Anderson High School junior Andrew Nyugen swapped sweatpants for blazers and brought a weekly dress-up tradition with him when he transferred from West Clermont.
Nyugen launched "Spiffy You" at Anderson after arriving for his junior year, according to the school's student newspaper, the Raptor Report. The initiative encourages students to trade casual clothes for professional attire every Friday. Think blazers, dress pants and collared shirts instead of hoodies and UGGs.
The idea started at West Clermont High School, where a handful of students began dressing up on a random Friday. It caught on. Soon the whole school was participating, and social media accounts followed to spread the word.
Nyugen, a former West Clermont student, saw an opportunity at Anderson. In April he created a separate Instagram account aimed at Anderson students. The account has since gained more than 300 followers and posts photos of participating students each week, the Raptor Report reported.
The concept is straightforward: look your best, work your best. Students ditch the sweatshirts and show up in clothes they might wear to a job interview.
Senior Alex Dangvu told the Raptor Report he was already a regular dresser before the movement arrived. "I've always dressed up, not because of Spiffy Friday … Spiffy Friday is just another reason for me to dress up," Dangvu said.
For other students, the weekly tradition has created something beyond wardrobe upgrades. Seeing classmates in similar professional attire gives students a conversation starter with peers they might not otherwise talk to, the student newspaper noted.
Junior Maddie Ary said dressing up on Fridays boosts her mood and sets her up for a good day. Junior Luke Pastura also participates, dressing "spiffy" on Fridays to raise awareness about the confidence benefits.
At West Clermont, the movement has grown further. A staff member wrote on Instagram that the student leading Spiffy Friday there has started collecting clothes and building a "closet" at school for students who want to join but lack professional attire.
Spiffy Friday happens every Friday at Anderson, and students of all grade levels are encouraged to participate.
