Pajamas in public...

[LizzieMaine]

One of the interesting things I've noticed about class distinction in clothing is that when I was growing up working-class, great, great store was laid on wearing the proper clothing for the proper occasion. You might wear grimy overalls at your job, but you wouldn't think of going out in the street wearing them, because you didn't want to give a bad impression of yourself. It was very important for kids to wear clean, neat clothing to school -- which you would change out of instantly on getting home because you had "school clothes" and "play clothes," and wearing your play clothes to school was absolutely verboten. Working class folk tended to put great store in these rules, more so in fact than the middle-class: a lot of the middle class kids I knew thought it was funny that I changed my clothes every afternoon, but they didn't understand that the good clothes had to last the whole year and running around playing in the street with them on was wasteful.

I think it's a sign of how demoralized the working class has become in modern times that nobody seems to care anymore -- wearing good clothes and trying to make a good impression doesn't seem to get you respect from the culture anymore, so to hell with it. Bring on the Dr. Dentons and the sweatpants.

 

[Edward]

My experience growing up in the UK was a little different in that we had school uniform until the age of eighteen (I'm a big supporter of school uniform, and I was even back then, if for different reasons perhaps). Outside of that, though, the big thing I noticed was that it was generally the kids from homes where you knew there wasn't a lot of money coming in who just had to have the big brands and who noticed that a whole lot more than those of us from somewhat more comfortable, middle-class homes who were, on balance, the more likely to turn against the brand culture. I don't know what it would have been like if we'd been given free run at school as the norm. I know on the rare non-uniform days we had (usually the last day before Christmas and very occasionally the last day of the school year), there were quite a few kids who would dread coming in as they didn't fit with the fashionable set. Then there were those of us who took a perverse pride in not fitting in....

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Cumberland Conty, NJ -- most depressed county in NJ. The big job there is the glass factory. If you are lucky -- DOC, but you had to know someone to get into that.

I often see people who are in a 1978 time warp -- the mullets, the car, the classic rock blaring from the radio, even the same clothing. I've seen dirty and ripped clothing both at work in the factory and outside in the shops. No one cared. I remember one forklift driver had a flannel jacket so badly torn I often wondered why he even bothered!

Of course, MOST people in CumbCo (even the 1978 time warp people!) were clean and presentable. Even in the factory. It just wasn't unusual to see a dirty person walking around in public just getting done the night shift.

 

[kamikat]

Depends on where you are. In a college town one might see pajamas on the street every day as normal. Here, where the median age is 46, it's very rare and likely to be commented on when it is seen, even by "non-vintage-oriented" people. I've never, in six years of standing by the door, seen a patron come to a movie in pajamas, but it's not at all rare to see people coming to shows in sport coats and button-down shirts, or sweaters and skirts. People attend some of our concerts in evening clothes.

In my middle class suburban neighborhood, it's not unusual to see pajamas in the grocery store or Starbucks, worn on people of all ages.

 

[MisterCairo]

what about the homeless? They sleep on the streets don't they?

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[MisterCairo]

Not wearing pyjamas outside during the day is now considered a "vintage" affectation?! Consider me "affected" then!

Clap Clap Pompidou

I've got better things to worry about than if someone has pajamas on, too. I could care less. As you said -- it is the 2010s. Vintage culture is the minority and NOTHING will make it dominant again, barring some huge cultural backlash. I never understood the whole looking "different" and then complaining about it. If someone side-eyes my vintage looks I usually think it's funny. My self-esteem does not depend on anyone else but myself. Took me 36 years to get here, but here I am and I love it. Truly liberating!

 

[Feraud]

Homeless people have enough dignity to not wear pajamas on the street.
That's gotta tell you something.

 

[Kabel]

I have discussed this with my girl and a few other people. The conclusion is that this pajama wearing in public is more of an American thing.
Not that that goes for the full 100% of the American population, but I haven't seen this phenomenon here in the Netherlands (yet…).

*edit*

Also it has not been in any popular news/gossip. Maybe the odd celeb, but not as a fashion.

 

[Edward]

Homeless people have enough dignity to not wear pajamas on the street.
That's gotta tell you something.

Dignity has nothing to do with it. Homeless folks to whom I have spoken count themselves fortunate if what they wear is clean, dry and warm.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Not wearing pyjamas outside during the day is now considered a "vintage" affectation?! Consider me "affected" then!

