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

[BananaCaramel]

I see it all the time - so many young people don’t make the effort to look nice anymore. Not for weddings, birthdays, other celebratory occasions, it seems to be a “thing” to look like you have made no effort at all.

Is it a Covid thing? They missed a formative period of going out and now they don’t know how to dress for an occasion? That’s all I can think of.

It’s not even about fashions changing eg., people don’t really wear heels anymore, it’s that they literally turn up to events in clothes I would clean my bathroom in.

I think it’s a real shame to be honest!

Funny you should say that. I attended a funeral last year and a similar aged woman was wearing the same. Except it was backless. In December. With no coat? Entirely inappropriate and she must have been freezing!

I don't think the issue is cost as my DDs buy on vinted or in charity shops, wear a few times and sell on - often at a profit. Certain labels eg Me & Em get given to me to sell on ebay as they are "more for old ladies...".

Mine have had to go to very formal events from a young age so have always been wrangled in formal clothes - one loved it and one didn't. However it means that they are used to it. SOme of the more permissive parents around thought it adorable that they let little Prunella dress herself and she chose to wear a tutu a vest and wellies. Mine would be in a smocked dress and start rights.... TBH I think that there is a bit of a middle middle class thing about dressing down to demonstrate your superiority - ie this isn't an important occasion for me even if it is for you.

I’d say the young people now make a lot more effort than my friends and I did in the 90’s. Trainers and dresses etc is fashion, doesn’t mean you made no effort as you’re wearing trainers.

Yes it is baffling when people have a strong opinion on something that has no impact on them whatsoever.
There are plenty of things others do that I don’t, and if it doesn’t affect me I don’t care. Surely not that hard to understand?

The truth outs. I'll read no further.

Covid my arse.

I agree with @Comefromaway ; there were a lot more shops and even department stores in Germany (Cologne) and Belgium (Brussels) so shopping was still a pleasant experience; the UK doesn't really have that any more, you can't really have a day out clothes shopping with lots of choice and trying things on.
I brought back a top from C & A, wish they were still here in the UK, loved the place.

Depends on the young people. DS1 is mega formal. Any excuse to wear a suit or a tie and he's on it. In fact he's often overdressed for an occasion and his partner is even more formal.

DS2's style is more arty but he'll still dress up, just not in the way you might expect. for my birthday he turned up in strings of pearls and a brocade suit. It actually looked brilliant on him, but it's not exactly trad.

I think you can dress up without being trussed up. That's my aim these days. I just got back from a formal event, and wore a long dress and wedge heels - both incredibly comfortable but definitely formal wear.

Some of us have never dressed up. When l was young in the 80’s dressing down or ‘slumming it’ to go out was very popular.

Trainers, Dr Martens. No one ever wore high heels. Jeans and t shirt were the most stylish clothes in my peer group. My dm thought it was great.

I think the younger generation just feel more liberated to dress how they want to dress rather than how others think they should dress.

Covid seems to be trotted out for everything.

People should wear what they feel comfortable.The words dress code are oppressive and snooty.

I don't really know as it depends on the event. Or the person.

I'd say the style for people in their 20s-30s at the moment is quite casual generally. In the 00s-10s dressing up and big hair, extra glam, body con dresses, skinny jeans etc seemed more of a trend.

It doesn't bother me one jot what strangers wear though.

Nothing to do with Covid, they just don’t all see why they should conform to pointless conventions. At my wedding, I couldn’t have cared any less what people wore. It’s not a fashion show, it’s a party. Be comfortable.

My 17yo wears jeans with more holes than denim most of the time, but he dresses smartly when it’s called for. He wore a three piece suit for a friend’s formal, although he did pair it with his Converse. And he always makes the effort when going out for a meal with family etc.

Personally I’m delighted that there is less of an inclination for high heels. I haven’t worn them for years. Not since I went arse over tit when pregnant with DS1. I managed to grab onto a lamppost, do a very entertaining comedy pole dance round it, before collapsing in a heap. No more heels for me after that.

Smart clothes can be comfortable too. I think it’s disrespectful to others to slop around looking like you’ve thrown your housework clothes on at an important occasion.

The girl across the road had a gathering for prom and I saw her and her friends glammed up for the night (they posed for photos with the vintage cars driving them) They looked as glam as my DD’s year which had prom before covid.

Agree for work. For interviews suits are still expected.

I understand the point you are making. But by saying that you are guilty of the same thing… why are you concerned about others opinions when it has absolutely no impact on you?!

Seen young person wearing black combats, oversized hood and black trainers at an elderly person's funeral. Oh no that was me in the 90s at a grandparents funeral. It's just an age thing in my opinion were the younger generation fashion choice doesn't aline with our own fashion sense.

For a recent job interview, I bought a patterned shirt and wore with loose fitting black trousers and boots. It was for a support role in a school and I got the job.
At a previous interview, I wore a smart dress from my previous working days, tights and low-heeled shoes and felt awkwardly over-dressed compared to the other (younger) candidates. They were smart, but in an everyday working way rather than going extra formal.

I've recently given away my suit. I concede that I will never be the size that I was 20+ years ago, but I hadn't worn it in 15+ years either. I was never comfortable in it (I always hated the restrictiveness of school blazers too) and had long since been wearing dresses for interviews with much more sucess.

I donated the suit to my DCs' school for a 6th former for the new school year. It seemed to be the best chance for a size 8 suit to be used again and in good news, boot cut is back in fashion again.

I pulled out from attending a wedding as I can’t wear pretty dressy shoes. When working in an office in the summer , I wear Mary Jane Skechers or fully black Go Walks

Have various issues with my feet to prevent me from wearing nice shoes. There maybe brands that can help me but refusing to spend silly amounts of money on shoes I’m going to wear a few times

And your parents and grandparents will have been saying exactly the same kind of thing about your generation 😉

My DCs are in rapidly growing adolescent weed mode so there's little point in wasting money buying clothes they'll hate for a just few hours use before they grow out of them.

When we had a funerals phase a few years ago, DS1 wore his new secondary uniform (he was due to start shortly) and I bought a linen style shirt for DS2 to wear with school trousers. That shirt got a second use when another grandma died 9 months later. That shirt had about 9 hours of use in total. At least the school uniform parts of their outfits were used anyway.

For adults it's a different matter. I realised that I needed a funeral wardrobe upgrade as my previous black dresses were looking tired, but they can stay in the wardrobe long term between uses and get their use long term so are worth it.

I'm not going to worry about formal wear for teenage boys until they hit 6th form age.
For work experience, uniform black trousers and open collar school shirt will do the job. DS will do work experience in DH's company where standard dress code is trousers, open collar shirt, jumper.

My two 20-somethings love dressing up for occasions. My daughter has some clothes I would love myself.

When my cousin got married in 1980 my brother (a metal head) wore his long hair, cords , a bomber jacket and clogs. It was the smartest my mum could coerce him to wear.

It's always been the same.