Workout clothes as regular clothes

[Moxie]

Warning--judgey post ahead!

 

My kids go to school and we have to walk them into the building so I see lots of people everyday. There are really two kinds of women-SAHM's in workout clothes and women dressed for work (suits and scrubs, mostly).

 

It bugs me.

 

I get that they are comfy. I wear workout clothes when I work out. But, dang, so casual! And so painted on!! Most workout pants don't leave a lot of mystery. Are we going to get to a point where we wear our jammies in public because they are comfy?? Idk why this uber-casualness bugs me but it really does. Is it really so hard to throw on some pants?

[wapiti]

Time to post the video I'm pretty sure I saw here in a yoga pants discussion:

[regentrude]

They may go to the gym after dropping off the kids.

They may go for a run or a walk.

They may do one of these things not until later in the day, but find that they are more likely to have the discipline to actually do it if they are already dressed in workout wear. (that is one of the standard suggestions for people who have trouble sticking with an exercise routine)

They may not see the issue since all body parts that customarily have to be covered are covered.

They may not give a hoot what strangers think.

Edited October 12, 2016 by regentrude

[alisoncooks]

Judge away -- I'm sure we all have little things that bug us.

That said, I'm currently sitting in Starbucks wearing casual yoga pants, sneakers and a t-shirt. And I feel like I actually made an effort this morning...

[Lady Marmalade]

I'm thinking you don't get out much.

 

Your comment about jammies in public.... I see pajama pants everywhere.  I don't even go out in my own yard wearing pajamas it horrifies me so.

 

But workout clothes ARE my clothes most days.  I'm a SAHM.  My job is to rally the troops, keep my house clean, tend the garden, keep the laundry going, chauffeur the kids to activities, and on and on and on.  Most days it feels like a marathon getting everything done.  I don't work outside the home, and I do know how to dress nicely for actual nice activities like church or a night at a theater.  I even tend my hair most days, but golly, it sure is a fabulous thing for me that the messy bun is a completely stylish and "in" thing to do.  

 

 I don't workout.  I sure do like the idea, and maybe someday I will find the time, but I specifically buy workout gear to be my everyday clothes.  I love a pair of yoga pants with a hoodie.  Works for inside the house and outside the house.  Works for picking kids up, grocery shopping, or taking my parent's dogs for a walk.  I am blessed to not need to work outside the home, and for me that includes not needing a wardrobe designed for working women.   It's wonderful to not need to think about where I'm going or what I'm doing all day long and having to worry about whether I am dressed properly.  As long as I got out of my pajamas in the morning, I'm good to go for the day- no matter what the day hands me. 

 

 I fail to see how my freedom in being comfortable all day long has any bearing on anyone else I come across during the day.  I can only WISH that my choice of clothing would scare off the neighborhood "missionaries"- now that would maybe be worth keeping the pajama pants on for...

[prairiewindmomma]

I'm honestly more upset that someone is wearing scrubs out in public. Ew.  Either they are taking germs from work out into the public world or they are taking school germs to work with them. Neither of those sound look a great choice.

 

My son has an outside class. I drop him off, hit the gym, and pick him up (sweaty and in my workout clothes) an hour later.   On other days, I may dress in my workout clothes at 5am when I wake and not meet with my trainer until mid-afternoon, but I've been out and about without a break to really change clothes.  My small local gym does not have great storage/changing facilities and it's easier to wear athleisure through the day.

[Greta]

Warning--judgey post ahead!

 

My kids go to school and we have to walk them into the building so I see lots of people everyday. There are really two kinds of women-SAHM's in workout clothes and women dressed for work (suits and scrubs, mostly).

 

It bugs me.

 

I get that they are comfy. I wear workout clothes when I work out. But, dang, so casual! And so painted on!! Most workout pants don't leave a lot of mystery. Are we going to get to a point where we wear our jammies in public because they are comfy?? Idk why this uber-casualness bugs me but it really does. Is it really so hard to throw on some pants?

 

 

Oh, some of us, sadly, are already at that point.  We also have the distinction of being number 7 on the list of ten worst-dressed cities in the US.  