I had to look this up because it didn't make sense to me. I assume you mean this:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=affectation

Yes -- I'm affected, too, to anyone who side-eyes me lol lol lol I don't wear vintage all the time, though, but I NEVER wear PJs outside of my front door!! lol

 

[sheeplady]

I have to ask, what types of jobs let you wear PJs to them? I can't think of an entire job type that would allow that on a regular basis, unless you work at home. Most places I can think of have uniforms, dress codes, or safety regulations that would prohibit them. If wearing pajamas really is so popular in some parts of the country, it can't just be people wearing them on the weekends or outside of work, unless they run home to change or they are not working?

I have lived in college towns for my entire adult life (although where I live isn't a college town, there are several colleges and two universities) and I've only seen PJs worn a couple of times- twice actually- on college campuses. It must be too cold here or something.

If I had a choice as a homeless person between a pair of PJs and jeans, I'd choose the jeans because they're likely to be warmer. That and people give away used clothes all the time, but I've rarely seen people give away used sleepwear. Jeans are a lot tougher for street life and likely to last longer and look cleaner longer.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The question that keeps coming to my mind is "do these supposed masses of people who wear pajamas outside wear underwear with them?" Because if they don't, that crosses the line from "poor fashion choice" to "just plain disgusting."

 

[Pompidou]

The question that keeps coming to my mind is "do these supposed masses of people who wear pajamas outside wear underwear with them?" Because if they don't, that crosses the line from "poor fashion choice" to "just plain disgusting."

I imagine the population of pajama people and traditional people who wear underwear is about the same. It's not entirely uncommon not to bother with underwear. Some do it on principle, others, because laundry is behind. Some girls don't bother because it'd look funny under the skirt. I don't worry about it. There's more to make you sick thinking about what you might have touched in a handshake, I think.

 

[PoohBang]

I'm really surprised so many people are really bothered by what other people wear... especially here.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm really suprised by people who are surprised by people discussing what other people wear on a forum devoted largely to clothing.

 

[Feraud]

Tell me about it. It's walking into a biker bar and whining because everyone talks Harley Davidsons..

 

[Flicka]

I just hope people don't sleep in the same pajamas they wear outside. The idea of wearing anything in bed that I've worn about town, sitting in pblic seats, dragging along sleety streets, just seems terribly unhygenic to me. Plus coming home and changing into PJs before snuggling up sort of helps me put the day behind me and seperate the work/public me from the private me. Helps me sleep, actually.

So I wouldn't, aesthetics and propriety aside.

 

[Pompidou]

Seems to me, it's the idea of separating the day into outfits that's died. I mentioned morning and evening dress, Lizzie mentioned school and play clothes, work and out clothes, Flicka, day and night clothes. Seems to me, as time goes on, we simply subdivide less and less. Many visions of the future feature a population of a single outfit that suits all purposes. Maybe they were right? Some hybrid of Lady Gaga catwalk, high fashion, and pajamas, and you'd nail the costume of half the sci-fi movies of the golden era that I can think of. Maybe TFL has it all wrong? It's not a regression to barbarism, it's the way to the future! It is 2012, after all. All we need are hover cars and all-in-one meal pills - ray guns...

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I don't really care what people wear. It just surprises me that they don't. I mean, nobody in my family would leave the house in pajamas, unless it was an emergency and they are certainly not vintage.

To me, this isn't a vintage vs. modern thing. It's just a surprise, maybe because it's just getting to the point of being somewhat commonplace in my neck of the woods. The midwest isn't known for being leaders if modern fashion lol I always hear this talk about people missing wearing suits and dresses and being classy, but it's like they can't help but fall into the pajamas all day style, because it's so easy. The easy way isn't always the right way.

 

[Chasseur]

I've taught at several US universities and it seems to be somewhat of a "fad" on the US mainland, particularly on mid-west and east coast campuses. I used to teach at one college on the East Coast and in the middle of winter, with snow on the ground, students would come to class in their PJ's and some in their bunny slippers (yes, through the snow...). Bye-the-bye, I do mean PJs not sweatpants.

In contrast, here in Hawaii while we are much more casual in general than the mainland, student do not wear PJs to class. They wear standard casual wear, T-shirts, shorts and slippers (though I have to say no one here except me wears pajamas anyways…). I can completely understand why people would wear casual clothes to class (shorts, t-shirts, sweatpants, etc.), but the PJs and bunny slipper thing in the middle of winter rather eludes me…

In comparison, I've lectured at universities in other countries (in Europe and Asia) and I've never seen a student in PJs in class.