Yoga pants as casual wear.

Frogmella

I was looking at Angie's advice (from a while ago) for stay-at-home moms and it brought this question to mind. In Toronto, it seems to me that most SAHM's wear yoga pants to go to the coffee shop, take the baby for a walk, pick up groceries. My husband hates it. I have been mostly OK with it until I recently saw a trio of school girls in their yoga pants. One of them had pants on so thin it was vulgar. It seemed very inappropriate to me but their Moms dress this way.

What do you think YFLers?

13 years ago

Dressing

19 replies

Latest reply was from schimiggy

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Just say NO
Keep the gym clothes at the gym, and wear casual clothes for casual wear.

13 years ago

Aunty

Veteran

Yuck, I hate to see those very thin fabrics in yoga pants or leggings. Underwear should be private.
I vote not appropriate for going out.

13 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

I'm to the point where I think I have to choose my battles. My 18 y.o. wants Lululemon yoga pants which are probably the nicest yoga pants in existence and not thin. She has also slipped out of the house in very thin leggings and not enough to her behind and completely appalled me upon her return. I would choose Lululemons any day, but since she doesn't keep track or take care of her clothing, she will have to buy them for herself and not me.

As for yoga pants as casual wear? They are probably more flattering than what I wear to walk around the track, but I would only wear that kind of thing *out* if it were before or after exercise. That being said, they are much, much better than old-fashioned sweatpants, and I would much rather see yoga pants out and about than baggy gray sweats! However, I am not the Fashionista Police except around my own daughter, and that will only last a few more months.

13 years ago

Meredith1953

Veteran

I have some champion fold over yoga pants that are pretty thick in black. Occasionally I will wear them running errands but ALWAYS with a shirt, sweater or jacket to cover the rear end so I have to plead guilty!

13 years ago

MsMary

Veteran

If "yoga pants" is a generic name for black knit athletic pants, then I have been guilty of wearing my (completely opaque and reasonably heavy weight) yoga pants to the grocery store or dry cleaners on my way home from the gym. But I would never put them on intentionally to go anywhere but to work out.

13 years ago

christieanne

Veteran

I have read that Costco version of Lulemon workout wear is a less expensive, good quality substitute. I would agree with MaryK - wear out of house only if objective is walking/running/work out and a brief stop is ok.

Makes me think about what we wore "back in the day" before spandex and lycra. My friends and I would not have been caught wearing our gym clothes out of gym class - it was so unfashionable in my time. Feeling like my mom as I type this

13 years ago

AndiB

Veteran

I'm with MaryK! I'll don yoga pants - heavier weight, boot cut, actually as flattering as any jeans I own - to walk the dog or run an errand. but not lightweight, clingy pants. and they are my "go to" attire upon arriving home after a long day at work. My teen age daughters do have those VS yoga pants, but I find those to be pretty heavy weight and they provide excellent coverage. Just young for me (and perhaps a bit tighter than the yoga pants I buy (some good brands I've found are Calvin Klein, Nike and then some of the traditional yoga names. TJ Maxx has a very good selection typically.

13 years ago

Sarah A

Veteran

I am in the SAHM mom crew and am definately not doing yoga pants anywhere, not to the gym, not to the store, not at home. it would just feel like giving up on being put together to me. i feel better about myself when i feel l look nice. besides, most of my jeans are just as comfy as yoga pants (thank you stretch fabrics!) and realistically the gym is the only place i have enough time to take a shower so i am never running out afterward in my workout clothes still (thank goodness for drop in childcare!). i get quite warm when exercising so i dont really care for long pants for indoor workouts and if i am running outside the big legs flop around so i prefer some good old fashioned running tights, which absolutely dont cross into the "could maybe be casual wear" category!

13 years ago

dottie

Active Member

I live in an area with universities, and this is absolutely the norm for university women. Lululemon is definitely a great quality yoga pant (I've also heard good things about One Tooth yoga pants), and I would consider wearing this quality out with a nice sweater - or something - to cover my bum! The quality I'm talking about is similar to a ponte bootcut black pant, so to qualify, a disguised yoga pant I would be okay with. Or dashing around after the gym, for sure - that's just good time management. I detest the thin versions. Might as well wear fleecy pjs.

13 years ago

Sylvie

Veteran

It's only ok if you're directly on your way back from the gym. If I go hiking and am wearing gear, I think it's perfectly acceptable to stop by the store or a casual restaurant on the way home. You have to live your life, kwim? But I won't deliberately wear gear as a "going out" outfit.

13 years ago

Mander

(website)

Veteran

Honestly, I have seen some versions that I couldn't really distinguish from knit pants meant as office wear, except for the label in the back. A pair of those with a sweater or something would probably not even register with me as being weird or different.

The super thin or obvious sweatpants are a different matter, however. I'm in the camp that would consider wearing quality (thick) sweatpants on an airplane but not the typical yoga pants.

13 years ago

ManidipaM

Veteran

I'm guilty of living in yoga pants for at-home outfits through the winter --- which of course is precisely because mine are thick and sturdy.

A friend wears them on airplanes, but here I draw the line --- at best, I'd go for a walk around tracks within our gated suburban community in these, which makes them the cold-weather equivalent to my thinner gym capris from summer; but it would take a real life-or-death emergency for me to step outside those gates in them.

Notably, I do NO yoga in said pants --- they're just for keeping me warm and comfy (being way stretchier than the comfiest jeans and trousers I have, and since I sit cross-legged most of the day).

13 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I like the yoga pants shape - fit and flare. But I don't like thin.

13 years ago

John

Active Member

We at Siddhiwear are wearing yoga pants it's really comfortable and makes my yoga smooth. Wearing organic clothes while doing yoga is a nice thought.

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7 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

From my son’s comments, I don’t think any differences between skinnies, leggings, and yoga pants matter to him. They can all be equally form-revealing.
I think it’s how you wear them/what you pair them with that matters.

7 years ago

cindysmith

Veteran

I say no, unless you're doing yoga, on your way to do yoga, or on your way home from doing yoga.

7 years ago

jacquez

Active Member

I wear yoga pants as my lounge clothes/pajamas, and I do that specifically so that if I need to run an emergency errand, I don’t have to change into something appropriate for outside of the house. (Also, they are very comfy.)

The problem isn’t yoga pants, it’s yoga pants that are inappropriately thin for regular wear. Mine are Spaulding, a nice inexpensive athletic-wear brand that also made the basketballs I played with in my youth, and plenty heavy-enough in fabrication to be worn in public. They also come in sizes XS-3X and cost about $15-20 apiece. Very practical and not costly.

Some yoga pants are clearly intended FOR the gym or yoga studio, but some are just casual bootcut knit pants.

7 years ago

Jeanie

Veteran

I really just think it's the athleisure trend. So many people around me wear work out clothes. Yoga pants, sports leggings etc. In fact if I wear an inexpensive knit dress people will ask me why I am dressed up but if I wear yoga pants I seem to fit in. I haven't seen any that looked inappropriate or thin. Some days it just seems easier not to keep changing your clothes when your list is to walk dog, run errands, go to the gym, work on computer, do yoga. I think it is representative of an active lifestyle.

7 years ago

schimiggy

(website)

Active Member

I conduct activewear reviews on my blog http://www.schimiggy.com

In the product/activewear reviews, I will mention if there is any opacity. Y'all should check it out. It should help alleviate any see-through mishaps and woes. <3

7 years ago

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