Students return to online school in comfort
By Lily Isakson-Bell, Reporter

        Going back to school online has presented students with many opportunities that in-person school would not have, affecting everything from where students work to how they spend time between classes. Possibly the most appreciated freedom has been the relaxed dress code, which has given students the choice to dress as comfortably as they please.
        Freshman Sadie Choo has been enjoying this privilege, along with many of her peers.
        “I’ve been wearing a lot of leggings and sweatshirts to school.” she said. “It is super nice to be able to wear, sort of, whatever you want now. I don’t think I’ve put on a pair of jeans since school got out last March.”
        Comfort has become the main factor in students' clothing choices, eliminating the distraction that comes with an uncomfortable outfit.
        "For me, it’s that I can focus more on what I’m learning and less on if my outfit is uncomfortable," sophomore Eva Cain said. "It’s actually a big thing to get distracted by in class. I feel like I didn’t realize that until now."
        With a dress code that is practically non-existent, people have been putting less and less thought into what they wear to online meetings.
        “When in-person school was happening, I put a lot more thought into what I wore, and now I kind of just throw clothes on and don’t think about it as much.” Cain said.
        Choo feels similarly.
        “I’m still making a point to be in school-appropriate clothes, but there’s definitely less, say, stigma around wearing a comfortable sweatshirt and pajama pants to school now.” she said.
        Some students are still putting in the time to make their comfortable clothes at least semi-presentable, while others have been going all out with their relaxation wear. Cain has found a middle ground between these two approaches, and tries to keep productivity in mind when picking out outfits for school.
        “I can sometimes feel unproductive if I’m just in pajamas. . . I try to have some sort of separation between actual pajamas and what I wear [to school] because it makes me feel more productive.” she said. “I think my wardrobe can have a great affect on my mindset relating to school and it has made it feel like I’m actually at school.”