User Post: When Did Yoga Pants Become the New Jean?

As I walked through the mall recently I realized one thing...anyone selling yoga pants is making a killing these days. Window displays filled with chic blazers, tailored skirts, ankle boots and textured tights lined the mall, while yoga pant clad gals walked on by. Hmmm...now I know some of these girls may have come from the gym or were in fact on their way to yoga or pilates, but the other 98% of them were wearing yoga pants as a substitute for an outfit. When did sweatpants become socially acceptable? To further my point, I also see yoga pants wearing students at bus stops, college campuses and even restaurants. Honestly? Restaurants? People are now wearing lounge wear out to eat?

Listen, I am all for comfort, but a great fitting pair of jeans is just as comfortable as a pair of yoga pants...so what is the appeal of wearing black stretchy-jersey pants with a fold over printed waistband?? I would love to know? I hear the argument "well yoga pants are quick and easy to throw on"...unless yoga pants walk themselves over to you and dress themselves on you then they are no quicker to "throw" on than denim or any other pants out there. You have two legs, that go into two leg holes, the process is the same for any pants, yoga or no yoga.

I am bringing this up because I feel as a society we have gotten a little sloppy with our fashions. We have let sweatpant wearing mothers get away with the excuse their kids consume their time so they "don't even have one minute to dress nice or do their hair". Teens get away the excuse classes start so early so they literally attend classes looking as if they rolled right out of bed. I guess I just don't understand when the sloppiness began? I got up and dressed in the morning as did 99% of classmates...yes even in college and that was less than 5 years ago. On the weekends I wear jeans or cute cargos, still casual and comfortable..but not yoga pants. Are we that busy that we can't stop to take an extra three minutes to put an outfit together that is presentable?

I encourage you to think about what you wear on daily basis...and if you are in the minority like me who does get dressed I applaud you, if you are in the majority who wears lounge wear while not lounging, I would love to hear your reasons?