In a world where there is a day for everything, April 16th is apparently Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day. I mentioned to this to some friends (who happen to work in offices) and they snickered, “Well, that’s every day for you, right?”
Heh. Yeah. Okay.
Nope, no, it’s not really okay. In fact, it is damned annoying, this common misconception that folks who work at home do so in the same clothes they wore to bed. Or that at the end of a long day of working in your jammies you’re just going to crawl right back into bed without changing.
Clearly, it’s not worth arguing over, but honestly, I’m so tired of this assumption. Why does it even matter, I hear you asking? Because the implication is those who stay/work at home are somehow lazy, less productive, their work is less valuable, or otherwise less worthy of respect. Which is bullshit, obviously.
Rare is the day I don’t get dressed at all. Admittedly I’ve reached an age where I’m not down with wearing anything uncomfortable. Then again, never having been a huge fan of high heels or outrageous fashion, I’ve been rocking comfy clothes since forever.
But okay, maybe that’s just me.
As I happen to have a large network of friends who work in a variety of settings, I decided to do an informal survey on Facebook.
Who, if anyone, would be cool with wearing pajamas to work, who would not remotely consider it, and who admits they love living La Vida Loungewear?
Surprisingly, everyone seemed to have strong feelings about this issue.
I was pleased, but not surprised, to find a very small percentage of responders embraced the jammie life; if they are at home there is no reason to get dressed, period.
For those who were down with the idea of wearing pajamas to a public work setting, there were definite guidelines. First, a themed event where lots of folks are participating. Second, the pajamas would need to be cute/fancy/fabulous. For many, a bra would be crucial, as well.
The majority of people absolutely wouldn’t consider it at all, including many who currently work at home. Their reason? Part of working is “dressing the part” and unless you’re a professional napper, pajamas aren’t work clothes. You get up, get dressed appropriately, do what you gotta do.
Of course, whether you prefer letting it all hang out at home, or would rather tackle your to-do list in a clean set of clothes, is ultimately irrelevant. The important thing is to respect that what works for you won’t work for everyone.
