In an era where comfort and personal expression dominate campus dress, the idea of dressing up for class may seem outdated. Hoodies, sweats, yoga pants, and slippers are the unofficial winter attire, traded in for midriffs, booty shorts, and flip flops when the weather heats up. PJs for final exams is one thing, but wearing something bedroom or beach appropriate regularly or for a class presentation is quite another. The “comfort is king” dress code has been taken to the extreme, leaving classrooms looking like pajama parties, indicative of the general lack of interest in self-presentational concerns in arenas where such considerations should matter.
Further, the loss of standards in academia more generally is mimicked in the loss of standards in dress. The low-effort attire choices mirror the low-effort, low-respect way that students engage with the educational experience. All of this undermines the potential transformative benefits of higher education for both personal and professional growth. How one dresses influences more than superficial appearance: it can impact how one thinks, feels, and performs, and how others perceive and respond to them. It is a signal of how one feels about oneself and the situations one places oneself in.
Research and real-world experience suggest that professional or polished attire isn’t just for job interviews or presentations. The clothes students wear to class can have a powerful psychological impact, affecting motivation, self-perception, social dynamics, and academic performance. It’s high time for students to reconsider the casual dress code and opt for a more intentional, refined approach to classroom attire.
Clothing Shapes Mindset and Motivation
What we wear sends cues not only to others but also to ourselves. Psychologists refer to this as enclothed cognition—the idea that clothing systematically influences our psychological processes. Studies show that wearing professional or structured clothing can prime the brain for greater focus, discipline, and abstract thinking.
When a student puts on slacks, a clean shirt, or even polished shoes, it signals that it’s time for purposeful engagement. Much like athletes wear uniforms to get in the zone or workers dress up for a big meeting, dressing well for class activates a mental state aligned with achievement. It reminds one, “This matters,” and that mindset shift alone can increase motivation to participate, engage, and strive.
Clothing is a form of self-expression, but it’s also a mirror of self-respect. When students choose to dress well for class, they’re making a statement about how seriously they take themselves and their education. Confidence can also be influenced by how we present ourselves. A put-together look helps one appear more competent and capable, even to themselves. This elevated self-assessment can encourage greater risk-taking in class discussions, stronger presentation performance, or more leadership in group settings.
Conversely, rolling into class in the same sweats you slept in blurs the boundary between leisure and work. It can subtly reinforce a sense of passivity or disinterest, even if the intention isn’t laziness. Dressing with intention builds a feedback loop: you take yourself seriously, and others do too.
A more polished appearance might even help enhance academic performance. While clothing alone won’t make someone smarter, it can affect how seriously they approach academic tasks and subtle changes in cognitive processing may impact task performance. Looking sharp isn’t about vanity, then; it’s about creating an internal environment that supports excellence through increased attention to detail, better posture, and improved verbal expression.
[RELATED: Professors Should Dress Like Professionals]
Appearance Shapes How Others Respond to You
Like it or not, people make snap judgments—and appearance is often the first filter through which those judgments pass. Faculty, peers, and potential mentors are all influenced by nonverbal signals, and clothing is among the most immediate and visible. When students dress well, they’re more likely to be seen as serious, prepared, mature, and competent.
Instructors may be more inclined to engage thoughtfully with a student who appears polished and professional, interpreting their presence as respectful and intentional. While we should strive to look beyond appearances, professional attire can make first impressions smoother and interactions more respectful.
Additionally, dressing well communicates a certain social awareness—a recognition that shared spaces like classrooms deserve some level of formality. It’s a sign of consideration for the environment and its people, which can improve the tone of interpersonal exchanges.
Professional habits start with small daily choices. College is not just about acquiring knowledge; it’s about forming habits that will carry over into future careers. Taking care of how one presents oneself in class is a small, daily step that promotes professionalism. It helps shape one’s readiness for the professional world.
Dressing well cultivates discipline. It teaches time management—because it takes planning—fosters respect for context, and encourages adaptability. These are the same traits that employers value in the workplace. By dressing like a professional, even in an academic setting, students begin embodying the mindset of a professional.
Elevate Your Standards, Elevate Your Outcomes
How students dress for class is a choice, but it’s one with psychological, social, and academic consequences. While appearance isn’t the only thing that matters, it shouldn’t be dismissed as merely a superficial concern. Clothes are tools, and when used strategically, they can help students unlock better motivation, increase self-efficacy, promote social credibility, and enhance performance.
Students should strongly consider swapping the sweatshirt for something with a collar, a midriff with a full-coverage shirt, and their slippers for real shoes. Taking one’s education seriously starts with taking oneself seriously. It’s high time students started dressing for the person they should be becoming and practice professionalism in daily life.
Image by Jared Gould using Grok
