I truly hope not….
I love my leggings and wear them everywhere…
Yes, this is going to be a rant! For the love of all that’s holy, could we just stop wearing exercise clothing everywhere we go… Yes, this woman is outside, on top of a building doing her yoga…and that is fine! I can only hope she lives in this building and puts some clothing on before she goes out in public.
Recently my daughter and I were running errands and everywhere we went that day we saw women/girls in workout clothes. I use the term loosely as in my opinion, they are not really clothes. We went to a nice department store, a grocery store, and a fairly upscale restaurant. Every place we went that day we ran into women in exercise outfits.
I walk every day. I wear these outfits. I don’t go anywhere in them except to walk to and from my house. Several times I have needed to go to the grocery store and think to myself…just this once. But I can’t do it. I run upstairs and put my jeans or capris on and out I go. Why can’t I do this? Maybe it’s my age and the fact I was raised to have respect for myself and others… My daughters are the same way though, so I guess it can’t just be my age. My youngest is a yoga teacher and she does go to the store after yoga, but she wears a jacket or top that covers her little tiny tank thing. This is what bothers me the most I think. The fact that not only do these people wear active wear, it is hardly covering any part of their body. And you are in a public place, you are in a restaurant….
“Dressing well is a form of good manners.” ~ Tom Ford
The stores are not helping the situation…once only a small section, is now a whole department full of various leggings, tops and tanks. Some times that section has more in it than the regular clothing section…and while it used to be in the back, it is now front and center. And it is filled with women dressed in the outfits, frantically looking for more outfits. I just look at them and wonder what makes someone put this on, look in the mirror and say, “Damn I look good, I’m going out to dinner!”
I know I may get some flack on this, but I don’t care. If you look good in your exercise outfit, then good for you! I’m happy for you! Wear it at the gym, wear it on your hike, even wear it to Starbucks for coffee with your workout friends afterward…but don’t wear it to a nice restaurant. If for some unknown reason…say you had a flood and all that’s left of your wardrobe is workout stuff, ok then wear it, but for heavens sake wear a jacket over your skimpy damn top!
There are many articles out there about why we wear what we wear. What the philosophy behind each outfit we wear is telling the world…. But what does wearing a teeny tiny top above the navel(when clearly you don’t have the body for it) and tight and I mean tight leggings mean? What are they trying to say? What message are they putting out there? Ok, I get the whole non body shaming thing…. yes its wonderful they love their body enough to do this…but I’m not even talking about weight here…I’m talking about women with huge breasts that are falling out the sides of the teeny tiny tanks.
“Dress how you want to be addressed.” ~ Bianca Frazier
Have we lost all respect for others or ourselves? Do we not care about the image we are putting out there? And it’s one thing for us to do it. But do we even think about the young girls growing up in todays world? Do we even think about the image we are projecting… telling these girls it is ok to look like this in public. Every now and then I have to tell my 11 year old grand daughter that her outfit is not acceptable if she wants to go away with me. And I went to lunch with my 7 year old grandson recently on Grandparents Day at his school and I was horrified to see what 5 year old girls were wearing to school! Most of it was totally inappropriate workout tops… Did these kids pick out the outfits or do they have mothers who are wearing them and think its fine for a 5 year old to dress this way?
I guess by now(if you are even still reading this) you are thinking I am just an old fuddy duddy… well, I’m done my rant now and I’m sorry if I offended anyone…..Hey, you know what, no I’m not sorry! Everyone is offended these days by something. I’m offended by the woman wearing leggings and a tank top to the restaurant I am paying good money to eat in and…I have to look at her boobs hanging out the entire time. Because she is right smack dab in front of me and I just can’t unsee that..So no I’m not sorry….
I will leave you with this one thought…if we are what we wear…what does that say about us…
“You should dress the way you want the world to treat you.” ~ Stacy London
I don’t care how small you are… I do hate those nasty little yoga shorts! I don’t mind yoga pants or leggings…..but for all that is holy please wear a top long enough to cover your bum and your crotch.
YES! Thank you…
Good one.!
