One day, a Mountain Echo reporter came into the room complaining about a dress code violation. She explained she was wearing a pair of comfortable sweatpants that just so happened to have a plaid design on them. This later resulted in her getting warned about getting dress coded. She insisted that the pants were made of a thicker material; therefore, disqualifying them from being sleepwear. 

Lounge pants are made for comfort, and that’s what makes them nice to wear on days when people don’t want to get dressed up. But the dress code has a different view on these cozy pants. In the dress code, under student code of conduct, there is a listed section for personal appearance which explains the stance on pajama pants and lounge wear:

Students are not permitted to wear pajama bottoms or lounge wear to school as they are considered sleepwear and therefore inappropriate for school.

The wording is a bit confusing, especially when there’s no explanation of what loungewear is. To any regular student, that could mean leggings, sweatpants or sweaters. Without a clear definition, there’s no way to truly understand what this section of the dress code means. 

Although pajama pants are the main go-to for sleep, people can also wear other types of clothing to bed. There are times when people fall asleep in their jeans. Does that mean they can no longer be worn to school? 

Pajama pants have become a familiar object to come across whether it is at Walmart when picking up weekly groceries or at a Wendy’s grabbing a quick bite. The people wearing their pajama pants aren’t harming anyone. They’re wearing clothes and are comfortable while doing so. Sometimes it can be good to not focus on outer appearance and just wear whatever feels best at that moment. 

People have argued when it comes to the school environment students shouldn’t be wearing their sleeping clothes to school, but people have voiced disagreement. This argument is mainly based on the idea that school is a professional setting, but many on staff and in the student body don’t see it that way. School is a place of learning and growing, but it’s not a job for students unlike the staff members. Students shouldn’t have to keep a professional appearance for something they don’t work for. Student workers wear their uniforms when working at their jobs because that’s what they are supposed to do. School is an entirely different environment. 

Pajama pants do not affect how students learn either. School is meant to be a safe and comfortable environment where students can learn and become educated. Pajama pants do not affect the environment in any way, unless they are violent hot pink which would be a completely different dress code violation then.

PJ pants can allow for students to comfortably do their work. According to Vanguard Resources, productivity increases by 25% when employees perceive their environments to be more comfortable. This can be a direct parallel to students’ productivity increasing when they have control over their comfort. Having pajamas and other comfort wear being restricted from students’ choice of clothing is harming them and their ability to be comfortable at school.

Pajama pants and other comfortable clothing can be a great benefit for students’ productivity at school and keep them engaged as they don’t have to worry about their comfort as much. It’s just foolish to prohibit students from being comfortable in a place that already guarantees most of them stress. Most colleges don’t even enforce a dress code, so is it justifiable to get worked up over a pair of plaid plants?