 

Gym clothes are actually better than a lot of the things I see around here.  

[Greta]

Time to post the video I'm pretty sure I saw here in a yoga pants discussion:

 

 

 

I missed the yoga pants discussion, so thanks for re-posting that!  :lol:

[Guest]

I'm honestly more upset that someone is wearing scrubs out in public. Ew. Either they are taking germs from work out into the public world or they are taking school germs to work with them. Neither of those sound look a great choice.

 

My son has an outside class. I drop him off, hit the gym, and pick him up (sweaty and in my workout clothes) an hour later. On other days, I may dress in my workout clothes at 5am when I wake and not meet with my trainer until mid-afternoon, but I've been out and about without a break to really change clothes. My small local gym does not have great storage/changing facilities and it's easier to wear athleisure through the day.

Most of them are nurses in an office. Everyone wears scrubs at our ped's office. Is that not normal?

[StephanieZ]

Lots of folks have to wear scrubs to work, but that doesn't mean they are any more germ-y than typical clothes. Our vet hospital requires scrubs as the standard uniform for all support staff, including receptionists, etc. We do this because most of our staff are cross-trained, so a nurse might cover the front desk during lunch, and a receptionist still occasionally handles patients (getting a weight, assisting nursing staff in a pinch, etc.) It's just much easier and gives a more professional impression to clients for everyone to be wearing the same uniform (matching scrubs) than to have various folks wear different outfits.

 

The vets only wear scrubs for surgeries, and change into business clothes + lab coats for appointments (unless they are so slammed that they don't have time to change). All the staff wear covers over the scrubs (and additional protective gear for face/hair/shoes/etc) for "dirty" procedures such as dental cleanings and/or handling infectious patients. Those covers go straight into the hospital laundry after each use. So, if they are out in public in their scrubs, I am pretty confident they are no more germ-y than most ordinarily dressed people. Additionally, folks change scrubs during the day if they get gross. We have lots of spares, and they get used whenever needed. No one wants to be covered in grossness, lol.  I'd imagine the same goes for folks who work in dental offices, etc. When we had in-home caregivers for my mom who had dementia, they all wore scrubs. They didn't get any germ-ier helping my elderly mom than anyone would who lives in the normal world. So, anyway, that's my 2c on scrubs in public. 

 

As far as work out clothes in public, I concur that many moms might be heading to the gym or the trail after dropping off kids. I know I have done that a million times. 

Edited October 12, 2016 by StephanieZ

[Greta]

I'm honestly more upset that someone is wearing scrubs out in public. Ew.  Either they are taking germs from work out into the public world or they are taking school germs to work with them. Neither of those sound look a great choice.

 

 

 

:iagree:   That's not just bad fashion sense, that's socially irresponsible.  Totally skeeved out when I see someone in scrubs pawing through lettuce at the grocery store!!!   :ack2:

[Guest]

Time to post the video I'm pretty sure I saw here in a yoga pants discussion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYRENWT8lz8

Very cute!

[Valley Girl]

Seriously? You know, sometimes schedules are so tight or I'm juggling so many tasks that already being dressed in workout clothes actually means the difference between getting the workout in or not. Sorry you're bugged by it, but I'm not sacrificing the very little bit of time I'm able to devout to self-care to appease someone else's arbitrary standard. That's probably the kind of complaint best shared with a close friend or two rather than a large message board.

[wendy not in HI]

Oh, some of us, sadly, are already at that point.  We also have the distinction of being number 7 on the list of ten worst-dressed cities in the US.  

 

Gym clothes are actually better than a lot of the things I see around here.  

 

I'm sorry to say that I was wearing my jammies when I dropped off my son at school this morning.  I did not even put in my contacts!  I did not get out of the car.  I would have looked much more put together if I had been wearing work out clothes.  But I didn't have time to work out today after the drop-off. I needed to run back home, shower, get all prettied up, and head out to a meeting.  (haven't quite gotten to the prettied up part)

[SJ.]

They may go to the gym after dropping off the kids.

They may go for a run or a walk.

