How to Spot a Homeschooler by How We Dress
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How to Spot a Homeschooler by How We Dress
When I was twelve and relatively new to homeschooling, I spent a lot of time at our local homeschool co-op/bookstore. It really was an amazingly cool spot, and I wish there were more places like it around today.
It was full of books (both curriculum and novels), board games, and educational toys. There was a whole section of documentaries and educational movies to rent and several rooms that were used for homeschooling co-op classes and music lessons. It was chaotically full of beautiful clutter and reminded me of Hogwarts.
Around this time, I began dressing in what I thought was the “style,” based on some of the older girls I’d often see at the homeschool bookstore. Ankle-length denim skirt. T-shirt. Practical shoes. Hair in a messy bun. I tell you: I thought I was in the know.
One day, my mom asked me why I’d started dressing so ultra-conservatively. I was raised in a Christian home, but I’d never really had a ton of rules about what I could or could not wear.
I was sort of surprised (and I’m sure my mother was amused) when I realized that- what I’d perceived as “high homeschool fashion” – was actually just a reflection of those particular girls’ religious beliefs and their desired level of comfort. Since (for me) modesty didn’t equate to long skirts, I soon switched back to my preferred jeans.
Today in the How to Spot a Homeschooler series, we’re talking about How to Spot a Homeschooler by How We Dress.
So why did I tell you this story? Well, it certainly was not to say that all homeschoolers wear long denim skirts and t-shirts (although there’s nothing wrong with that). And my intention is not to tell you what modesty means, or what it should mean to you.
However, I do think that this anecdote demonstrates something important about how homeschoolers dress. I think that, while homeschoolers dress in any number of styles (which may result in some of the familiar stereotypes), the truth is that homeschoolers ultimately dress to express.
This expression, through clothing, can reflect all kinds of things: from values to specific interests to the ever-changing facets of growing up. Homeschoolers have more freedom to express all of these things through clothing than their public-school peers due to a lifestyle that has less of a dress code, less peer pressure, and plenty of room for exploration.
How to Spot a Homeschooler by How We Dress
Today, I want to talk about 4 of the ways you can spot a homeschooler by how we dress, with the caveat that “dressing to express” can honestly look a thousand different ways. That said, here are a few recognizable styles in the homeschool fashion line.
1. Homeschoolers dress for comfort.
This is one of those stereotypes that’s out there for a reason. When at home, doing academic stuff, many homeschoolers (and homeschooling parents, too) spend a lot of time in pajamas, comfy athletic wear, or just whatever feels good. I mean, why not?
There are a lot of new homeschoolers since the 2020 pandemic began, and many virtual schoolers/school-from-homers now also know how sweet it is to do school in your jammies. It’s a special secret that the homeschooling community has been sitting on for years, but one that the whole post-pandemic world now understands.
2. Homeschoolers dress to showcase special interests.
Most kids and teens do this to some degree, but homeschoolers are extra when it comes to donning attire that shows off our special interests. This can mean so many different things.
It could mean Star Wars tees every day, or wearing clothing that supports a particular brand or cause. It could mean dressing like a different Disney princess every day of the week (as my 5-year-old does). It could mean doing math in half of a cosplay outfit/half regular clothes.
I had some homeschooled friends, growing up, who were very interested in fashion and who always looked amazingly cool (often with a look that was pulled together based more on their favorite fashionable eras rather than what was necessarily in at the moment). I had homeschooled friends who were into history, who cultivated styles using elements of their favorite time periods.
Dressing is a form of expression that homeschoolers get more chances to play with than their public school peers do, simply because there aren’t as many rules and there’s not really any peer pressure. Personally, as a former homeschooler and current homeschooling mom, I still dress to reflect my interests. (For example, my literary t-shirt game is strong.)
3. Homeschoolers may overdress for casual events.
This doesn’t apply to all homeschoolers, but – when getting ready to face the public- many homeschoolers will go all out. Just because the rest of the day was spent in mismatched pajamas, the outfit for that Walmart run must be on point.
And if it involves a social gathering among friends? The opportunity to showcase one’s style is tripled! It doesn’t matter if it’s a youth group event or co-op or something that happens on a regular basis, homeschoolers will plan an outfit. Many of them will also likely be (proudly) overdressed for most occasions.
Maybe one reason that homeschoolers overdress has to do with parental values. Homeschoolers are often actively taught to dress-up extra nice for certain things: church, a job interview, etc. Dressing up is something that is done when you are showing respect for others and demonstrating that you care about what you’re doing.
So when homeschoolers go out (and we may get extra excited about going out, even if it’s for something small) then dressing up is just one way to show that enthusiasm.
4. Our sense of style is individualistic.
Fashion may or may not be important to your particular homeschooler, but I do think it’s generally true that homeschoolers don’t dress so much for other people as for themselves. Sure, this can result in some weird outfits sometimes, and in styles that don’t always fit the norm.
