Growing up, I had two sets of clothes: Good Clothes and Play Clothes. As soon as I got home from school, I would change into my play clothes, no matter the afternoon activity. Emily was homeschooled, so her good clothes were Church Clothes.
Typical Good Clothes for me were a cotton blouse and a Mom-made corduroy jumper. Emily was a little fancier (still true) and apparently was always a star at posing for the camera ;)
My Play Clothes weren't worn out or ill-fitting or less cute than my Good Clothes - they were just different. More casual, more comfortable, more practical. Shorts, sweat pants, and sundresses weren't considered appropriate for school, so I would change into them at the first opportunity.
Small Amanda was super excited about this elephant, apparently. Her mom, not so much. Check out that strappy romper! Small Emily's Play Clothes often included boots and long pants, because pony.
As adults, we've stuck to a similar mindset. We "get dressed" to go out in the world, then change into our "pjs" as soon as we get home. Except they're not really pjs - they're the adult version of Play Clothes, our At Home Uniform. They are my favourite clothes, the ones I can do anything in. They're more casual-looking than anything else I wear, but I never hesitate to wander around the front garden or answer the doorbell while wearing them. They almost always include wool work socks, because drafty old house.
When E committed to the Project 333 challenge, it meant giving up her At Home Uniform. For the duration of the project, she chooses her outfit for the day, and she wears it ALL DAY, even AT HOME. There are pros and cons to wearing her Good Clothes so much more often, and one of the cons is that they're showing wear and tear quite quickly.
But wait a sec. A set of our "pjs" lasts at least a year of almost daily wearing before they start to look a little questionable. That's a year of gardening, cooking, cleaning, lounging, woodworking, and yes, sleeping. Even then, they're still useful - just a little misshapen, paint-splattered, or a bit holey. Why would Good Clothes wear out faster?
My current At Home Uniform consists of a T-Shirt Dress, Play Pants (those ones exactly), wool work socks, a thrifted wool grampa sweater (burgundy or navy, depending on mood), and oversized woolly cowls as temperatures demand.
I realized it's because we make our pjs out of the most durable fabrics - our bamboo french terry, cotton french terry, or the 100% merino. They can be washed over and over again without issue, and they stand up to stain removal. Plus, our pjs are looser-fitting than our Good Clothes, so there's less strain on the fibres and less abrasion. Definitely things to consider if you're planning a minimalist wardrobe or trying to make your clothing budget go further.
What about you? Is what you wear at home different than what you wear in the world? And how many of you sleep in your Ureshii clothes?
xoxo
A