They may do one of these things not until later in the day, but find that they are more likely to have the discipline to actually do it if they are already dressed in workout wear. (that is one of the standard suggestions for people who have trouble sticking with an exercise routine)

They may not see the issue since all body parts that customarily have to be covered are covered.

They may not give a hoot what strangers think.

 

:iagree:

I am that mom dropping off and sometimes *gasp* picking up in workout clothes.  If I am still i my workout clothing at the end of the day that just means I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to change.  Frankly, I don't care what other people think of what I am wearing.  I'm just trying to get through my day.

[Greta]

I'm sorry to say that I was wearing my jammies when I dropped off my son at school this morning.  I did not even put in my contacts!  I did not get out of the car.  I would have looked much more put together if I had been wearing work out clothes.  But I didn't have time to work out today after the drop-off. I needed to run back home, shower, get all prettied up, and head out to a meeting.  (haven't quite gotten to the prettied up part)

 

Hey, still being in your car is the same as still being home.  :lol:  No worries!  But I do think it's a little odd when I see people grocery shopping, walking their dog, heading into Walgreens in their jammies, even in the afternoon!  

 

Trust me, I am NOT a fashionista.  And since my library and my post office are located super close to my gym, I have been known to drop into those places with my workout clothes on.  

[mellifera33]

Seriously? You know, sometimes schedules are so tight or I'm juggling so many tasks that already being dressed in workout clothes actually means the difference between getting the workout in or not. Sorry you're bugged by it, but I'm not sacrificing the very little bit of time I'm able to devout to self-care to appease someone else's arbitrary standard. That's probably the kind of complaint best shared with a close friend or two rather than a large message board.

 

Yoga pants are the homeschool mom uniform in this area, so I wondered how this thread would go over on a homeschool board. 

 

I'll take yoga pants over denim jumpers any day.  :lol:

[wapiti]

I will typically wear yoga/athletic pants to Costco/Target/grocery and school carpool (I drive around 2 hrs per day, depending).  I prefer a long-enough top that is neither a sack nor tight.

 

The other day I noticed a new genre called "dorm pants."  I wonder what college girls wear to class these days.

 

I have never seen pajama pants in public in my area.

[Miss Tick]

Sadly it will never be me. Once I sweat in those synthetic fibers, they will ever after release an unpleasant smell when my body heat rewarms them. Not horrible, no big deal if I'm in the middle of getting sweat again, but not something I can wear casually in public. With those banished from my casual wardrobe I fall back on t-shirts and jeans, probably someone else's bugaboo.

[mommyoffive]

Yoga pants are my uniform.  Sorry

[Miss Tick]

I have never seen pajama pants in public in my area.

Wow! Never seen someone wearing fleece pants covered with a cartoon character, ratty at the bottom from being a little long and paired with flip-flops? Not really missing anything, though.

[TravelingChris]

Both my son and daughter wear scrubs for work and aren't involved with direct medical work.  One works in a pharmacy and the other works in reception at a medical clinic.  So are many others.  At my coumadin clinic, all the support staff wear scrubs and no one there is even sick.  Scrubs don't necessarily mean germs at all.  Also, there are lots of doctor offices that have nothing to do with germs- allergist, neurologist, cardiologist, etc, etc.

[Sarah CB]

Perhaps they go to the gym after dropping off the kids.

 

That's what I do. I either go to the gym or run every morning. I drop the kids off before I exercise - on gym days I go straight from dropping kids off to the gym without going home first. 

 

I don't normally need to get out of the car to drop the kids off, but if I was walking them to school I'd still be in my workout clothes.

[goldberry]

I see two different forms of this.  Yoga pants (not super tight, most are boot cut shape, not skinny shape) with t-shirts or hoodies.  I think that's a great look.  If I had a decent booty I would wear them.  Unfortunately, I have no booty and yoga pants look awful on me.

 

Second form, tight spandex pants, capris or shorts, with sports-bra type tops.  Don't like that and think it is inappropriate for grocery shopping or whatever.  That is what I wear to work out, but I wear a tshirt or sweatpants over if I have to go somewhere on the way.

 

 

[wapiti]

Wow! Never seen someone wearing fleece pants covered with a cartoon character, ratty at the bottom from being a little long and paired with flip-flops? Not really missing anything, though.

