No matter your age, the clothes you wear can define the way others view you.

So, when I see my fellow classmates dressed in their most comfortable pajamas, I am worried.

The gradual acceptance of more and more casual clothing has been on a steady rise for the past few hundred years. Western fashion has come a long way from the days of powdered wigs and mandatory corsets. This is generally a good thing. Imagine if, on the hottest day of the year, you would not be able to go outside unless you had on your finest black coat.

However, in recent years, I believe the prevalence of casual dress in our society has gone too far. While being able to strut down the sidewalk wearing only footie pajamas may seem liberating to some, I feel that a line has been crossed.

The newer wave of acceptance of similarly unprofessional clothing has, in part, been pioneered by adults in the workplace, and very notably by the chief executive of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, who is well known for showing up at the office wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

Other new and hip businesses have adopted dress policies that allow their employees to channel their inner Zuckerberg by wearing whatever they please. According to an article by the Wall Street Journal, some companies have even gone so far as to implement a “Formal Friday” that is essentially the reverse of casual Fridays of the past, in order to counter the casual nature of their employees’ everyday clothing.

Not only at Carlmont, but in the general teen population as a whole, I feel that American standards are slipping. While suits and ties may be uncomfortable to some, they are a far better alternative to a poorly dressed population of youth that looks as though each teen has just dragged themselves out of bed. Such images not only reflect poorly on the individual, but create a stereotype of laziness for all young people.

So, the next time you think to reach into your drawer to pull on your fuzzy pajamas, attempt to have some class, and reach for a suit and tie instead.