Oh Coco, you are so right

 I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.                -Coco Chanel

This has been on my mind for quite a while now. It started shortly after I quit my job last April and I started to miss wearing dresses and heels. I would stand in my closet and stare at the dresses that were no longer being pulled from their hanger in the hopes that I could find a reason to wear one. But the image of me pushing a grocery cart wearing a black wrap dress and nude colored heels with my son grabbing at every glass jar on the too easily accessible shelves at the market just seemed, well ridiculous. With the arrival of summer the wrap dress and heels were traded for long maxi dresses and wedge sandals, a more seemingly suitable ensemble for my errand-running. But running around midday I started noticing a uniform of many, what I can only assume, stay-at-home moms: yoga pants, fitted tee and a sparkly baseball cap. And those are the women that are the more "presentable" versions of what I have seen. I hate to say this, but I see more and more girls in pajama bottoms! I shake my head at the thought of this. OK, I get running into the store for a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread after a yoga class. But when I see these girls in line at the checkout stand with full carts of groceries, two things come to mind: I really hope she just didn't come from any sort of class that takes place in a gym and then spent the better part of an hour at the market (eew, gross!) or she's just plain lazy! I know this might seem harsh, but my question to all is:


When did yoga pants become an acceptable form of clothing to wear in public?


Now, before some of you start huffing and puffing that you've seen me in yoga pants outside of a yoga class, YES I wear them! I wear them when I'm lounging at home on the couch, sitting behind the wheel of a three hour long drive, and while running at the park pushing a stroller! I wish that the public acceptance of attire could be one similar to the early 1960's, where people dressed up to go to see a show, to travel, to have lunch with friends, to go to church. Heck housewives back then made vacuuming look fabulous. This is why when people watch movies form the 1950's and 60's they comment on how glamorous smoking a cigarette while holding an evening cocktail looks. It's not what they are doing, it's how they are dressed doing it. People of that time looked pulled together and fixed themselves up. People.com has entire section dedicated to celebrities looking great traveling, often catching them walking through an airport looking fresh and awake. The reason why they stand out is because now it is completely acceptable to walk onto a commercial plane in your pajamas!

People's Stars' Airport Style

And men are just as responsible for this lack of style. Oh the grunge days of the early 1990's followed a few years later by underwear-showing skater boys come to mind. Men in uniforms are sexy for one reason: they looked pulled together. I have to say that my husband looks hot in his work uniform! He makes flipping bottles sexy! As far as I'm concerned it's not the type of uniform that the man wears that makes him attractive; although police and firemen know how to wear their uniforms well. There is a scene in the movie "Despicable Me" where the young Agnes asks Vector, who's sporting a warm up suit, why he's wearing his pajamas. The conversation between the two is hilarious. Even Agnes doesn't understand this form of attire.

Despicable Me: The girls ask Vector about his pajamas

After all this my discovery is that even though I'm no longer interacting with clients in a professional setting, I'm still interacting with the public. So now as I pick out my clothes I ask myself one thing: If I were to run into someone I know while I'm out, would I be embarrassed by what I'm wearing? You never know what or who the day may bring. I may get looks for wearing black suede platform wedge boots to the market or four inch booties with my jeans to a doctor's appointment, but I rather turn heads for my shoes than my lounge wear.


What are your thoughts on this? 


Oh and by the way, I own no rights to the contents of the above links, their owners do!