Uncategorized

Ask Dr. Babooner – Yoga Pants Edition

68 Comments

We are ALL Dr. Babooner.

Dear Dr. Babooner,

I don’t intend to be rude, but sometimes the truth hurts.

One of the qualities that puts me on a higher level than other people is my exquisite fashion sense. I have been consistently ahead of the trend curve for at least fifteen years, starting out in the late ’90’s when I figured out the whole flashy Y2K style thing (mesh tops, box-pleated skirts, sequined pants, sparkly shoes) long before anyone else had decided to put a single rhinestone on their favorite rock band t-shirt.

When 9/11 happened and attitudes changed, but I got there first with every possible variation on distressed denim.

I did the ’80’s revival just before it went mainstream in the mid-2000’s, and dropped it while others were still popping their collars. Then I went to a full pirate thing while Johnny Depp was still figuring out how to do his eyeliner.

In short, you can’t out-trend me. That’s how good I am.

But lately I’ve had a real lack of enthusiasm when it comes to yoga pants. And this is a problem because I’ve been hearing that there’s a pants war breaking out in the aisles of some clothing stores because shoppers want Yoga Pants and Leggings instead of jeans.

Dr. Babooner, I really like my skinny-leg jeans, but the pendulum of fashion seems to be swinging in a different direction. That leaves me conflicted, because being at the leading edge of What’s Next has always been a large part my personality. So in a rational world, I would already have 20 pairs of Yoga Pants waiting to go.

But the sad truth is that Yoga Pants strike me as silly, and you really shouldn’t be seen wearing them in public, or without a cushy mat under your arm. And in any case, if I’m not wearing jeans I feel like I’m pretending to be someone else.

My fashion success has always been about getting to the Next Big Thing Before Anyone Else, and then telling people how I just beat them. But now I’m starting to think my trailblazing instinct is leading me to resist a popular trend and to tell other people they must avoid it as well if they don’t want to run the risk of falling flat on their rounded, stretchy-garbed cheeks.

Sincerely,
Clothes Hoarse

I told Clothes Hoarse it’s my impression that the Denim vs. Yoga Pants showdown is definitely ON, and if she really thinks her trailblazing fashion sense is pointing her away from it she might want to consider the alternate possibility that she is just getting old.

Old people like what they like and don’t care for the new. That’s one of the great perks of aging – you don’t have to ask yourself whether you’ll go with every new idea – the answer is almost always “NO!”, and people won’t fault you for it. That’s just the way old people are.

But that’s just one opinion.
What do YOU think, Dr. Babooner?

68 thoughts on “Ask Dr. Babooner – Yoga Pants Edition”

  1. Yikes. If the definition of old is that you like what you like and don’t give a fig about whether it’s popular or trendy, then I’ve been old my whole life!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  2. Good morning. I have never been very stylish. I do want to be somewhat “with it”. It seems to me that by now almost any way of dressing is more or less okay. If you want to fit in with a particular group of people, it is probably good to dress more or less the way they do. However, even within a fairly well defined group, there might be a lot of variations in dressing style. I think you should stop worrying about your style of dress, Clothes Hoarse, and just wear anything you like.

    Like

    Reply

  4. Dear Clothes Hoarse (is that really how you spell your name?). If it is, I think that might explain why you’re feeling the way you do about Yoga Pants. You’re a little out of sorts. Take a throat lozenge – I recommend Fisherman’s Friend – and write me when you’re feeling better.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  5. I didn’t realize I dress like I dress until my kids made it obvious they noticed I am not a fashion leader. I never think about it, I just grab what I grab, I can’t remember the last time I bought a store bought new article of clothing. Yes I can it was when my daughter worked at And thete would have a close out section on last seasons stuff marked down , my daughter asan employee got an additional discount so it turned into shirts and/or pants for one or two dollars I bought too many and discovered that a whole bunch of articles you dont care about come in handy for lawn work changing the oil or quite honestly in every day life a shirts a shirt. Throw a jacket on and who cares
    I have a jacket collection that is a bit over the top, my jackets and hats are ebay items and I have enough to suit up a regiment, with jackets and hats we are just coming into my season. 90 degrees you need to think about it, 60 grab a coat and hat
    But I will leave my yoga pants in my gym bag

    Like

    Reply

  6. Chasing trends or trying to be ahead of them may be your trademark, but then that means you are always wearing what no one else is (at least until they catch up). Wear what suits you – both personality and physically. Lauren Bacall was a class act – she didn’t wear what was on trend that moment, but neither did she wear anything that looked out-of-date. She wore sleek, timeless looks that suited her frame and stature. Take a page from Lauren Bacall (who I doubt would have worn either yoga pants or skinny jeans, at least not out in public).

