Hey, Answer Girl -

Why do so many people in Casper wear their pajamas in public? At first I thought this was a new trend in America; however, I travel extensively and found it to only be in the town of Casper.

-Wes

Let me begin by saying that I am not a public pajama person. I'm all about freedom, and if people want to look like they're at a slumber party while wandering through Wal-Mart in the middle of the day, so be it. But I'm not a member of that party.

I often go out in my jeans and a hoodie, hair hidden by my favorite Cubs hat. And I do own two drawers full of cute, stylish pajama sets. My best friend purchased most of them for me as a wedding gift, knowing how quickly I change out of work-appropriate attire at the end of the day. I watch television, sleep (of course), read, lounge, clean, and even cook dinner in my pajamas.

But when I realize I've forgotten to buy potatoes, or we're out of milk, or we desperately need toilet paper (yes, right now, this second), I - or my husband, Dan, who is usually the one forced to retrieve such items - somehow manage to put our pants on before going to Albertson's.

Next, I must argue that this problem is not Casper-specific. Indeed, the pants-in-public look was flaunted often by college students in Chicago when I lived there. And columnists around the country have lamented public pajama people for years, from Florida to Texas to Hawaii. In 2009, a columnist in Michigan wrote about his experience with people wearing pajamas in courtrooms - and no, not the prison kind. The flannel, checkered kind.

In Shanghai, China, a major war is being fought between public jammie wearers and those who think it's inappropriate.

Dallas News columnist James Ragland, after encountering three pajama-laden women in the grocery store on Christmas Eve in 2007, thinks it's a self-respect thing, as well as an "I'm-not-going-to-do-what-society-expects" thing.

So whom do we blame? Is it Target's fault for offering such a wide variety of adorable pajama sets? And are those pajama sets adorable enough to warrant public wear?

Now, schools have to ban pajamas as they once banned chains and spikes and inappropriately short skirts.

It's obviously a comfort thing, and possibly a social disorder thing, but mostly, I'd go with laziness.

I know I, for one, sometimes feel too lazy to put on pants. That's when Dan runs to the grocery store, fully clothed, and I stay home in my pajamas.

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