Thanks Shelly!
I am with you Renee! I have seen the bumper sticker,’So many yoga pants so little yoga classes’. A friend’s Mother recently died and it was a full Catholic mass and you guessed it, some women showed up in their exercise clothes.
Oh my, Haralee…that is just so wrong! I really just can’t even…
Not just exercise clothes, but pajamas. Or items that look like pajamas. I’m grateful we can wear casual clothes in public but you are so right-there’s a limit.
Alana, I agree with the pajamas thing…people just don’t care…
Every time I see someone out in public in exercise clothes I assume they are just stopping to do an errand on the way home from the gym, which I can relate to from the days when I had kids and my time away was limited. But now that you mention it, I wonder how many people just dress that way without having gone to the gym.
It does make you wonder….they aren’t at the gym constantly…at least the ones I see aren’t…
I have to say that I agree. After the gym, I always feel uncomfortable if I have to stop at the grocery store! and I am NOT wearing just a sports bra… Also, we have just simply quit dressing for special occasions! When my husband and I went to the local high school graduation a couple of years ago, not only were people in jeans, many were in shorts. Now, it was outside, and yes, this is Alabama and its hot in June, but still…. I think I was the only woman there in a dress.
🙂 gwingal
I so agree with you Nikki! It makes me sad…it is like everyone just stopped caring…Thank you for commenting!
I can’t tell you how much I agree with this! It all comes down to modesty and respecting yourself. There are several pictures online called Wal-Monsters. The people who shop in Wal-Mart and what they are wearing. It would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic. You definitely are what you wear.
Thank you Diane! I’ve seen the Wal mart people…it is sad that people just don’t care what they look like or the image they project…
For some men a clean Tee shirt or beater constitutes a classy wardrobe. We have become such a casual society that anything goes out in public. Manners as well have taken a back seat as many people are totally absorbed in themselves or their social media avatars. Common sense is not that common anymore. Three cheers for fuddy duddies.
True Andy…I think you are right, it all goes hand in hand, manners, common sense and decency…Thanks fuddy duddy!
The reason workout attire in public has become so common place is that celebrities model it and the fans follow. You start seeing other women doing this and say to yourself, Hey, I guess it’s okay. Then the mode of dress gets “accepted” as normal. Once upon a time, sweatpants were only worn to the gym. I also make it a personal policy not to go out in yoga clothes, but it doesn’t bother me if others do so.
It only bothers me that it just seems like people don’t care…they don’t care how they look and that bothers me…guess my age is showing…Thanks for commenting Evelyn!
Love your “rant” and I totally agree! The over-flowing tops that I see way too often are most offensive to me. “Dress as you want to be addressed” is a quote I’ll give back to my granddaughter.
Thank you Cheri! And yes, we need to be the voice of reason and let our kids know this is not OK!
Oh my….don’t get me started on the breasts in my face everywhere I go. Even if I had them (haha), I wouldn’t flaunt them. Once in awhile we zip into Giant to pick up something after the gym, but at 6:00 am, not many people see us. And I wear tops that cover me!
And I’m sure you look very appropriate when you are in the grocery store, Peg..unlike the ones I see…
I like the leggings with a dress or a tunic over them, but not as a substitute for pants! And they are OK to hang out in at home ( and in my case, I’m really hanging out! 😀 ) I like to see little kids dressing like kids, not adults. I must be getting old!
I totally agree with you Vicki! Thanks!
I agree, it is about self-respect. Do you identify simply as your cute body or are you more than that? That said, my only complaint about leggings is that they usually don’t have pockets. They are comfortable, pretty and appropriate almost everywhere when worn the right way. My daughter and I have worn them under dresses in winter and with flowy tops year-round.
I have a quote on my Pinterest board: :”Dress like you’re going to see your worst enemy” or something like that. Love it. Goes along with your quote “Dress the way you want the world to treat you.” And I loved the post!
Thank you linda! I agree, I have also worn them under dresses or long tops…but the teeny tiny tanks bother me… and I almost used that quote…”Dress like you are going to see your worst enemy.” Thanks again…