Americans have lost their sense of formality, and it is up to college students to overturn international stereotypes.

Last week, dignitaries from around the world went to Poland to remember the liberation of Auschwitz. They braved the cold to honor those who suffered and died. They went dressed for a state funeral, wearing formal black suits and overcoats. All except one man: Vice President Dick Cheney. He represented the United States in hiking boots, an olive-drab military-style parka and a knit ski cap.

The international community often criticizes Americans for being uncultured, uneducated and disrespectful slobs. Cheney’s latest wardrobe decision only further enforced such stereotypes. But should Cheney really be criticized for dressing practically?

It is hard to tell why he dressed the way he did, considering he went formal when he was sworn into office at the presidential inauguration the week before. Perhaps it was just a wardrobe malfunction. Whatever the reason, Americans should not look to his example. They should try to regain some sense of formality.

Once there was a time when a three-piece suit, fedora and overcoat were standard fare. The quest for informality has erased this reality. The days when every man wore a hat slowly faded in the ’60s. Some attribute the decline of the hat to President John F. Kennedy speaking without one at his presidential inauguration.

The informality among Americans is most apparent among college students. In days gone by, being a collegian meant not only striving to better oneself mentally but also presenting oneself in a respectable manner. College students used to wear dress shirts and ties to school. It made perfect sense, because after graduation they would be required to wear suits in the working world.

In the ’90s, many companies started abandoning the three-piece suit in favor of a friendlier business-casual dress code. The work place became even more casual when popular dot-com companies, led by twenty-something year-old overnight millionaires, decided it would be more fun to wear untucked T-shirts to work rather than waste time on physical appearance.

Are Americans becoming more casual because they are becoming less vain? Certainly not, because we know that celebrities pay thousands of dollars to look as laid back as possible. And their adoring public tries to emulate them.

Americans simply lost sight of how to act respectfully, which includes dressing appropriately. The typical college student by no means needs to wear a suit to class, but wearing pajamas every day shows little respect for classmates and teachers. There is a problem when companies like Old Navy begin advertising pajama pants specifically for wearing out of the house. If students go out dressed like slobs, there can be no complaining if those around them treat them like slobs.

The college student who dresses more formally will gain confidence and earn respect from peers and teachers. Forgoing the sweats and making an effort to look nice while in college will set a positive personal standard for after college. Regaining some sense of formality is the only way for Americans to disprove negative stereotypes held by the international community.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.