Chloe Cabatuan | Writer
January 11, 2026
Clothing is one of the most important ways to express yourself, creating a unique sense of style built off your character and life story. However, some days, it doesn’t express authentically, only seeming to come off as inappropriate for the occasion. Current fashion choices prioritize comfort and ease rather than respect for your environment.
Fashion trends fluctuate day by day, but when comparing the trends of the 2020’s to the 1950’s, there is a drastic change in style. In the 1950’s, modesty was a result of post-war traditionalism as femininity was celebrated to serve social expectations that emphasized domesticity. The decade was highlighted by Dior, Givenchy, Coco Chanel, and Balenciaga, further highlighting the elegant, timeless, and modest approach to clothing of the time. Through Dior’s “New Look” of cinched waists, fuller and longer skirts brought out an enhanced feminine figure without needing to be revealing.
However, it wasn’t just high class women seen in famous brands, anyone seen leaving the house was to be dressed up to respectable standards. Owning a smaller wardrobe was normal back then, so every outfit counted and was worn for special occasions including church services, work days, or social events. Oftentimes, men wore suits to the airport and women wore high-heels to fulfill the typical gender expectations of them. These choices were not made only to impress, but reflected as symbols of respect, maturity, class, and professionalism. Young girls wore blouses and knee length skirts out of the house. As fashion moved into the 1960’s, youth-driven change implemented miniskirts and jeans as casual wear. Trends were not utilized as signs of class and elegance, but as a tool to express liberation.
Before the 2000’s, magazines, films, and celebrities were the main spread of trends. Today, social media powers every trend, whether it be fashion or skincare, grabbing attention to larger audiences as well as letting multiple trends balloon beyond control at the same time. People’s wardrobes are larger than ever in this age, yet it seems that people do not know how to dress for the occasion. Leaving the house under dressed in leggings, pajamas, or an over-sized hoodie is normalized, giving the impression of overdressing when putting on a nicer outfit that would have been deemed under dressed back then. The ‘clean girl’ trend is an obvious example of this, showing outfits that are merely simple tank tops, leggings, and Uggs giving the illusion of looking put together because the bar is set so low. Many social media influencers set a precedent standard for trends, blurring the lines of what used to be appropriately obvious clothing choices per occasion. There’s a time and place for everything. Situational awareness is something that we have lost to look ‘cute’.
Junior Hazel Marsh believed that “kids shouldn’t have to worry about appearances or looking older. I remember the sparkly pink leggings that I’d wear day in and day out, but kids nowadays would probably bully me for that. There is no reason a 7-year-old should be beating their face with enough makeup to suffocate a drag queen when they don’t even know their lefts or rights yet.” Nowadays, it’s become nearly impossible to tell what age some kids or preteens are. Social media’s influence on young girls has third graders pounding full faces of makeup and skin care products for their pure, pore-less skin. It seems like kids who do this skip the ‘awkward’ phase that would usually happen at this time in life. During these ages, you are supposed to be figuring yourself out, but social media has encouraged young girls to grow up faster. More and more people are missing out on an authentic childhood and awkward stages because social media has predetermined what someone should look like, instead of finding your own identity.
This isn’t just about trends I find displeasing; it’s a comment on society. Junior Kaylee Brown felt that “general society as a whole has lost its personality: buildings are gray and white, with no sense of color or soul or anything. People are wearing whatever makes them comfortable nowadays. We don’t dress up for fun. We are losing our personality because people are scared of expression and scared of seeming immature or ‘lame’ with their stylistic choices.” Clothing is one of the only pieces of art that you interact with daily; you use it to express yourself, speaking about your character before you even think to open your mouth. Dressing inappropriately isn’t seen as lacking professionalism, but maturity and respect for yourself and others.
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