With the onset of COVID-19, the daily reality of every Mountaineer shifted, creating new academic roles and social customs. 

Students and teachers adjusted to education through a computer screen and attending classes from bed – and with those changes came a different style of clothing. 

“During the pandemic, I usually resorted towards comfy pants and a professional shirt,” said math teacher Kaitlyn Foucher. 

Sophomore Emma McClendon said she went to “school” even more casually. 

“Most of the time I would just wear pajamas,” McClendon said. “I didn’t really put a lot of consideration into my outfits.” 

Senior Stephanie Silva said she made similar choices.   

“Honestly, I would usually just wear whatever I wore to bed to class,” said Silva.

Some Mountaineers said they became more comfortable in their clothes and in their skin.

“Being alone made me more confident and comfortable with my soul,” said sophomore Tam Truong.

Now that school has returned to “normal”, Foucher admitted her school attire has changed. 

“For school I usually go for the business casual look. I like to mix things up between fancy and semi-formal,” said Foucher.

Students, too, said they have adapted to the new environment. 

“I used to wear sporty/comfy clothes, like sweatpants and sweatshirts. They did not stand out or have much personality to them,” said McClendon. “But now I tend to find myself wearing more outgoing and stylish clothes.” 

Silva agreed. 

“After the pandemic, my style has definitely changed for the better now that I’m forced to change out of my pjs,” said Silva. “But my day-to-day outfits are nothing special. I usually dress up more when I’m going out, outside of school,”

Freshman Saide Ceivk said she tries to balance comfort and style. 

“Since we have gone back to school, I do feel some pressure to wear a nice outfit. Even though I still sometimes wear pajama pants, I mainly wear jeans or leggings,” said Cevik. “But I don’t dress up in a “fancy” way. I save that for other events.” 

According to Foucher, remote teaching may have changed the clothes she wore, but not the quality of her teaching.

“I would say that the pandemic hasn’t really changed my style in a significant way. It doesn’t necessarily affect the way I teach,” said Foucher. “If there’s one lesson the pandemic taught me, it’s that I can be just as good of a teacher while still being comfortable.”

Senior Soffia Hoffman said she has noticed that post-pandemic students seem more confident in their appearances. 

“I feel like people are wearing clothing that makes them feel good,” said Hoffman. “Before the pandemic, everyone worried about their outward appearance and how others thought of them. Now, people focus more on what makes them feel good.”