Every morning when I wake up, I dread the idea of getting out of bed. So when I finally roll out of the warm cocoon of blankets piled on my bed, the decision of whether I should wear real clothes or just pull up to school in my Christmas pajama pants and oversized hoodie is not one I make quickly, or fully consciously.

It’s so much easier and saves so much time for me to just roll out of bed and throw on some comfy clothes instead of making a mess in my room trying to pick out an outfit that expresses me, and I’m comfortable in but is also cute. People like me who choose to wear pajamas to school should not be judged or shamed for prioritizing comfort over fashion.

If I see someone walking in the hallway with snowman pajama pants on I would totally want to be friends with them. Instead of making fun of people for choosing to wear pajamas that they feel comfortable in and represent their personality, we should be excited that teens feel okay dressing themselves in clothes that express them, as expression is a vital part of teens’ lives today.

And let’s be real, who would choose to wear stiff and itchy jeans when you have the option to wear fuzzy pajama pants with cute designs such as reindeers prancing around, our favorite animated TV characters dancing, or the iconic colorful plaid?

The point of pajamas is to keep you warm and comfortable so why would anyone not want to wear them to school? School is a place to learn, (a very cold place to learn) so dressing up in the cute shirt I bought at the mall last week and my favorite pair of jeans is not something I would choose to wear to do nothing but sit in a classroom and learn all day.

The stereotypical 80s business fashion is old, outdated and so last year. As remote learning became so popular during the pandemic, so did remote jobs. We’ve all seen the Facebook memes your dad sends you of being on a Zoom call and wearing your work shirt with sweatpants and slippers instead of full business attire. If schools are supposed to prepare you for the business world, and if pajamas are allowed in the business world, why shouldn’t they be allowed in schools? 

During the pandemic, most schools switched to virtual or remote learning. Being forced to attend school from a computer at home made wearing pajamas “to school” the norm. Most of the time you probably didn’t even know I was sitting in my bed in sweatpants during algebra class, because it didn’t affect the class or my education at all.

So if the choice to wear something that keeps you comfortable and warm doesn’t harm anyone, why would you choose not to?

The point of pajamas is to keep you warm, or comfortable while you sleep. If you really felt like it, you could lounge around in them at home. They’re comfy, and sometimes it’s better to just hang around in them if you don’t feel like putting on actual pants.

So why have students started wearing them throughout their day-to-day life instead? 

Once the day starts, the average person brushes their teeth, showers and gets dressed. 

As in, putting on jeans and a T-shirt, or a dress, maybe some khakis if they have somewhere fancy to be. But what’s the point of getting out of bed, freshening up and changing out of your pajamas, just to put on more pajamas?

Wearing actual clothes can help you focus more than trying to work in the clothes that you sleep in, because your brain may associate pajamas with sleep, and clothes in focus. While they won’t stop people from falling asleep in class, they’re more likely to keep someone attentive because they’re made to work or be active in.

They also may set your mood for the day. When people wear formal clothes, they’re set in a more business mode, or when people wear dresses they may feel more fun and carefree that day. Wearing pajamas gives you a more lazy, sleepy mode that makes it harder to go through your day-to-day.

So, maybe we could be uncomfortable but presentable for at least seven hours out of the day, and save the comfort for when we’re at home.