Formal Thursday is a dying cause. The students must rekindle it. This is why.  

Dress to Impress 

Every Thursday, students should come dressed in ties, dresses, or other formal wear. These garments enable students to prepare for special occasions like interviews, party events, and future jobs.  

Exemplary dressing sets the bar for basic social skills and protocols of real life. For example, in the event of a negotiation, a well-dressed person has more success being respected in the conversation over a casually dressed person; under-dressed people embody less power.  

 Simply wearing dress shoes, chinos, and a nice shirt, or a dress and heels, sets students apart from a majority of the students in other schools. Teachers will be impressed with the stylistic capabilities of their students. Peers and authorities will respect these dapper Dans and Deidras more if they represent mature, responsible people.

Confidence  

Talk about a confidence boost. If everyone looks sharp, everyone will feel sharp. It is unquestionable that looking good makes people feel more confident, as well as smart. This is a good way to raise academic and social standards.  Aesthetically pleasing attire can add that pep in the step. Dressing formally increases testosterone, attention, and brain function, which in turn increases positivity. 

Attire sends a message to others; students can be in control of that message.  

It’s science 

A recent study was made based on a phenomenon known as “enclothed cognition”. Two professors at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University wrote in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology that enclothed cognition “involves the co-occurrence of these two independent factors: the symbolic meaning of clothes and the physical experience of wearing them.” 

The researchers had subjects dress in a white lab coat, like doctors wear, and perform a series of tests. The tests found that the subjects’ sustained attention increased while wearing the lab coat compared to not wearing a coat. This shows how much of an impact the clothes have.  

 A second study had subjects dress in formal business attire for a cognitive test. The study found that upscale outfits increased abstract thinking, creativity, and strategizing. Researchers think this has to do with feelings of power.

Formal Thursday can set the foundation for students’ futures. Students should understand the function of style, and take it to the next level. Give Formal Thursday a try. If students do not know how to dress formally, check out YouTube, as there are several videos by real style experts. Don’t be afraid to look good!