Has Covid stopped young people from knowing how to dress for an occasion?

Suits are expensive. I can’t blame anyone for not buying one.

My DS does have a cheap Primark one but only because he plays in orchestras.

It’s not, they’ll likely as not be divorced in ten years.

I'm in my 20s and Covid made a lot of us realise that our presence was more important than our appearance.

But why is it a shame. Horrific things happen in the world, why get your knickers in a twist over people’s clothes? It’s very uncomfortable for a start 😁

Why do you care what other people wear? I told people they could wear what they liked for our wedding. We ran the full gamut from suits and kilts to shorts and polo shirt to my niece dressed like a fairy. I don’t judge people on what they are wearing, cba frankly.

We went to a wedding last year and were shocked at how scruffy the kids looked, e.g. track suits and old mismatched clothes. I bought my children new outfits to wear. My children noticed them (cousins) and asked them why they didn't dress up? They replied with, it's only a wedding reception/mum didn't want to buy an outfit just for today. So they didn't seem to feel a wedding was an Important event! Which suprised me!

After getting to wear comfortable clothes during COVID, people are realising they don’t have to wear stuff that isn’t comfy. This can only be a good thing!

@BananaCaramelI assume you’re not in the North? Young people up here dress up to the nines. If you are at a train station Friday or over the weekend you’ll see hoards, women generally, dressed up often with rollers in the hair. Went up to Newcastle a few months ago and Friday lunchtime the sequins and bling getting off the train was a sight to behold and these were totally separate groups/people not a one off group. I’m a lot older and I dress up all the time.

Also the term ‘smart trainer’ is an oxymoron.

We had lunch with my son, his wife and the grandchildren recently. I wore a midi dress and trainers, my DiL wore a midi dress and trainers, my granddaughter (21) wore a mini dress and trainers. The men wore polo shirts and shorts.

I have a Dd who goes the other way and dresses like she is going to an important event even if she is just off to the supermarket.
It is actually really interesting to see how people act around her. Most people seem to think she must be someone ‘important’ and treat her like she is the Princess of Wales. Going out with her is great and we end up with the best table and all sorts of freebies.

My two are pretty scruffy and are at uni. I have just asked them. They said they would dress smartly for a wedding and funeral and that’s about it. They say, why dress up when we don’t have to?🙄 Nothing to do with Covid apparently.

I have eschewed heels despite loving them previously. But that is because they feel so dated and old-fashioned now. I have stylish flats instead. I feel frumpy even in gorgeous heels!

I don’t think it’s just younger people. I think generally people have become more scruffy and less clean. Every time I go out now I end up stuck next to someone who smells like they haven’t washed themselves or their clothes for weeks. Before someone comes along to leap at me “disabilities / finance” etc (I am disabled myself btw) it never used to be this bad, ever. People have stopped giving as much of a shit.

All in ones are a fashion thing.

The more worrying trend is not dressing appropriately for interviews. DH has been interviewing people for roles in head office most turn up without a suit,

I think cost also plays a factor. There are less occasions to dress up & my kids for example can’t justify shelling out for an outfit they may only wear a couple of times. Clothes have become more expensive yet quality has declined.

Also there are so few physical shops. It’s much harder to shop for something out of your usual style/comfort zone if you can only order online.

Absolutely, and if you look back every generation is less and less formal. So this isn't even an original complaint.

Why should someone care about looking nice over feeling comfortable?

What is wrong with you that you'd like a guest of yours to feel uncomfortable so that you can look at their outfits and decide it's enough for a sense of occasion?

But is it maybe the case that every generation looks at the younger ones and thinks “why do they dress like that???”

I think that's only true if your social conditioning/ cultural norms suggest that the way to show you care is to wear fancy clothing. But cultural norms evolve over time.
Logically, a better way to show you care about (eg) a wedding/marriage, would be to get a really thoughtful gift for their new life together, to make sure you talk to the couple and tell them how happy you are for them, and to enthusiastically join in with all the wedding day activities!

But they do know how to dress, because that's their style and the style of the places they will be going to. And these things change. And they get less and less formal with every generation.

If yours style is a bit old fashioned it's not their fault, and thank fuck high heels are on their way out. Anything that destroys a woman's foot for fashion should never exist in 2025.

If they spend too much time on their clothes, or then dictate a theme for their friends, so they know what to wear they will get called bride Zilla or say it's for Instagram.

No winning.

What is the point of wearing clothes that aren't comfortable and don't make you feel good?

Unusual. Dd and her friends would wear a dress and heels, with make-up, nails done, hair straightened, fake tan…