On the morning of Friday, December 1, a sea of Taylor Swift crewnecks, plaid sweatpants, Uggs, fuzzy socks, colorful tees, leggings, blanket hoodies, flannels, waffle knit, cable knit, and Birk clogs flooded Westridge’s campus.
This was the first day of “Cozy December,” where Westridge students trade out traditional uniforms for their pajamas until the semester break on December 15. The Peer to Peer initiative started last year as a part of the annual December “Be Kind to Your Mind Week,” where students initially received pajama days for the week—but the reception was so overwhelmingly positive that administration decided to extend it until Winter Break.
Mr. Gary Baldwin, Head of Upper School, who played a large role in making December uniform-free, favors wearing comfortable clothes. “All the greatest contributions to civilization had been made by people wearing comfy shoes,” he said. “Aristotle, sandals. Einstein, loafers. Daily we wear comfy shoes and by extension comfy clothes. Everyone is better off.”
Associated Student Body (ASB) President Ray K. ’24 also played an instrumental role in making this a tradition. “We started this to try and bring back some joy and comfort. I think it just felt like a nice thing we could offer that came at no cost,” said Ray. “It’s a way to make school an enjoyable, comfortable place to be in a time of very high stress.”
Students were full of praise for Cozy December this year, mentioning how the new uniform positively impacted their ability to express themselves and allowed them to think less about what to wear in the mornings.
Isa H. ’26 enjoys Cozy December because it gives her a bit more wiggle room when picking out outfits. “Wearing hoodies and stuff that aren’t uniform color…leaves more room for me to just express myself a little bit more during the month,” she said.
Some are excited about the free dress as it allows them to save time in the morning while remaining comfy. “I’m really happy that I can just roll out of bed and wear pajamas,” said Ella S. ’25.
Although the majority of students are thoroughly enjoying Cozy December, some students are less enthusiastic about the change.
Alex S. ’24 worries that coming to campus uniform-free negatively impacts her productivity. “I feel that I function best and think best when I’m in clothing that I feel very confident in,” she remarked. “I feel like I’m in this environment and I want to feel professional to do the professional things that I’m doing.”
Additionally, Olivia C. ’25 mentioned the importance of the psychological implications of the clothes we wear to a working environment. “It’s kind of like getting dressed kind of signifies to your body, Oh, I’m switching gears and I’m getting into school,” she said.
The most important part of this week is celebrating students’ minds. Free dress was just one of Peer-to-Peer’s many initiatives during Cozy December; others included cookie decorating and slime-making at lunch.
