The weekend is a glorious time; students are freed from the confines of cramped lecture chairs and lackadaisical courses and are given the gift of a brief intermission from regular responsibilities. Yet with great power, as Spiderman once said, comes great responsibility. This notion, unbeknownst to many Columbia students, is all too often ignored at the coming of each Sunday morning. Manifest in the sheer volume of tattered sweatpants-wearing students is this blatant affront; public indecencies are far more prevalent in the bright afternoon sun than under the cloak of darkness.
I’m only sort of kidding about the epileptic-shock inducing capabilities of a particularly dismal, tattered pair of high school prom sweatpants. Therefore, when I spotted this fresh-faced student leaving her dorm at the ungodly hour of 11 on a Sunday morning, I clambered at the opportunity to crystallize a moment of glory. This student gets it. She wears a pair of plain black leggings that are comparable to their ugly cousin –– the sweatpant –– on the comfortable scale. These simple leggings are a staple: their dreamlike elasticity lends an equal amount of structure and comfort that sweatpants simply do not.
Atop her H&M leggings, this student dons a sheer, white striped tank top. The loose-fitted shirt is breathable and a perfect alternative to your dad’s old undershirt. Layered over her sheer shir is a notably more structured Madewell denim dress shirt. The shirt functions as a jacket suitable for April’s mild temperature and adds structure to her not-so-lazy Sunday ensemble.
This weekend, instead of grabbing for the tattered heap of material that was once a pair of Bat Mitzvah sweatpants, opt for leggings. You will feel instantly free when you toss those party paraphernalia, which all too often scream “PrOpErTy of Jenny’s BaT MitZ OcTobEr 21, 2006” in capital, neon font into the trash. You can wear leggings for just as many years without the general public knowing the exact expiration date of your most comfortable wear.
