Fashionably freezing

Still in the midst of winter days, I recently looked around Yuba College’s campus at our student population and saw how many students in the 18-25 age range are dressing these days, being young and maybe immature, with television as our role model. Brrr.

What you see celebrities in is what a lot of young people are trying to pull off for daily wear. Men have it easy with shorts and a t-shirt. Also, they dress innocently compared to women, who leave little to others’ imagination.

Considering the winter season and its cold weather, you would assume women would wear a sweater and jeans, but that’s not what you see around campus at Yuba College. The majority of young women are wearing short shorts, mini skirts, and thigh high dresses, along with net shirts, torn up jeans, and other skimpy clothes that show their body art, piercings, and mid-drift.

When it is cold outside, the furthest thing from a young girl’s mind is “I’m going to freeze!” What they think is “I want to be looked at!” A lot of girls are simply looking for acceptance. Television makes them assume showing a lot of skin is the answer. It isn’t.

After talking to some of our students, whose only request was not to be named in our paper, most of them said the same thing — they want to be accepted by everybody and they are just like everyone else. Is our wardrobe a fashion don’t, or is it just one’s opinion of fashionable? I can’t say I’ve never been like that because before my daughter was born, that was me. But in my opinion, when you are between the ages of 18-25 years old, trying to keep up with the fashion fads is tacky rather than pretty.

Conservative vs. exposed. Talking to our men on campus, of course they would say they love our women’s cleavage showing but, their lady best be covered up. He would want to date a girl that dresses provocatively, but would marry a conservatively dressed woman. How controversial is that?

When we are young sometimes we aren’t all there. Ten years from now when we see our college photos, one may regret their choices. Showing more skin leaves nothing to the imagination and often gives one a bad name, not to mention leaves you freezing in the classroom and everywhere else.

It’s not pretty when you see someone in clothes that are way too small for them either, but girls still wear them, if not to get attention than to make themselves feel better. You’ve got to draw the line somewhere though. At some point in your life you won’t be a child anymore and thats when you will need a wardrobe change. Jobs expect professionalism and that includes the way an employee dresses.

If it’s cold then dress warm; choose a sweater and jeans, and not shorts and a tube top because then you look very poorly and I don’t need to say what you’d be called. What you see on television and around you does not always accurately depict real life. If you see a girl walking in a bathing suit, is that how you would dress? If you went to a job interview what would you wear? I certainly wouldn’t wear torn up jeans and a sweatshirt.

Before you leave your home in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, “ Is this how I want to be portrayed to others?” Honestly though, many won’t understand this until they have a family, don’t get a job, or are ignored. It’s wiser to take care of your body and show some class rather than throw yourself at everybody. I wear skimpy clothes behind closed doors and when appropriate, not at school where everyone can see. There’s nothing wrong with anyone’s opinion of how to dress themselves, but it’s up to them how they want to be perceived. Watch yourself when you are the one criticizing others tomorrow. That’s my advice about our fashion.