The consensus on yoga pants seems to be that “They are so dang comfy!” Now, with a little more questioning you will probably start to hear answers like, “I look like I’m going to the gym, and guys dig that,” (some don’t even go that far and shamelessly wear them with a winter sweater). Others might say, “I think they make me look hot”; or, “They make my backside look more fit.” Now, I’m not saying that trying to be attractive is bad, but to many, these skin-tight leggings are going a little too far. They find it hard to believe that body-hugging tights would be worn in public for any reason other than sexual attraction and are definitely what the dress code describes as “form fitting.” Obviously not everyone shares this opinion.
Walking around campus today I bet you saw dozens of girls sporting yoga pants. If you asked them why they got up this morning and pulled on their yoga pants, they probably won’t say it’s because they want to show everyone their pelvic region, get their friends to think about sex or encourage sexual behavior. Unfortunately, though, that’s the message that some people are receiving whether or not it is intended. According to Desmond Morris, a behaviorist who studied the effects of dress, “It is impossible to wear clothes without transmitting social signals.” We do not want this to happen at BYU. It is also not fair to expect the onlooker to censor their sightline. That is like leaving your mess for someone else to take care of. We should all be engaged in making our world better not asking what it can do for us. That being said, the beautiful women of BYU should not wear yoga pants outside of exercise and private leisure.
Christian Hales
Salt Lake City
