Wake up, little fashion monsters

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Beep ... beep ... beep ... beeeeep.

Wake up kids, its time for school! Time to shower, do your hair, your makeup and change.

Change into everyday clothes — not pajamas. I don't know who ever thought it was okay to wear pajamas to school, but it's not. Do you remember your first day of school? Every year you'd want to look the best because you wanted to look nice and wanted everyone to think you had great style; you still ought to have that state of mind.

Believe it or not, first impressions are extremely important — crazy, huh? When people look at you, they want to see a professional and clean person that they not only relate to, they want to respect.

When you arrive to class, your teacher will, without a doubt, see how you're put together. They can tell if you've spent all night doing a last-minute project or had a good night's sleep and an invigorating shower. School is a professional institution that is meant for learning; however, it's also an institution that allows you to express yourself with vague limitations. There is no desire for anyone to feel limited; however, there also is no desire for them to be completely vulgar in the way they dress.

Think about how you would want to see people dressed in the morning. Would you want to see someone in his or her bunny pajamas with the built-in slippers? Or maybe a lace nightgown with cotton ballet slippers and sleep mask a la Audrey Hepburn? I'm sure most men wouldn't completely mind the last one; but, what about the rest of the world? Do we really want to feel like we're walking to a slumber party on our way to class? No. Do we want to see your baggy, unflattering pajamas? No.

If you need to, try incorporating your pajamas into outfits. Yes, I'm serious. Fashion is about being creative and versatile. It's about taking something unconventional and making it wearable and fabulous. Some examples could include taking a knee-length night slip, layering a vest or long cardigan with a belt, stockings, socks and oxfords.

You need to be smart and realize that clothing can be worn in different ways. Don't go pulling a Jesse Eisenburg in The Social Network and wear your night robe all day, but consider wearing a nice piece in a new way.

The world doesn't want you to wear business suits every day, but we don't want you wearing pajamas every day, either.

So next time you're getting dressed, make sure you change out of your pajamas, and if you've already planned to wear them, make sure they're clean, have no stains, smell fresh and they aren't from the children's section. Happy shopping … or sleeping? Either way, have fun with fashion ... to a certain extent.