PJs in public?

When I wake up in the morning, I am excited to get dressed. As I scrub my hair in the shower and apply my makeup, I think about what I am going to wear. Most days, with the exception of the occasional fat day or the more frequent oh-my-God-I-have-nothing-to-wear day, I look forward to shedding my pajamas and getting ready to face the world looking my best (or at least looking decent).\nSadly, this is not true for everyone. Every day, I see more and more people wearing their pajamas in public, be it in class, in the grocery store or in the library. The trend is more popular than UGGs in August. It seems that all over Bloomington, guys and gals are simply rolling out of bed, putting on new pajamas and heading out to greet the day.\nI just don’t understand this phenomenon. OK, I understand the desire to be comfortable and warm as the mercury drops, but I can’t figure out why anyone would want to go out in public wearing pajamas. I would feel under-dressed and, frankly, disrespectful to the people around me.\nMaybe it’s because I like to look decent when I leave the house, or maybe it’s because my parents never let me wear my pajamas outside the house as a youngster. I don’t know. I just know that I think wearing your flannel pants and hoodie to class is not only ugly, but disrespectful to your peers. The least you could do is not look like you just rolled out of bed and happened to come to class. Your professor and classmates have taken the time to look nice, and you should, too! If you want people to take you seriously, pajamas are not the way to go.\nIt isn’t just at IU that this pajama trend is running rampant. People all over the country are wearing their pajamas like acceptable casual clothing, and I find it sad. Are we really getting so lazy as a society that we cannot bear to wear a pair of jeans and a T-shirt all day? Are we really so uncreative that we just pick up the first rumpled thing from the floor and throw it on to face the day? Or are Americans just getting too obese for anything but elastic-waist sweatpants and oversize sweatshirts?\nI believe that there is nothing a pair of flannel pants can do that jeans can’t. Jeans can be very comfortable and definitely look better than pajama pants. I would rather see someone walking around campus in the most faded, ripped-up pair of jeans than the nicest pair of pajama pants. \nInstead of pajamas, why not try a pair of jeans and a T-shirt? A pair of looser-fitting boyfriend-style jeans can be both flattering and comfortable. And a nice, soft American Apparel T-shirt feels great under a zip-hoodie or cardigan sweater. It will feel like your pajamas, but you will look good as well. \nWhen you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, everyone can tell.