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. i always get a kick out of the folks at the health club who park their car 3 feet form the door after driving out of the parking lots for 6 circles to keep from walking an extra 300 feet from way over there. their yoga pants getting out of their suburban usually fit through the door but the extra girth tells me the yoga pants were not designed with bulk in mind. the young lids done need it. they look good in a potato sack and the old folks cant use it. you can clean up a pig and put a ribbon on it put it still looks like sarah palin

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  8. I developed a contempt for fashion as soon as I figured out that styles changed every season so that people with more money than sense could be suckered into throwing away and replacing perfectly good clothes–or worse, replacing perfectly ugly clothes with even uglier ones. It might have helped that I became aware of trends in the late 70s and the 80s, which was a horrifying time that scarred many of us for life (I don’t know about anyone else, but early 90s grunge was a relief. Jeans with holes in them! Flannel! No more neon colors, sparkly single gloves, or bustiers as outerwear!). That said, if Clothes Hoarse can’t cultivate the same disrespect for the herd that we Babooners are evidencing, then perhaps C.H. should consider herself twice as far ahead of the trends and wear denim with the insouciance of the truly stylish, who know the rest of the world will catch up to them eventually.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  9. Okay, full disclosure here…I have anxiety when it comes to any clothing issues. Being a “Large Bellied” and ‘Under-Tall’ man my measurements are akin to Kirby Puckett or Mike Tyson with a beer belly, Every time I mention this someone almost always gives unsolicited advice or tips. I use this angst to fuel my new Better Eating/Better Living way of life. I often say that I am wider than I am tall (or short if you are brave enough) so to speak. The cargo or denim shorts I wear are sometimes confused with pants as they almost go down to my ankles. Ho, hum. Thank you, Dr., for allowing me to have a “Safe” place to vocalize my stress and process the feelings. Ahhhhhhhh, let the healing begin.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. In other words, Rico, easier to jump over than walk around. The image makes me 🙂 Is the reason that your cargo pants get confused with long pants that you wear them so low that half your butt is hanging out, or is it due to short legs?

      Like

      Reply

    3. I prefer to think of it this way – Rico has a unique profile. He can’t be confused with anyone else. In the total darkness or bathed in the light of the supermoon, Rico is unmistakable.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. OT–thanks to the baboons for your kind words last evening. The Luverne Hospice Cottage is a wonderful place that provides 24 hour care. I will have to leave Dad there and return to ND.He is ok with that and is excited to be in the same town as his friends and brother. I am stressing about the 500 mile trip today but we will just have to do it as best we can. Dad could use some yoga pants, for comfort and ease of putting on. I will have to see about that when we get back to Minnesota.

    Like

    Reply

    4. How lovely he can be with his buddies. I’m guessing he has known them longer than he has known you :).

      I confess, I enjoy spending time with people who knew me before I was a “responsible adult” too.

      Safe travels and may all be well.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  11. Fashion? Trends? Why? Oh, right, popularity. Approval from others. Riiiiiiiight…I forgot about that. And it’s important because…why? Oh right, because being inherently social creatures, we have some instinct to want to be part of the larger social commune and, therefore, want to ‘fit in.’ Hm. Seems a bit overrated to me. I guess I find my own approval of myself more important than what other people think of me. But I’ve never really followed fashion, so what else could you expect from someone like me. Am I bitter? Not really. Just disappointed at how shallow people can be.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. i was aluughing at myself the other day. i saw a buddy form high school the other week and he is an interesting and observant person. he works in retail at target and was commenting on how i was the only person he knew who figured out his “brand ” in high school. i didnt know what the heck he was talking about. i dont hang with enough of the folks who relate to that stuff. he said you know the clothes the attitude the approach the intensity. i said huh? he said exactly. i guess i wait for my style to come around and luckily it has been on for the last while, maybe not according to my kids. some of my vintage stuff is just old stuff t started breaking in properly 30 or 40 years ago.

