Although campus hallways are flooded with hoodies and sweatpants, you can still spot a few students who believe in elegance and looking stylish. Why does it seem like elegant dressing is getting out of fashion? Is comfort really the reason for the popularity of sweatpants? We seek answers to these questions in our article.

Written by: Márton Mézes from Corvinus Közgazdász Online, cover photo: Pexels

There are many factors behind the increasingly noticeable disappearance of elegant dressing from everyday life. These days, most young people wear casual outfits on the street and to college, and since they don’t just wear sweatsuits at home, it may seem that this outfit has become the standard attire for young people. Those who wear them aren’t outliers, they blend into the crowd and take no risks. In contrast, if someone shows up well-dressed on an average day, they immediately stand out from the crowd, and many people notice them, even asking, “How come you’re dressed so elegantly today?” This happens countless times at university too, when someone puts on a suit jacket, many people comment on how stylish they look today.

One key reason for the rise in popularity of sweatpants is the COVID-19 pandemic, when online learning began and working from home became widespread. There was no need to leave the house, and we could log into classes even in our pyjamas, so people got used to being comfortable. Everyone spent the whole day hanging around at home in comfortable sweatpants, and that’s exactly why we stopped “dressing up” and chose comfort over aesthetics.
On the other hand, there’s also the influence of fast fashion. Fashion is constantly changing, and young people strive to keep up with it. New collections from various brands can appear as often as weekly, and these stores do not encourage you to keep a piece of clothing for long, rather, they encourage you to always buy the latest and discard what you no longer need. As a result, they produce low-quality garments on a large scale. Moreover, these clothes also have a strong homogenising effect, making it difficult to dress uniquely in them.
At the same time, the way we dress is very important. What we wear says a lot about our style and personality, and can even have a major impact on our self-confidence. For example, when you put on a jacket or an elegant blazer, you immediately enter a different mental state. If you look good, you’ll deliver a presentation with more confidence and feel bolder about speaking up in seminars. In fact, your clothing can even influence how you perform on an exam. American psychologist Abraham M. Rutchick demonstrated in his experiment that those who appeared elegant for the exam were more likely to select the correct answers to the test questions. Thus, our appearance greatly shapes our behaviour alongside how others perceive us. It’s interesting that social dynamics can shift simply because of a well-chosen, sophisticated outfit. From the doorman’s friendlier nod to strangers addressing you as “sir” or “ma’am,” it’s clear that the world rewards elegance with respect.
Now, here are a few tips if you’d like to try spending a day dressed this way. It’s important to note that there are several levels of elegant dressing, so you don’t necessarily have to look like you’re going to a wedding every day. In fact, you don’t even have to wear a shirt or blouse. You can put together a really stylish look with a sports jacket worn over a turtleneck, paired with jeans or chinos and sneakers. In the summer, you can complete your look with a loose-fitting linen shirt or a collared cotton T-shirt. With these outfits and combinations, your look will be just right and not “too much.”
Ultimately, college years are not just about studying, but also about self-discovery. While sweatpants are very tempting with their comfort, let’s not forget that our attire is our first and most important message to the outside world. It sets the tone for our overall appearance and also helps us feel good about ourselves. When these two things come together, we can convey significant confidence. So give it a try! Tomorrow, don’t go to university or work in your favourite sweatpants, instead, choose something that elevates your look. Trust me, you’ll feel the difference.