Have you ever seen someone at school wearing a crazy-looking outfi t? One that, no matter how much you looked at it, just didn’t look right? You may have been convinced the person got dressed in the dark. Dark green pants, a bright pink button-down shirt with yellow flowers all over it, and, to top it all off, blue socks wrapped in a pair of black shoes.
Okay, maybe you’ve never seen an outfit that hideous at school. Or you’re probably thinking to yourself, I see that kind of outfit all the time—on my grandpa! Well, your grandpa can get away with wearing something like that because he’s 80 years old! But you’d never be caught wearing something like that to school. Unless, of course, it’s “Come Dressed as Your Grandpa Day.”
Choosing what to wear is a challenge that’s been around for a long time. (To our knowledge, it’s been around for at least as long as people have been wearing clothes to school.) As you choose what to wear to school, it’s important to remember one thing: Just be yourself. Wear what you feel is best for you. We all know this isn’t as easy as it sounds, so here are a few things to think about as you choose that next outfit:
Brand names are overrated. We understand that keeping up with the latest fashions is fun (for some). But, this can be super-expensive for your parents, especially if you’ll only wear the most popular brand names. Seventy dollars for a pair of jeans is outrageous! It’s possible to look good without spending a ton of money. Don’t believe us? Just ask your grandpa.
You will be judged by your cover. The reality is people often judge others by what’s on the outside—by the clothes they wear. This is totally unfortunate but true. We see many middle schoolers try to fit in with the rich crowd or the Goth crowd or the skater crowd by wearing the latest fashions. Don’t let your outsides be controlled by the people you want to hang out with. Be yourself and be confident in who you are.
You do need to watch what you wear. Clothes that are too revealing and immodest give people the wrong impression. Shirts bearing foul language or rude images cause people to assume you’re foul and rude, too.
It’s important to at least think about what you want to wear or else you’ll end up looking like Grandpa. But don’t let fashion worries wear you out. (Get it? “Wear” you out? Ha!)