Yoga pants

Crop, fitted style yoga pant

Yoga pants are a type of flexible, form-fitting pants designed for the practice of yoga as well as other physical activities that involve a lot of movement, bending and stretching. Some of the other activities include: martial arts, dancing, pilates, and aerobics. These pants are generally made of cotton, spandex, nylon, polyester or a similarly light and stretchy synthetic material giving the pants a very smooth and silk-like finish when worn.^[1] There are many different colors but the most common type are black, tight-fitted, and have an elastic waistband folded over at the top. Although designed specifically for yoga, the pants are also worn casually by many women.^[1][2][3]

Types of yoga pants

A group of women wearing yoga pants while practicing yoga.

According to Anu Hastings with the product database Indix, over 2,700 types of so-called "yoga pants" are now available on the market.^[4] There are various types and styles of yoga pants. These include the traditional boot cut and flared, yoga pants with waistbands. The boot cut and flared remains the most popular type of yoga pants that is generally used for casual wear, lounge wear, maternity wear, or physical activity. Due to their high elasticity, yoga pants are comfortable enough to be worn during many different occasions. Yoga pants were originally created for the activity of yoga but over the years, due to their increased popularity, they have developed into a mainstream clothing item.^{[5][6][7][8][9]}

The flat and fold-over waists are utilized to provide flexibility, comfort, coverage, style, breathability and versatility. Though used more commonly as casual, workout and exercise wear for making errands, lounging around the house, yoga class or working out, yoga pants are often able to be dressed up, as well. Typically, the more spandex contained in the yoga pants, the more likely they are to be used as exercise wear. The more cotton fabrics are more commonly used for loungewear.^[10][11] Yoga pants must not be confused with leggings, however. Although commonly made from the same material, leggings are typically used for going out and more formal attire while yoga pants and yoga leggings are used for comfort and flexibility.^[12] Due to increased popularity, the yoga pants have grown to roughly 116 brands and are sold by 73 stores.^[13]

Controversy

Demand for comfortable athletic wear increased in early 2000's^[14] and into the next decade. Nike, Inc. reported their women’s business comprised 7 billion in 2010^[15] and the larger market grew to $33.6 billion by 2015.^[16] Nike claim the driving factor has been by the demand for fashionable workout gear that is also flattering. New colors, patterns, and structural design of yoga pants created more versatility and increased their wear in public settings. Author Mae Anderson described the new craze of yoga pants outside the gym by calling them the “new jeans.”^[15]

Yoga Pants in Public Schools

In the United States, reaction to the wider adoption of yoga pants proved somewhat controversial for schools.^[17] Some schools adopted dress codes banning yoga pants for all students or banning them only for female students.^[18][19][20] Bitch Magazine argued such bans are largely gendered, focusing on the damage caused by "distraction" by girls;^[21] similar complaints caused a ban in Rockport, Massachusetts to be quickly reversed.^[18]

School Bans

Youths are also included in the trend to wear yoga pants in public. Girls from middle school to college wear yoga pants to classes because of their high level of comfort. However, not everyone is accepting of the new trend. In February 2015, representative David Moore from Montana proposed a bill that would make wearing yoga pants in public synonymous with indecent exposure, which would be punishable by a maximum of 5 years in jail and a $5,000 fine. Moore received immediate backlash from the public and media and he quickly claimed that including yoga pants in the bill was a joke. The bill was unanimously tabled. ^[22]

At Rockport High School in Rockport, Massachusetts, the principal announced that the school would be tightening the rules on yoga pants. Their dress code stated that students should avoid wearing clothes that are “inappropriate in the business and workplace as well as the school.” The principal is under scrutiny for not only the rule, but for how he addressed it. After an assembly including the whole student body, the principal dismissed only the male students and spoke solely to the female students about the dress code enforcement. He claimed that females wearing the tight fitting pants were distracting the male students. The female students were offended and felt that the way they were singled out was sexist. The male students were also offended because they felt that it was implied that they lacked maturity, self-control, and consideration. The school district quickly revoked their increased enforcement of dress code and apologized for how the assembly was handled after the instant backlash from students and parents.^[23]

At Devils Lake High School in North Dakota, the principal banned female students from wearing yoga pants. The ban was made in order to “keep students, and male teachers, focused on the classwork at hand.” Students and parents questioned why the school was focusing on clothing instead of more important matters, such as cyber bullying. ^[24] The principal was under scrutiny for a comment he made regarding the female student's wearing yoga pants. The principal had the female students watch two clips from the movie Pretty Woman and then compared the female students wearing yoga pants to the attire of the lead character's in the movie, who is a prostitute. ^[25]

Another incident occurred at an Evanston, Illinois middle school. The principal announced that girls were no longer allowed to wear yoga pants to school. Parents argued that the dictating of what their daughters could wear contributed to rape culture and blames the girls as being a distractor to their opposite-sexed peers, which insinuates that the boy’s education is more important than the girl’s. Parent's were interviewed for their thoughts on the issue. One parent stated, “Boys need to be taught to respect women no matter what they’re wearing, and that’s a big deal." Another parent said, "The problem is, yet again, another institution has decided it's easier to punish girls for what they wear because there is a chance someone of the opposite sex might sexualize them" The numerous policy and dress code changes that dictate what women can and cannot wear is a small portion of the bigger picture of gender policing. ^[26]

However, there are others who agree with the banning of yoga pants in public. Most often the reasoning for disagreeing with wearing yoga pants publicly is that they promote a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Amanda Hallay, a professor of fashion and cultural history at New York City’s LIM College, was interviewed for her opinion on yoga pants being a replacement for jeans. Hallay stated, “Yoga pants are a step above pajamas and we don’t wear pajamas out to lunch, and we certainly don’t wear them to work. Pajamas are for sleeping in, and ergo, not appropriate to wear in any other setting. The same can be said for yoga pants. Yoga pants are to be worn while doing yoga.” Yoga pants being worn in public can be perceived as inappropriate and unattractive. According to Hallay, to promote a more business-like or mature persona, a person should dress as such. ^[27]

Yoga pants in Business Atmospheres

The craze for wearing yoga pants outside of the gym is not limited to young, teenaged girls in school. Many adult females have adopted yoga pants into their wardrobe for work attire.^[28] In an article by ABC News on their website, women have began wearing Betabrand's new "Dress Pant Yoga Pants", which are similar to traditional yoga pants with the addition of "a straight-leg cut, faux zippers, a non-functional button at the waist and belt loops." Due to their visual appearance of traditional dress pants, women can easily get away with wearing them to work without reprimand from their bosses for breaking the company's dress code. Women's reasoning for wearing them to work is similar to the reason why young girls are wearing yoga pants to school: comfort.

As the article continues, it demonstrates that not all are in favor of incorporating yoga pants into the work world. Michelle Goodman, an author and business columnist, commented that wearing yoga pants to work is "ridiculous" and unprofessional. She goes on to state, "You wouldn't wear sweatpants or pajamas to work, so why would you wear workout clothes? Yoga pants are not business casual and if you just got back from hot yoga, they probably smell."^[29]

References

External links

• Media related to Yoga pants at Wikimedia Commons