I wonder sometimes if my wardrobe habits are atypical. I have casual clothes, jeans, t-shirts and such that I can wear out and about. I have more professional clothes from the days when I had a professional job. I even have a few fancier items for the rare occasion when I have something like a wedding to attend. But every moment I'm not out in public or staying at someone's house I'm in pajamas. I don't wear them to bed but rather they are my house attire.
They're just so darn comfortable what with the soft fabrics and such. I have summer and winter weight materials and some stuff between for all those spring and fall days. I have a variety of colors and patterns to fit various moods. While I used to spend a whole lot less time in them back in the days I was employed, I find that I'm wearing them most of the time these days. Part of me would like to blame the amount of time I spend in my pj on the amount of time I spend in pain but the truth is that even if I was feeling great all the time, I would still spend all my at home time in my pjs, work out clothes and the like. I simply like to maximize my comfort at all times, and time at home is time to be spent in the most comfortable clothes around.
I don't really feel guilty or bad in any way about my comfy wardrobe but I do wonder if I'm in the minority here. I know there may be a generational component at work. My grandparents would never wear their pajamas for anything but sleeping. They spent all of their time not only dressed, but dressed in slacks, blouses, shoes, jewelry - the whole nines, all the time. Even when they were retired and at home most of the day. My parents are generally dressed all the time. Weekends are for jeans and other less formal attire, and pajamas are worn when they are sick or going to bed. But my sister, my husband and me all spend most of our at home time in the comfort of pajamas or work out clothes. I think it's clear that over the past several generations people have become less and less formal. I guess the question is, am I less formal than my peers?
I wouldn't go anywhere in public dressed like I do at home - the line must be drawn somewhere right? But I have seen others at the store in what are clearly pajama bottoms but I just wouldn't feel right about that. I even put my jeans on to walk our dog. So that must be the generation behind me...
I find myself making observations like on TV. The people on Y&R (the soap I watch) are always really dressed up, even at home but I don't think that is an accurate reflection of how most people live these days. Sitcoms and drams seem to reflect people mostly wearing regular casual clothes and occasionally in something more on the side of sweats and tank tops. But it's hard to know how accurate that is because most of the time they are showing situations that are not very realistic. Like Friends, How I Met Your Mother or Seinfeld, I've never known any adult who spends that much time with their friends. A fairly sizable primary group of friends who are together so much they always have access to their friend's place. Does anyone really live like that?
Sometimes I think that maybe I would be dressed more often if I had kids and more people were coming and going from our house. Right now, living so far away from family and friends, it is easy to know when I get up in the morning that nobody will be stopping by. I know if I'll be going out in public and plan accordingly. The people my age who have kids are, for the most part, dressed all day. But then again their days are much busier, driving kids to activities or friend's houses. The kids are so busy, which keeps the parents busy and dressed.
How about you all? Do you, or did you used to, stay dressed all day, even when you are just home? Do you think I'm in the minority here?
