Q: I was recently mistaken for a young person during a group outing. Can you give me any advice on what to wear when working with youth?
A: I’ve had that experience before too! Although, sadly, less often the older I get. Once, I had on jeans and a hoodie for a trip into London with the group of teens I was working with. We were going to be riding a speed boat on the Thames so it was a good choice for the day.
I was standing with my group while they were smoking a cigarette before we piled into the minibus for the trip. An elderly lady saw the boys smoking and asked what were ‘we’ doing and where ‘our’ parents were. I showed her my badge and kindly explained that we were getting ready to go on a journey. I encouraged the boys to move out of her way and, after one more glance at me, she made her way home.
Some people say you should dress like a youth so they relate to you better. I’ve found that it’s much more about who you are than what you wear. Youth will relate to you even in a suit if you care about them and work hard to support and equip them. Building relationships may take a little more time if you’re dressed more formally but they’re not impossible and clothes have yet to be a barrier for me in working with teens of any age, race or ethnic background.
Whatever you decide, here are a few things I’d suggest considering when deciding what to wear for youth work:
When are you doing it?
Are you going out in the daytime or the evening; in the summer or the spring? Be reasonable and don’t make the same mistake many of your youth will and underdress for the weather.
What are you doing?
Consider all the possible activities you might be doing during the session. For example, outdoor activities generally lend themselves to more casual clothing.
Where are you going?
Jeans and a hoodie might not have been appropriate if we were going to tour a museum or have high tea at Harrods, or if you’re going to be delivering programs in a school with a dress code.
It also depends on the rules where you work. You may be required (as I currently am) to wear smart casual or office dress clothes each day.
Who are you?
If you’re a supervisor or project coordinator, you might want to wear jeans with a smart/casual dressy top for working with youth to help distinguish yourself should you unexpectedly need to meet with other professionals.
One thing you should never be without no matter what you choose to wear
Your badge. If your program doesn’t have one, make one. It should include your photo, title and organization. It’s invaluable to have that with you to show that you’re the responsible party when with a group of youth, particularly if you’re dealing with challenging young people.
Questions: What do you wear when you work with youth? If you have a mandated uniform like at a school or as a youth offending officer, do you find this affects how youth relate to you? Let us know in the comments below.
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