Formal Wear: A polo and shorts

Today while coming from class an acquaintance stopped me for a brief conversation. But before many pleasantries were exchanged he commented on how dressed up I was that day... This came as a shock to me, who wearing a plain black polo and shorts thought of myself as anything but dressy. However, according to this college kid, I had apparently gone above and beyond the norm.

And this leads me to my main point, what has happened to our culture when it is acceptable for people to look like bums, and when casual clothing has become the new "Dressy"?

I don't consider myself anything of a fashion aficionado, but I do consider myself someone who cares what I look like. Some may say that such thoughts are shallow and self-involved; however appearances are important in any society. The way one represents them-self is key to others impression of them. Your appearance demonstrates your self worth and pride, or lack there of.

I am not advocating the reemergence of suits everyday for college kids, all I am saying is that there needs to be a culture revolution where being well dressed and having pride in ones appearance is commonplace. I can even offer multiple sides to the concept. When girls walk around in sweatpants, an overall pet peeve, all attraction disappears. I can understand coming/going to the gym, or doing something athletic, but because you are lazy...really? On the same token, if I expect girls to take some pride in their appearance (sans sweatpants and uggs), I can only think that guys could try a bit harder too. For those guys who can't be found not wearing gym shorts and a teeshirt, how do women view you?

Maybe the answer to the question comes from gender roles. As men stopped caring about their looks, aka common american macho-ness, then over time women took the same queue. So invariably a solution could be found that if expectations for looks went both ways, then possibly both men and women would increase the amount of care that went into their appearance. And we could all look better together.

I don't want to rant and rave on this forever, I can only say that a day when sweatpants are for sleeping and shorts are for the gym will be a better looking day for us all.