      Like

      Reply

  12. I was in NYC last week and noticed a lot of athleisure wear – on the subway, the parks, Fifth Avenue, Pinkberry – you name it! Naturally, when I got home the first thing I did was dig out my yoga pants. I was having a great time wearing them and planning to get more for my next trip to NY… until… I took a good look in the mirror. Let me tell you, I wasted no time changing! But not to worry because I knew I had plenty of t-shirts in the drawer long enough to cover my dimply behind. So my advice to CH is to round up some long t-shirts or move to NYC.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  13. It is good to see that I’m not the only one here who doesn’t have a clue about what yoga pants. And who could not care less. Since becoming an adult I have had (with one brief exception) a consistent personal fashion, a sort of LL Bean-on-a-tight-budget look. It has amused me to read that at times I have been fashionable and at times not, as the LL Bean look went in and out of favor. I am guilty of being fashionable for a few years when I was young and pretty, but my experiment with polyester bell-bottom pants was enough to teach me how little I care about what others think of my clothing. Now arthritis comes along to underscore that lesson, for what an arthritic wears is whatever soft and oversized clothing he or she is able to put on. Funny how I lived so long without noticing that the process of getting dressed involves several complex athletic moves that are no longer in my repertoire (especially in the AM).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. I apparently missed each of the fashion trends that CH mentioned, but I can relate to “if I’m not wearing jeans I feel like I’m pretending to be someone else.” I fell in love with blue jeans as soon as they were popular, and never really left that, except to find the ones with elastic waists. And at this point the elastic waist even trumps the denim.

    Like

    Reply

    2. I feel like I’m pretending to be someone else when I wear a scarf artistically draped or tied around my neck. Doesn’t matter how good it looks on somebody else, on me it doesn’t feel right.

      Like

      Reply

        1. I have several scarves, BiR, that I’ll be happy to contribute to the cause. I’ve given up ever feeling legit in them, no matter what.

          Liked by 1 person

  15. Don’t know if this is of interest to anyone, but thought I’d alert Twin Cities baboons to this event.

    Friends of HCL Bookstore Storewide Bag Sale

    Is your home library lacking? Have you reduced your reading? Lamented your sorrowful selection?

    From Saturday, September 13 through Saturday, September 20 Friends of HCL Bookstore is holding a STOREWIDE
    bag sale. Fill a paper grocery bag with all the books you can (reasonably) fit for only $5 per bag! The sale includes books, magazines, CDs, DVDs and more.

    The sale will be held at the Bookstore during its regular hours. It is located on the first floor of Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.

    Operating for more than 31 years, Friends of HCL Bookstore offers some of the best bargains in town for book lovers. With the support of 20 volunteers, our store sells a combination of books no longer needed in the Library’s collection and books donated by Library patrons.
    Proceeds from sales benefit Friends of HCL and the Hennepin County
    Libraries.

    Like

    Reply

    1. If I take a bag full of books, will they give ME $5? Yesterday, I took a huge bag of Teenager’s books (from when she was 12 & 13) to work and put them out on a table w/ “Free” signage. Only 5 left this morning!

      Like

      Reply

  16. If it’s okay to pitch events, my good friend John Rezmerski is reading poetry at Dreamhaven Books in South Minneapolis tonight. The reading isn’t posted on the store website, alas, but as I recall it starts at 6:30 and ends at 8. Rez is not only a terrific poet, but a very fun one; he doesn’t read it anymore because his wind isn’t up for it, but one of his old favorites incorporated a Tarzan yell. He doesn’t just do science fiction themes either (a recent series has explored the Dakota War) so we’ll see what the mix tonight is like.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Pitch away. I looked him up on line… I like the pieces he has on his website… particularly like Counting Sheep. Sorry I can’t make it though I would like to and Dreamhaven isn’t too far from me. Alas, I have choir tonight!

