When it comes to apparel, there are two versions of me - the one you see during the day, wearing a tie and polished up; and then there's the version of me when I get home. I love slipping on the fleece pajamas and relaxing in warmth.
Fleece pants are becoming everyday wear for a lot of people. I used to think it was odd to see somebody during the day in a store wearing their fleece pajama pants. On Tuesday, I went to pick up a sports drink at a convenience store before 11 a.m. and two customers were wearing fleece pajama pants.
Fashion trends change rapidly. If you go back to the 1950s, it was an oddity to see a man in a business district of town dressed in anything short of a suit, tie and hat. Women wore dresses, jackets and wrapped their hair.
As fabrics have changed, so have our dressing habits. Polyester was woven into a lightweight, comfortable fabric that came to use in the 1960s, and growing up I saw men and women wear polyester suits. My grandmothers both had closets full of polyester suits that they dressed up with scarves and different jewelry, especially broaches.
Our family photos from the 1970s are a hoot to thumb through. I like looking back on my dad and uncle wearing their polyester suits in so many different shades. Plaid combinations were atrocious. Red, white and blue plaid and green, yellow and white plaid suits look like today's version of bad golf attire. I have to remember that people wore these suits every day.
My dad was a blue-collar worker at Chrysler in Belvidere, Illinois, so he usually wore jeans and work boots with a flannel shirt to work. Flannel is another comfortable, warm fabric that has fallen out of fashion. I recall wearing flannel shirts regularly to school in high school, and one of my girlfriends in particular used to make fun of me for it. I was about four years ahead of the grunge movement in rock 'n' roll, and it's probably the only time in my life I was fashion forward.
I've never spent much time near the ocean or the Great Lakes, but I did wear deck shoes consistently for about six years in the 1980s. There was very little arch or foot support in the deck shoes, and I remember walking long distances on pavement in those shoes. They're probably the reason why I need orthotics in my shoes today.
After a day at work, I like to change into fleece pajama bottoms and wear a hoodie sweatshirt. I wonder how many other people get home from work and change into something much more comfortable than their work clothes? I enjoy wearing jeans and consider wearing those as a comfortable dress down from pressed slacks. On the other hand, an elastic waistband in a pair of fleece pajama bottoms is much more comfortable than a leather belt.
I believe that it's appropriate to dress professionally, but to dress in the same fashion as those with whom you work. While I've worked in much smaller towns, with even a greater agricultural presence (if that's possible) than Monroe, it was necessary to dress in jeans every day. Daily business attire for many people in Green County is jeans. This is because we are a working, blue-collar community and when we deal with each other, it puts everyone at ease if we mainly have the same fashion sense. Jeans are durable and retain warmth. Many people must work both in an office, but carry objects, clean areas and come in contact with fences, bushes and stones.
More than 15 years ago when I started a job as an editor at a Wisconsin city, I showed up for the first day wearing a tie. The office manager came up to me in the middle of the day and said in confidence, "You shouldn't wear a tie, you'll scare everybody. Just wear jeans and a shirt with a collar and you'll be fine."
It was great advice.
One accessory I've always worn three seasons out of the year on weekends has been a camouflage baseball cap featuring a Badgers, Bucks, Packers and Brewers logo. This is my Wisconsin camouflage. It fits my sensibilities because I'm a hunter and a big Wisconsin sports fan. Plus, the hat helps me socially blend in with those with whom I share pride in the state and being a rural resident.
The fleece we wear today, known as polar fleece, was created in 1979 at Malden Mills in Massachusetts. Light, strong and soft, it was meant to be a new version of wool.
I don't think I'll ever be wearing my fleece pajama pants in the middle of the day as I go out and about, shop, do projects, etc. However, I have made a run to pick up a gallon of milk at 11 p.m. wearing my pajama pants. I don't feel the least bit bad about that.
Snuggling in fleece with a blanket while spending time with your family, watching television or reading a book is a true creature comfort in life.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
Fleece pants are becoming everyday wear for a lot of people. I used to think it was odd to see somebody during the day in a store wearing their fleece pajama pants. On Tuesday, I went to pick up a sports drink at a convenience store before 11 a.m. and two customers were wearing fleece pajama pants.
Fashion trends change rapidly. If you go back to the 1950s, it was an oddity to see a man in a business district of town dressed in anything short of a suit, tie and hat. Women wore dresses, jackets and wrapped their hair.
As fabrics have changed, so have our dressing habits. Polyester was woven into a lightweight, comfortable fabric that came to use in the 1960s, and growing up I saw men and women wear polyester suits. My grandmothers both had closets full of polyester suits that they dressed up with scarves and different jewelry, especially broaches.
Our family photos from the 1970s are a hoot to thumb through. I like looking back on my dad and uncle wearing their polyester suits in so many different shades. Plaid combinations were atrocious. Red, white and blue plaid and green, yellow and white plaid suits look like today's version of bad golf attire. I have to remember that people wore these suits every day.
My dad was a blue-collar worker at Chrysler in Belvidere, Illinois, so he usually wore jeans and work boots with a flannel shirt to work. Flannel is another comfortable, warm fabric that has fallen out of fashion. I recall wearing flannel shirts regularly to school in high school, and one of my girlfriends in particular used to make fun of me for it. I was about four years ahead of the grunge movement in rock 'n' roll, and it's probably the only time in my life I was fashion forward.
I've never spent much time near the ocean or the Great Lakes, but I did wear deck shoes consistently for about six years in the 1980s. There was very little arch or foot support in the deck shoes, and I remember walking long distances on pavement in those shoes. They're probably the reason why I need orthotics in my shoes today.
After a day at work, I like to change into fleece pajama bottoms and wear a hoodie sweatshirt. I wonder how many other people get home from work and change into something much more comfortable than their work clothes? I enjoy wearing jeans and consider wearing those as a comfortable dress down from pressed slacks. On the other hand, an elastic waistband in a pair of fleece pajama bottoms is much more comfortable than a leather belt.
I believe that it's appropriate to dress professionally, but to dress in the same fashion as those with whom you work. While I've worked in much smaller towns, with even a greater agricultural presence (if that's possible) than Monroe, it was necessary to dress in jeans every day. Daily business attire for many people in Green County is jeans. This is because we are a working, blue-collar community and when we deal with each other, it puts everyone at ease if we mainly have the same fashion sense. Jeans are durable and retain warmth. Many people must work both in an office, but carry objects, clean areas and come in contact with fences, bushes and stones.
More than 15 years ago when I started a job as an editor at a Wisconsin city, I showed up for the first day wearing a tie. The office manager came up to me in the middle of the day and said in confidence, "You shouldn't wear a tie, you'll scare everybody. Just wear jeans and a shirt with a collar and you'll be fine."
It was great advice.
One accessory I've always worn three seasons out of the year on weekends has been a camouflage baseball cap featuring a Badgers, Bucks, Packers and Brewers logo. This is my Wisconsin camouflage. It fits my sensibilities because I'm a hunter and a big Wisconsin sports fan. Plus, the hat helps me socially blend in with those with whom I share pride in the state and being a rural resident.
The fleece we wear today, known as polar fleece, was created in 1979 at Malden Mills in Massachusetts. Light, strong and soft, it was meant to be a new version of wool.
I don't think I'll ever be wearing my fleece pajama pants in the middle of the day as I go out and about, shop, do projects, etc. However, I have made a run to pick up a gallon of milk at 11 p.m. wearing my pajama pants. I don't feel the least bit bad about that.
Snuggling in fleece with a blanket while spending time with your family, watching television or reading a book is a true creature comfort in life.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
