Let’s begin by addressing the elephant in the room: we are currently in the midst of a global pandemic. Unfortunately for us Floridian teenagers, this means our schools may not be reopening for a while. Therefore, our schooling will be reduced to Zoom (an interactive online video conferencing platform) indefinitely. Although this situation may not seem optimal, it is integral that we make the best of it. There are a few silver linings to this, one of them being that students will have the opportunity to dress comfortably and express their personal style in the online classroom. 

At school, the dress code and uniform are taken seriously. This is understandable, as it is an educational institution. Nevertheless, students are able to express their individuality and style through accessories, shoes, hair, etc. This year, because of online schooling, students will have the opportunity to express their styles a little differently and from the comfort of their homes. 

Dressing comfortably has become THE fashion trend of summer 2020, and ever since the middle of March we have traded in our denims for sweatpants, and I for one am not complaining. Sweatpants have grown in popularity since the pandemic swept the nation. “In April, clothing sales fell 79 percent in the United States, the largest dive on record,” said Irina Aleksander for The New York Times Magazine. “Purchases of sweatpants, though, were up 80 percent.” 

There are many great stores to browse online for the perfect pair of sweats for online classes or simply to just lounge around in. I recommend visiting the Revolve, Nordstrom or Urban Outfitters websites— not only will you find the pair of sweats you’ve been dreaming of, but you’ll also be helping keep these retail stores in business.

“Department stores and clothing stores are facing an extinction level event after having experienced years of decline— the year 2020 may bring the death of the department store,” said Derek Thompson for The Atlantic. So I say the least we can do for these stores that have put clothes on our backs over the years is enjoy a little much-needed retail therapy. 

Back to the pressing issue of sweatpants, if you find yourself browsing aimlessly through the virtual mall, flip through the slideshow above to see what Cosmopolitan writers Lauren Adhav and Katherine Barrette recommend. Among the pieces they recommend, are Free People’s Night Jogger, Urban Outfitters’ Embroidered Jogger Pant, and Revolve’s Dallas Joggers for their fashionable flair.

Another advantage of attending school via Zoom is that your classmates and teachers only have to see you from the neck up, so basically you can be wearing pajama bottoms and Uggs and no one will be the wiser. Although it is understandable to want to live in your pajamas at a time like this, there’s no harm in putting in a little effort from time to time. Plus, it is important to keep in mind that certain guidelines should be followed when choosing what to wear for a Zoom class. Even though you are not meeting with teachers and classmates in person you still want to make a good impression, and it all starts with how you present yourself.

For starters, there is a dress code, no exposed shoulders, no pajamas, and no T-shirts that contain inappropriate words or messages. This dress code is meant to keep students looking somewhat presentable and ready to learn. Following the dress code is the first step (by the way, some other schools require students to wear an actual uniform top for online class, so we should consider ourselves lucky.) There are many comfortable clothing options that you can wear while still following the dress code, including t-shirts and hoodies. You can definitely find some pretty great pieces from the stores mentioned earlier, especially Urban Outfitters.

If you want to go the extra mile and add an even more of a personal touch to your hoodie or T-shirt, I recommend tie dying. In recent months, tie dye has become one of the biggest trends of this year, and what better way is there of expressing your personality and style than through DIY-ing your own tie dye shirt, hoodie or sweatpants? Check out this article from The Everygirl, which will tell you everything you need to know about tie dying clothes.

If arts and crafts aren’t really up your alley, or you just long for the days of when you were able to attend school in person, you can always just play it safe and just throw on your favorite  Gulliver hoodie or T-shirt. Raider pride is always trendy! 

Although this isn’t the optimal situation for the start of the 2020-21 school year, we should all try to make the best of it. We should also take advantage of the opportunity that we have the ability to dress comfortably and express our personal style in the online classroom.