that students would want to be comfortable while doing their work or taking a big test. 

Another possible issue with this increase of sleepwear is safety concerns. According to curatedtaste.com, “If you are wearing house slippers to school, you may be in danger if you are immediately evacuated, you are unable to run and fall. Wearing pajamas in an emergency is not something you should do.” This may apply to situations such as a fire or active intruder, also. 

The biggest factor contributing to the way teens dress now may be because of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. Kids had no expectation of what they should or shouldn’t wear on a daily basis during the pandemic lock downs of 2020. 

“I will say that I have noticed a change in how casual students are, and really I think people in general are more casual in their dress. I do think that it got a little worse after we were all home during the pandemic,” Weiss says. “I do think we all got a little more casual after that.”

A future concern that could happen is that teens will not exactly know how to dress for the occasion when an opportunity presents itself. Job interviews, formal events or ceremonies require specific dress codes in order to appear mature and appropriate, but if teens have been dressing in lounge clothing for the past two years, then they might not be prepared to dress formally in appropriate situations.

“I do think there is something about the idea to ‘dress for success.’ And I think that when you dress the part it changes your mindset. Hopefully students will remember that when they are looking for jobs or trying to make a good first impression because I think people still think that way, but maybe it depends on the profession,” Weiss says.