 

Most likely, I simply don't notice LOL.  I'm not the most observant person when it comes to fashion.  The only time I notice is when I see older (i.e. my age) fashionable ladies in the grocery wearing high-heeled boots, hairspray and makeup and I feel like a total slacker in sneakers, pony and possibly some under-eye concealer.

[bettyandbob]

My yoga pants are loose fitting, revealing less than some jean styles. I wear them for fitness walks outdoors in fall and spring. And I wear them running errands or doing house stuff.

 

I often pick up or drop off before or after going to the gym. When that happens I may be in shorts or tights with a long shirt.

 

I work at a rec center so sometimes workout gear is my go to work attire.

 

If i were planning to go into school and actually talk to teachers or administrators I would wear other clothing. Ordinary conversation to work on a club or science fair might have me in jeans. An IEP meeting would find me in business attire (skirt or tailored dress, I used to be an attorney)

 

I know how to dress. I dress to meet the needs of each activity I need to attend.

 

ETA tonight I will go to my son's dance class wearing those loose fitting yoga pants. I hope to sit on the side and read, but I may need to get up and help ds because he has intellectual disabilities. I think my workout clothing is appropriate for both activities.

Edited October 12, 2016 by Diana P.

[skimomma]

I really cannot understand why anyone cares about what someone else is wearing.  As long as it is safe and hygienic, on what possible grounds would one have to care?!?  Sheesh.

[almondbutterandjelly]

In defense of yoga pants... my sixteen year old has scoliosis and wears a large plastic back brace.  She is only allowed to wear leggings or gasp yoga pants under her brace.  So if you see her in public, you can get all judgey if you want.  I promise you she would love to be able to throw on pants.  

[prairiewindmomma]

There have been published studies in the Journal of Infection Control.  They swabbed scrubs and cultured out what was there.  I realize that we can pick up MRSA at the gym or off of shopping carts, but the range and intensity of exposure of multi-drug resistant bacteria in a healthcare setting is much higher.

 

IMO, outside clothing and purses should be kept in lockers, you change into scrubs at work, and you leave your work shoes and scrubs at work. Your shoes can be wiped down with an antibacterial wipe, and your scrubs can go in to industrial laundry.

 

 

[maize]

I dress for comfort!

 

For me that is usually a maxi skirt and comfortable top, if I were more comfortable in yoga pants that is what I would wear.

 

I'm not too worried about the opinions of other moms at school drop off, and since I'm not a working professional I have no need to present myself as such.

Edited October 12, 2016 by maize

[Julie Smith]

Both my son and daughter wear scrubs for work and aren't involved with direct medical work.  One works in a pharmacy and the other works in reception at a medical clinic.  So are many others.  At my coumadin clinic, all the support staff wear scrubs and no one there is even sick.  Scrubs don't necessarily mean germs at all.  Also, there are lots of doctor offices that have nothing to do with germs- allergist, neurologist, cardiologist, etc, etc.

 

Everyone at my sons orthodontist wears scrubs. Even the front office staff. 

[JustEm]

I wear yoga pants and a T-shirt or workout shirt pretty much all week. I see absolutely no reason to wear multiple outfits a day. That creates more laundry for me, makes it more likely I'm going to stain my nicer clothes while enjoying my coffee, and I'm usually cleaning and running around all day before I actually get to my workout so why dirty other clothes when my workout clothes actually need to get dirty that day.

 

Plus, I don't need to leave anything to the imagination. The only person who I care about looking at me in that way is my dh. If someone else chooses to, that is no concern of mine. I like walking into dh's work to drop my kids off for kung fu knowing he will at some point look at me in my workout clothes and be eager to get them off me later that night(although by then I'm no longer in them because I've worked out and showered.) He can just as easily think that about me in jeans but my ads looks good in yoga pants so it's a nicer view for him. Oh and they are far more comfortable than jeans. Life is too short to be uncomfortable just dropping your kids off at school.

[Guest]

Yoga pants are the homeschool mom uniform in this area, so I wondered how this thread would go over on a homeschool board.