Sometimes we homeschoolers (and former homeschoolers) “stick out,” for better, and sometimes for worse. Regardless of how the rest of the world perceives homeschooler fashion, though, I think that there is value in being able to play and experiment with a personal sense of style, especially for kids and teens. It’s one more way to learn about who they are, and who they are becoming.
When I think about this concept, I remember this particular girl that I went to youth group with as a teen. Like me, she was homeschooled. However, she was way ahead of me in the sense-of-style game.
This girl knew what she liked and she rocked it. Her style was very West-Coast-1970s in an Early-2000s- Southern world and didn’t look like anything the other girls wore. Regardless, everyone always loved her sense of style. It fit her fun, cool, friendly personality. She was confident and obviously knew what she loved, and her wardrobe choices showcased those things.
At the time, and as I developed my own sense of style over the next several years, she inspired me. My style was and is very different from hers, but I always remembered how she actively brought her distinct personality into her wardrobe choices, and that’s what was most inspiring.
While not all homeschoolers pull this off as well as that particular girl (I didn’t), I think that a really great thing about having the freedom to be individualistic with your wardrobe is that it can help you get a bit ahead of the game in terms of understanding who you are and what you like. And that’s something a lot of adults have to take some time to figure out!
Ultimately, you can’t necessarily always “spot a homeschooler” by their outfit. However, I do think that homeschoolers (and I group myself into this) have a slightly different attitude about clothes. We like what we like because we like it. We dress based on our values, based on how we feel, based on eclectic things that catch our interests, far more than we dress to be cool for anyone else.
Maybe for you or your homeschooler, this means wearing pajamas or t-shirts every day, or maybe it means your homeschool teen has a distinctly rockin’ sense of style. The main thing is, homeschooler fashion is unique and free to be whatever it wants.
Drop a comment and tell me how you’d define your homeschooler’s sense of style!
If you enjoyed “How to Spot a Homeschooler by How We Dress,” you might like to read more articles in our “How to Spot a Homeschooler” series! Check out:
How to Spot a Homeschooler by the Things We Say
How to Spot a Homeschooler by Our Friendships
How to Spot a Homeschooler by How We Say Hello
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Top 10 Homeschool Do’s and Don’ts
The Benefits of Homeschooling Year-Round with Free Printable Calendars
Katie Gustafson has been a member of the world of “weird, unsocialized homeschoolers” for a long time–first as an alumnus and now as a homeschooling mom to a fiercely fun little girl! She’s very into anything creative, especially writing, dancing, and painting. She’s also particularly passionate about literature and owns more books than she will probably ever be able to read. However, she reassures herself with the belief that, in the event of a digital apocalypse, she’s cultivating a much-needed physical library for future generations. Katie is happy to contribute articles to Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers, Hip Homeschool Moms and Sparketh. She also has a personal blog on writewhereuare.com.
i actually laughed at this title because i totally agree with all of your points! we have homeschooled from day one and my daughter is an only child and i agree. … it’s such an expression of who they are and expression of respect when around other people. i loved this article and it helped me understand that side of my child so much more!
I’m a former homeschooler now college student, and I stumbled across this article while researching for an essay. I read your description of homeschoolers overdressing and had to laugh because I realized I’m wearing boots, a skirt, and a matching scarf today while everybody else is wearing jeans and leggings. Do I care? Absolutely not.
YES! I’ve got to warn you, your desire to be overly dressed in casual settings may well follow you for the rest of your life…but as long as you’re comfortable with and rocking it, I think that’s a pretty awesome thing. Thanks for stopping to comment!
At first, I thought this would be a stereotypical, judgmental article about how we dress, but I actually found it to be humorous and enlightening. I just graduated from homeschooling, and I found number three to be surprisingly true for me.😂 I never really realized it before, but I totally worry about dressing properly when I go out. I also used to dress in a “stereotype” kind of way because I admired the other girls who dressed that way. I think to me I saw their rich character and connected their style with their pure hearts. One can tell the author was homeschooled by all the big words used in this article.😁 Cosplay. Caveat. Anecdote. I’m impressed by the fact that you know exactly what West Coast 1970s fashion is! I found myself continually Google searching words while reading this. Thank you and great job.
I didn’t write this article, but I’m one of the owners of the site, and I’m so glad you liked the article! As a homeschooling mom, I love owning a site that looks at the humorous side of being a homeschooling family. 🙂 Thank you for your comment! We love to hear from our readers, but we particularly love to get feedback from homeschoolers (and former homeschoolers) like you.
I think #3 is more for girls. My teen boys could careless about dressing nice to go out. 😂. I still have to tell them to go change because they are not going out in that (my kids are 9, 11, 14, & 18)