Sweatpants were once considered sportswear or something to wear only at home. Yet today, they have become an everyday sight not only in neighborhoods, but also on trains, in shopping districts, and almost everywhere else.
This change may seem trivial at first glance, merely a matter of fashion or comfort. But perhaps it reflects something larger. The boundary between private and public life has gradually become blurred, especially since the pandemic normalized remote work and relaxed dress codes.
In this essay, Colo-ken reflects on the spread of “one-mile wear,” the fading distinction between on and off, and the possibility that modern society itself is becoming increasingly flat, comfortable, and lacking in contrast.
Recently, I often see women wearing gray sweatpants on trains and around town.
Sweatpants were originally sportswear. Back when I played basketball, we wore them over our shorts during the winter.
For that reason, I initially felt uncomfortable even wearing sweatpants indoors as loungewear. But once I tried them, I had to admit they were comfortable.
Over time, sweatpants gained social acceptance, and more people began wearing them casually around the neighborhood.
For many years now, I have seen people stepping out of cars at highway service areas dressed entirely in sweatpants. But lately, it has become completely normal to see people dressed that way almost anywhere.
Apparently, this style is called “one-mile wear.”
But it no longer stops at one mile.
For walking the dog or going to a nearby convenience store, perhaps it is acceptable. But wearing sweatpants to ride the train somewhere still feels strange to me.
To me, sweatpants are basically an extension of indoor clothing — something closer to underwear than proper public attire. Yet there is probably no stopping this trend anymore.
Even doctors now spend entire days wearing scrubs.
When even hospital directors dress that way, perhaps dress codes and the sense of discipline they once represented have largely disappeared.
The turning point was probably the COVID pandemic.
Back then, there were endless stories — half joke, half truth — about people attending online meetings wearing a suit jacket on top and shorts underneath.
I still spend most days without a necktie, but I have never worn scrubs regularly.
Perhaps pathologists simply do not need them because our clothes rarely get dirty. Or perhaps it is just my age. Either way, I have never felt comfortable wearing them.
As clothing that resembles indoor wear becomes more common, the boundary between “on” and “off” also becomes blurred.
People walking confidently around in sweatpants certainly look relaxed, but a life without clear distinctions between work and rest is also a life without much contrast.
Perhaps society itself is moving toward something flatter and more uniform, with fewer ups and downs than before.
That said, many people still wear proper business suits, and as someone who has long abandoned neckties myself, perhaps I am not really in a position to criticize people in sweatpants.
Comfort makes life easier, but too much comfort may quietly erase the boundaries that once gave daily life its rhythm.
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