I’ve been told this at least 300 times while in high school, “Whoa, you’re really dressed up Hari.” Usually, when people say this, I am wearing khaki pants with a quarter-zip or khaki shorts with a decent- looking shirt. As far back as I can recall, I don’t think I’ve been someone who can wear sweatpants outside of the house unless it was to a park or a gym. 

Clothes that are soft, loose and unstructured, are what I associate with wearing clothes at home to sleep or relax in. With school starting up again, I would just feel super odd if I wore what I did at home over the summer to school, and I strongly believe that a few minutes of extra effort in the morning can go a long way in improving your productivity and self-confidence. This boost in productivity and confidence might not seem very tangible, but for me, it’s what makes dressing a little bit nicer to school significantly better than just coming to school in athletic sweatpants. 

Dressing nicely to school can have a plethora of positive impacts on you. Interestingly, according to research published on inc.com, dressing nicely has shown to increase productivity and give people a broader perspective. Furthermore, purposely choosing to wear khaki shorts instead of basketball shorts, for instance, influences decision-making in important ways such as making you feel more confident. 

Making intentional clothing decisions and waking up at 6:40 a.m. instead of 6:45 a.m. in order to make yourself more presentable goes a long way; you will be able to express yourself more cohesively, giving you that additional kick of confidence. 

Overall, the clothes that you put on depict who you are, so why not depict yourself as a person of confidence and self-worth?

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Hari Patel at [email protected]