That wasn’t me. You can’t prove anything.
Then don’t look.
I think you are being randomly judgmental.
Some people are more comfortable than others in street clothes. When I was a teenager, I could barely bother to change out of my jeans to put on pajamas. Nowdays, I have to chage out of my workclothes into PJs as soon as I get home because I find my workclothes that uncomfortable. Chances are, these guys are going straight home after their workout. Why add another set of clothes to the wash?
FWIW, I find the trend of “yoga wear” to be the most hilarious thing on earth. You can barely walk a mile around here without seeing some over-face-lifted middle aged yuppie walking around in some ridiculous outfit toting a designer yoga mat (and these things are really marketed as designer yoga mats and cost like a hundred bucks.) They’ve managed to turn something as simple as sitting around breathing into a big consume-at-thon.
Why do you seem to assume that people who are giving a WTF? at wearing jeans etc at the gym are the same people wearing “designer yoga wear”?
I wear a pair of jersey knit cotton (aka t-shirt feel) drawstring pants that I got for $6 and whatever ratty tshirt I have. The only thing I spend money on is an Enell sports bra (about $60) because I have G cup boobs.
Jeans just do not give you the freedom of movement that sweats or jersey knits or spandex can, even if they’re the really stretchy kind.
Exactly right, zweisamkeit. This isn’t a matter of insisting that one should wear designer gym attire. I myself typically wear cheap shorts and a tank top when I work out.
I know some people will adamantly insist, “I can work out just as effectively in jeans as I would in shorts or sweats!” Personally, I think they’re fooling themselves rather badly.
Sorry, should have clarified. I meant sock feet.
It still looks painful.
Yeah, it squicks me. It suggests to me you may not care enough to comply with the social norms of the gym. Deep in my subconscious, it makes me suspect you might not comply with norms about when it’s inappropriate to stare or touch, etc.
I’ve given this a fair amount of thought due to Older No-Belt Jeans Guy ™.
That said, I’ve been a mini-offender myself, I guess. I won’t wear jeans, and I will always wear the right shoes, but I have some pants, shorts and knit shirts that can be streetwear-to-gymwear if I’m going home afterwards. I’m not that big of a fan of every darn social norm myself.
Our Curves has put up signs saying that it’s an insurance requirement to wear proper footwear. I think they just got tired of people tripping over themselves.
There are several people who come into my Curves in the morning before work, in their work clothes and full makeup and jewellery. What the hell, people?
I simply can’t comprehend being snooty enough to care what the next person is wearing. If my “workout shorts” are dirty, I’ll pull on whatever is handy. Your squickiness ain’t my problem. Get a life.
We’re not talking about whether your shorts are dirty, Wombat. We’re talking about improper gym attire. There’s a difference.
Did you read my message, JThunder? I said I’d pull on whatever is handy. If that happens to be denim or khaki or terrycloth or a Batman costume complete with BatCodPiece ™, why should it make any difference to you? Who declared you and Spectre of Pithecanthropus the arbiter of what’s “appropriate” gym attire? Don’t you have anything else to think about besides the fashion statement made by the guy on the next treadmill?
At the gym I used to go to, I’d see a lot of women lounging in the hot tub in full street clothing, including sneakers. THAT squicked me out. There was also a woman who used to go in the swimming pool in a sweatshirt and sweatpants.
I’m really surprised that a gym would permit street clothing, especially shoes, in a pool or hot tub. That must make it tough on the water filter. Yikes.
My mistake. Still, nobody’s complaining about wearing something handy. I have certainly been known to wear gym clothes that are not stylish or color-coordinated. However, as I said in a previous posting, if someone is wearing jeans, that’s a pretty good indicator that they’re clueless about exercise or not taking the workout seriously. (I did grant that they simply might not have a set of gym clothes on hand, but the concept is still rather repulsive.)
I rarely see it but there is one old guy (70ish) who works out in jeans and a dress shirt (long or shot sleeved). He’s busting ass doing weights but I always look at him and think, “Why not at least wear sweats or a reasonable facsimile thereof?” The guy is thin and obviously in good shape for his age, but even Jack Lalanne wears workout gear.
I take a kick-ass class at lunch time 2x a week that is barbells, hand weights and aerobics. I’ve noticed that the woman all wear “workout clothes” (good looking specifically designed for workout gear). I used to show up in cotton shorts and ripped sleeve t-shirts but now I’ve started to go for better looking gear (because I’m single and would like to look good in hopes of meeting the right woman)
So . . . maybe I"ll start a thread instead of doing a hijack about clothing for working out.
whistlepig
Taking the workout seriously? What, is your gym next door to NASA or something? Not everybody goes to the gym to become Mr. Sixpack Abs. Some of us just show up to get our pulse rate up into the 80% zone two or three times a week.
One could argue that jeans, being more confining, actually make you work harder. No, I wouldn’t wear them, because I have a low tolerance for heat while exercising. But I’d wear my khaki cargo shorts if I felt like exercising and didn’t have anything else with me. Why not? – I wear them hiking up mountains and that’s a heck of a lot more exercise than I usually put myself through at the gym.
I’d never really noticed it before - perhaps it happens all the time and I’ve just been clueless until now.
But, yesterday at the gym, I was on the treadmill, minding my own business, running and watching the Law & Order CI marathon. After a while, I noticed that on the treadmills next to me were a man (who looked to be in his 40s or so) and another gentleman (who looked like the former’s father). Both wearing “business casual” clothes, and tennis shoes. Chinos, belts, and tucked-in, button-down shirts.
But then, I got over it because I was busy being annoyed by Goren. I did my workout; I assume they did theirs. Good for them.
I’d split the crotch out of jeans or regular pants, and would probably rip the pits or pop buttons off of a nice shirt if I wore those things while working out. What the hell, people? If you’re wearing regular clothes you can’t possibly be working hard enough. On the other hand, spandex or mesh are not really necessary.
Most workout clothes are actually a lot more comfortable than regular clothes for working out. Imagine that. I have some nylon shirts that don’t feel nasty when they get sweaty. Much nicer than an old cotton t-shirt. I bought some workout shorts because they stretch, and as my flexibility has increased I need the stretch. I don’t buy $80 items, I think the most I paid was the equivalent of $30 for the shorts, but I do think that specialized clothes are much nicer than regular junk.