 

I'll take yoga pants over denim jumpers any day. :lol:

Maybe this is why I'm bothered by it? The homeschool moms I spent 10 years of my life with all dressed nice. I don't think I ever saw workout attire at a HS function. But, in the new world I'm hanging out in, all the moms are doing it.

[JustEm]

Maybe this is why I'm bothered by it? The homeschool moms I spent 10 years of my life with all dressed nice. I don't think I ever saw workout attire at a HS function. But, in the new world I'm hanging out in, all the moms are doing it.

I don't wear workout clothes to events, whether homeschool or not, but dropping kids off at school and grocery shopping are not events. They are errands to run. A homeschool co-op day in which I have to do something, I get dressed in jeans and a nice shirt. But if it is a co-op day where I simply have to sit around waiting for the kids to be done im in yoga pants most likely because I inevitably end up running with my youngest 2 in the woods or at a playground. I don't have to worry about getting yoga pants dirty so I can play with my kids however I want. And we like being wild which usually means dirt.

[AnnE-girl]

I really wish I could wear workout clothes until I have a chance to work out during the week. Unfortunately, sports bras worn any longer than my actual workout lead quickly to clogged milk ducts while I'm nursing

[JustEm]

I really wish I could wear workout clothes until I have a chance to work out during the week. Unfortunately, sports bras worn any longer than my actual workout lead quickly to clogged milk ducts while I'm nursing

I keep the sports bra in my car!

[BlsdMama]

Judge away -- I'm sure we all have little things that bug us.

That said, I'm currently sitting in Starbucks wearing casual yoga pants, sneakers and a t-shirt. And I feel like I actually made an effort this morning...

Leggings, tunic, and my husband's socks.....  I'm not in a position to judge this morning either.  Catch me tomorrow when I might have to leave my house.  :P

[AnnE-girl]

I keep the sports bra in my car!

I might have to try that. I feel weird wearing a regular (nursing) bra under workout shirts. It feels more revealing somehow. My own odd hang up to get over.

[Guest]

Judge away -- I'm sure we all have little things that bug us.

That said, I'm currently sitting in Starbucks wearing casual yoga pants, sneakers and a t-shirt. And I feel like I actually made an effort this morning...

That's pretty much what I wear every day! It has to be something really worth it anymore for me to wear jeans during the day.

[trulycrabby]

I often wear tight, full length yoga pants, but then put a long sleeved, flow-y tunic over it. The tunic comes to below mid-thigh, so everything is covered. My yoga top is underneath the tunic, so I just pull off the tunic and am ready for exercise.

[gardenmom5]

are they 'brand' name workout clothes?  (re: 'see-through', when they're stretched-out,  lululemon) some women need to justify their cost by being "seen" in them.  some are on their way to working out, and so it's actually practical.   I've had days I put workout clothes (with a shirt/jacket on top of my tank) on first as a reminder I NEED to do yoga!  ^{(and I"m not allowed to get 'dressed' until I do.)}

 

don't mock pjs. . . . . for dd's grad school induction ceremony, the students were required to wear business dress.  one professor commented how nice that was, becasue she expected to be seeing lots of pjs starting the next day (2ds has worn pjs to class) . .  . . I don't think dd ever wore pjs, but days she didn't work after class, she was very casual.  

[Greta]

Sadly it will never be me. Once I sweat in those synthetic fibers, they will ever after release an unpleasant smell when my body heat rewarms them. Not horrible, no big deal if I'm in the middle of getting sweat again, but not something I can wear casually in public. With those banished from my casual wardrobe I fall back on t-shirts and jeans, probably someone else's bugaboo.

 

I have the same experience.  And I just really don't like the feeling of being in workout clothes during times when I'm not working out.  If my workout is done, then I'm certainly not going to stay in those clothes (I sweat buckets when I workout!), and though its not logical, just emotional, if it's hours in the future I simply prefer the feeling of natural fiber clothing until then. 

 

 

Both my son and daughter wear scrubs for work and aren't involved with direct medical work.  One works in a pharmacy and the other works in reception at a medical clinic.  So are many others.  At my coumadin clinic, all the support staff wear scrubs and no one there is even sick.  Scrubs don't necessarily mean germs at all.  Also, there are lots of doctor offices that have nothing to do with germs- allergist, neurologist, cardiologist, etc, etc.

