I’m sure you’ve heard the jokes/stories/truths about women wearing yoga pants all the time.

• It’s a joke: we’re all too sloppy to care anymore.
• It’s a reality: we like to be comfortable.
• It’s a spark: a whole new category of clothing called “athleisure” has moved forward due to this.

Just to preface… I don’t wear yoga pants around all the time. I’m not sure if I even own yoga pants. I mean, I have several pairs of athletic capris. Some have a tendency to ride down if I run in them, so they have been relegated to the “yoga wear” designation but I don’t think they’re actually called “yoga pants”. And I definitely would never wear any of those pants for anything other than a workout. While I’m just as much of a fan of being comfortable as anyone else, I am NOT comfortable in skin-tight pants in everyday situations. There is a part of me that would still much rather disappear into baggy clothes. That’s why I dislike skinny jeans and I’m happy every time I hear a story that says they’ve reached their end.

But I also don’t want to look like a hobo or like I’m stuck in a 90’s fashion rut either. My high school and college years were comfortable though…

But the recent athleisure trend is seemingly everywhere. I receive catalogs in the mail, I receive marketing emails, I see online ads. And I start to think I need these items. And I can easily rack up $1000 of imaginary purchases in the matter of minutes while flipping through their sites/catalogs.

Jogger pants are just a different name for sweat pants. Something that was the ultimate in sloppy wear when I was younger. As in, this is what you wore when you were home sick. In the winter. And nobody would see you. But now we’ve added a few pockets, embellishments and VOILA! it’s completely fashionable. Take the Coaster Pant from Athleta.

Looks casual enough, but still pretty cute. But then in their blog, they take it to the next level and claim you can wear joggers to work (or on a date)!

I’m pretty sure I’d feel wrong if I wore those pants into the office (the times that I actually do go into the office.) It’s a cute look… but if I feel sloppy, I don’t feel good about myself.

Let’s look at Fabletics, Kate Hudson’s line of athletic apparel. I’m in love with all the capris I have bought from them and I recently placed an order for some shirts. They’re introducing more things that can carry over into the athleisure realm. Or at least, they say they can… “Loungewear for all day, every day.”

It’s a totally cute shirt! I could see wearing that to a barre class or a Surfset class, with a bra underneath! But I just don’t see wearing that out and about in my daily life. And I live somewhere that is really hot! There are people who actually wear bikini tops to the grocery store at times and I’m totally embarrassed for them when I see them.

I guess that’s part of the problem… it’s hot here in Vegas from May to October. And I don’t want to wear lots of layers or clothing that is heavy. I don’t want my clothes to cling either. I’d much rather wear something baggy, lightweight and easy to pull on. But I also don’t want to feel like I’m a slob when I run to the store or when I pick my daughter up from school.

Eddie Bauer has some great looking activewear lately, but they also have some examples of putting things together into an athleisure look.

I think it’s cute… I can guarantee I’m not going to wear a scarf with my athletic capris. It’s just sooooooo not me. I made the mistake of buying a scarf a while back. I look okay in it, but I’m really uncomfortable in it. I feel like I’m pretending or playing dress up.

But I really want to figure out how to incorporate more comfortable clothing into my life and not wear denim so much, but still feel like myself. I’m such a mess when it comes to fashion!

Would you wear joggers or leggings into an office? Do you wear them out and about for daily tasks? Have you ever scrapped your entire wardrobe and rebuilt?