      Like

      Reply

  17. l can’t stand wearing jeans because, even at my skinny weight, they create a muffin top. Plus, they are so binding when sitting down. l live in yoga pants, but never knew that’s what they were. Still not sure, but l think they’re a bit bell-bottomed stretchy pants with a 6″ stretchy waist band. l think

    Over the last couple of years, l’ve noticed spreading crepe paper skin appearing. Very fine little wrinkles showing up on thinner skin as the months go by. lt started with my upper arms, then my torso, and has now made its way down to the skin above my knees. This particular aspect to aging is so unacceptable to me that l’ve taken to covering up the most wrinkly parts of my body. This alone has cut my wardrobe in half. l no longer wear halter tops and shorts, and these items have been my staples for years.

    lf l can’t adapt or accept these skin changes, l’ll wind up covering my body from neck to ankle. Oh the vanity!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. My suggestion: buy a can of black spray paint and cover every square inch of your mirrors (except those in your car needed for navigation!) Instead of “mirror mirror on the wall, who is the . . . . ” the new program would be “mirror mirror on the wall, F**K YOU!” And then you are free to wear any damn thing you please. Your clients won’t be bothered and the cats will probably applaud the difference. 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  18. l’ve also had WordPress issues today! First, it wouldn’t allow me to post anything that wasn’t in such tiny print that it couldn’t be read at all, then, just now, the site was so buffered that it took five minutes to even open.

    Like

    Reply

  19. Dale, you have reached new heights with this post and especially with that lovely photo of Dr. Babooner in yoga pants in that pose. Between that picture and all the comments, I haven’t laughted so much in a long time.

    I think Clothes Hoarse is looking for fashion advice in the wrong place. If we are all Dr. Babooner, it sounds like none of us give a darn about fashion and most of us never did.. My fashion sense, if you can even call it that, was developed in a place where people dress for the weather. If what you wear in the winter doesn’t keep you warm, then you better change into something that does keep you warm, and who cares if your hair is flattened by wearing a warm hat, it’s better than getting frostbite and absolutely nobody would ever consider wearing something like high heels in the snow and cold.

    What I would like to know is how on earth I gave birth 24 1/2 years ago to a girl who cares so much about how she looks that she would rather freeze than wear something that isn’t flattering (flattering, according to her)? And it takes her about 45 minutes to get her face pretty enough to go to the library for a book…when I thought her face was pretty enough before she started getting ready. How did this happen?

    Like

    Reply

    1. If you figure this out, please let me know as I have the same daugher at my house!

      In a similar vein I just emailed my sibling (the one visiting next week) to tell her to bring jeans, warm socks and a jacket or sweatshirt. Coming from Missouri, it will be COLD for her!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. So, already drawing the boundaries, she can’t borrow a sweatshirt from you? Relax, vs, you’ll both be just fine – I hope. Having a rather tenuous sibling relationship with my sister, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. Might even light a candle.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  20. Safe in Minnesota! I buy clothes in bulk at far spaced intervals. I have an order arriving Monday-mainly sweaters and corduroy pants. I need comfort at work. I also purchased a new skirt, so that now I need nylons.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. Today I was reading The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, and came across Helene Hanff’s account of reading a description of herself in a newspaper after an author appearance in 1971: “She steps into London, frightfully trim in a chic navy trouser-suit from Saks and a foulard tied French-style.”

    Hanff had this to say:
    Kill yourself tying an ascot and it comes out French-style. Story of my life.
    You can’t imagine how funny it strikes me when somebody calls me chic. I’m wearing the same kind of clothes I’ve worn all my life and for years I was looked on as a bohemian mess. My sister-in-law Alice, for instance, used to wear herself out every year trying to find a shoulder bag to give me for Christmas because I wouldn’t carry a handbag and nobody else wore shoulder bags so no manufacturers made them. (Handbags make you choose between your wallet, your glasses and your cigarettes. Choose two of the three and maybe you can get the bag closed.) I also wouldn’t wear high heels because I like to walk, and you can’t walk if your feet hurt. And I lived in jeans and slacks because skirts are drafty in winter and hamper you when you walk, and besides, if you’re wearing pants nobody knows there’s a run in one stocking.
    So for years I was this sartorial horror who ran around in low heels, pants and shoulder bags. I still run around that way – and after a lifetime of being totally out of it, I’m so With It my pant suit gets a rave review in the     Evening Standard.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Not that I’d in any way compare myself to Hanff, but I can totally relate. Unlike her, however, I’ve never had to worry about a review of my appearance anywhere – except by my mother.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a reply to tim Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.