 

 

This is a good point, and I have thought of this.  It's just that when I see someone in scrubs in public, I have no way of knowing if they were at the neurologist's office all day, or at urgent care dealing with flu patients.  So I give them a wide berth just in case!   :D

Edited October 12, 2016 by Greta

[Desert Strawberry]

I'm not sure what would be more appropriate for crawling on the floor with a toddler, washing dishes, walking the dogs, playing at the playground, and scrubbing toilets. I alternate between active wear and casual sundresses. Sometimes I even throw on a clean pair of fleece pj pants. 

 

I think of active wear as the appropriate clothing for basic mom life activities. I'm talking about sweats or yoga pants, t shirts, tank top, or hoodie, running shoes. Sloppy? Yes, possibly. But appropriate for the dirty work of running a home.

 

[Selkie]

Huh, it never would have occurred to me to be upset about this.  I've always thought that being able to wear yoga pants all day is one of the greatest perks of being a stay at home/work at home mom.  :001_smile:

[Guest]

I'm not sure what would be more appropriate for crawling on the floor with a toddler, washing dishes, walking the dogs, playing at the playground, and scrubbing toilets. I alternate between active wear and casual sundresses. Sometimes I even throw on a clean pair of fleece pj pants.

 

I think of active wear as the appropriate clothing for basic mom life activities. I'm talking about sweats or yoga pants, t shirts, tank top, or hoodie, running shoes. Sloppy? Yes, possibly. But appropriate for the dirty work of running a home.

Hmm, I have 5 kids, run a house, etc., all in jeans and a cute top. I'll throw on an apron if I'm doing something messy. And, I promise, I'm not uncomfortable.

[Guest]

Huh, it never would have occurred to me to be upset about this. I've always thought that being able to wear yoga pants all day is one of the greatest perks of being a stay at home/work at home mom. :001_smile:

Upset and perplexed are two different things.

[Tangerine]

 

 

http://tosh.cc.com/blog/files/2016/09/yogapants.jpg

[JustEm]

Hmm, I have 5 kids, run a house, etc., all in jeans and a cute top. I'll throw on an apron if I'm doing something messy. And, I promise, I'm not uncomfortable.

But your comfort level differs from other people. I would never scrub floors in jeans and a cute top. That seems uncomfortable and completely ridiculous to me. But I'm not going to judge you for doing it because that is your preference. Why do you feel the need to judge other people's outfits? What is the point? How does it effect your life at all?

[MysteryJen]

are they 'brand' name workout clothes?  (re: 'see-through', when they're stretched-out,  lululemon) some women need to justify their cost by being "seen" in them.  some are on their way to working out, and so it's actually practical.   I've had days I put workout clothes (with a shirt/jacket on top of my tank) on first as a reminder I NEED to do yoga!  ^{(and I"m not allowed to get 'dressed' until I do.)}

 

Around here, everyone wears workout clothes all. the.time. Unless they go to job in an office, which seems to be the minority sort of work around here in the land of telecommunting or start-ups or internet based free lance work. And lululemon is the store of choice. I can sort of see wearing the leggings all the time if you spent $100 dollars for them. Which is usually more than my entire outfit, sometimes even including shoes.

Also, most of these ladies are very, very fit and really do look very impressive in their extremely expensive yoga attire. I wear jeans, t-shirt or nice top, or sweater and a some sort of jacket when its cold. Many people I have met in the last few years have commented that I must work because I "dress up" every day.  :lol:

I would never wear athletic wear along side this group. It would look like a before and after picture.

[Tangerine]

Hmm, I have 5 kids, run a house, etc., all in jeans and a cute top. I'll throw on an apron if I'm doing something messy. And, I promise, I'm not uncomfortable.

Cute to you. As a hoodie might be cute to the person wearing it. Jeans aren't uncomfortable to you. But I imagine they are to people with different bodies, or sensory tolerances. Ain't choices beautiful? Each person can wear what makes them feel good and cute and comfortable.