Fashion isn't what it used to be, I'm assuming. I haven't been alive long enough to notice the rotation of many trends, but I have seen pictures. What I'm specifically addressing is the clothing choices among people my age: namely, teenagers and young adults.

At a basic level, clothes are meant to cover us, to keep our body temperature regulated and to serve a practical purpose depending on what our activities for the day entail. So I'm just wondering: why is it that so many young people dress inappropriately for classes and casual outings? I'm not even talking about clothes that are too revealing. We, as an urban American society, have gotten into a national habit of under-dressing. College students are going to classes in athletic shorts, oversized T-shirts, Chacos and knee-high socks on a daily basis. Yes, these outfits are comfortable. Yes, it's okay to show up to class like that every now and again. However, the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover," simply doesn't hold up in many cases.

Unfortunately, people do judge us based on our appearances, and it is worth taking the extra few minutes in the morning to present ourselves well. You wouldn't go to a job interview wearing a shirt so large that it makes it look as though you have no pants on, would you? So why wouldn't you take equal care when going to class, or, say, when volunteering somewhere? College professors and even older classmates may become connections for us in the real world. One of them could be a reference on your post-graduation resume. They could offer you an award, or even give you grace on your grades if they know you to be a student who presents themselves professionally. Someone who takes care to present themselves with care implies that they not only take themselves seriously, but that they take their professors and employers seriously as well.

Also, what else does it say when we wear casual clothes that could be mistaken for pajamas, but take the time to do our hair and makeup? You can stop squirming; I know you're guilty. I've done it from time to time. But really, ladies? If you're already taking the time to make your face look nice, it doesn't require any more time to throw on a dress than it does to put on Nike shorts. Since you obviously know how to match (given that you've cleverly matched your Jandals with your T-shirt), it would seem that a fancy face and hairstyle don't match a casual outfit, right?

I don't mean to just dog on the ladies, though. Boys are guilty of equally ridiculous dressing habits. Take shorts with suit blazers, for instance. Are you serious, guys? The first time I witnessed this phenomenon, I was genuinely dumbfounded. This man either had to be drunk or seriously sleep-deprived. It looked as though he had gotten halfway dressed and then forgot that he needed to go out in public, thereby forgetting to put on real pants, too. Really, though, it's the same concept as girls who do their hair and makeup without dressing nicely. You almost look nice, but you are only putting forth half of the effort. How hard is it to put on pants that actually go with the nice jacket you're sporting?

No, appearances aren't everything, but they are important. It is well worth your time to start practicing now for when our self-presentation will matter in the corporate world. Your professors will not judge you for dressing down once a week. Yet when it becomes a habit, they may assume that you never take care of yourself. If you can't take care of yourself, what do you take care of? Dress to impress and leave the potato-sack style T-shirts for lounging around the house.