Breaking Social Norms

Our society has become progressively more and more casual in how we dress. Many offices no longer require their employees to wear suits or ties. Even churches are becoming more relaxed about one’s ‘Sunday best;’ accepting people who dress informally, such as shorts and flip-flops. Because our society has become more informal in how we dress as a whole, most people do. It is so much easier to throw on jeans and a t-shirt with sneakers than to dress in a long gown with heals. Especially college students, because there are little to no sanctions against us for showing up to class in a sweat shirt. This is why I chose to dress formally to break my social norm, however, I was surprised by the reactions, or lack thereof, that I received.
On my first day, I dressed in a long, black formal dress that I wore to a friend’s senior prom. I also wore more make up than I usually do, I put more effort into my hair, I wore heals, and my short top hat with a bow based on the Queen of Hearts from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. I was quite surprised because there was very little reaction to what I was

It was uncomfortable physically because I am not used to dresses or heels, so it was a little annoying by the end of the day. When I was done with classes, I changed as soon as I could. But that was the only real discomfort. People do not react strongly, if at all, to someone breaking this norm. However, if I were at a decidedly formal event; a ball or wedding, for example, and showed up in jeans, I am fairly sure I would get a reaction. On the other hand, if I went to a decidedly informal event; camping or any outdoor activity, dressed very formally, I believe I would also get a reaction. However, it would seem that college and college students, at least at Mercer, have not decided what the dress code is, or, more likely, they honestly do not care what other people wear. It does not affect their