Loungewear Trend: Teens In PJ's All Day

More trend-conscious teens are looking as if they just rolled out of bed, wearing layers of loungewear to class at schools across the country.

And some adults are finding the look just plain sloppy.

Juliana Dokas,13, wears a pair of red-plaid flannel pants to Murray Junior High in St. Paul, Minn., along with a rotation of baggy sweatpants and flared yoga pants. She pairs them with a "cami" (camisole tank top), a "hoodie" (hooded sweatshirt) and fuzzy slippers. "It's both comfortable and cool," the eighth-grader says of her lounge-around style.

Retailers are jumping on the pajamas-every-day trend, with stores like Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale and Pink, a sub-brand of Victoria's Secret, giving loungewear prominent display. American Eagle Outfitters' Aerie brand merchandises sweatpants, leggings and other relaxed styles with a variety of shirts. A wide neck is key, says Jennifer Foyle, chief merchandising officer, because "girls are wanting to show their bra straps."

As with a lot of teen behavior, some adults are annoyed. In Louisiana's Caddo Parish, which encompasses Shreveport, Commissioner Michael Williams is getting national attention for taking a stand. He plans to propose an ordinance outlawing the wearing of pajamas in public.

"The moral fiber in America is dwindling away," Williams says. "It's pajamas today; what is it going to be tomorrow? Walking around in your underwear?"

At schools in Florida's Broward County, the Code of Student Conduct reads, "Garments including, but not limited to, pajamas, boxer shorts, bloomers, and bustiers, which were traditionally designed as undergarments, sleepwear or beachwear, may not be worn as outer garments."

Many parents, though, figure there are worse looks their teens could try. After all, the pajama look isn't objectionable in the sense of being too tight, too short or too revealing.

Amy Liter, of Batesville, Ind., says her 14-year-old daughter, Meg, regularly sports the pajama look. "Kids can get away with that kind of stuff," Liter says. "I think our standards have come down a lot."

Brittany Barnhart, an 18-year-old college freshman in Ypsilanti, Mich., often wore sweatpants and yoga pants in high school. She had been with the same group of teachers and students for four years, and she figured, "So why try?"

Since graduating, Barnhart has opted for jeans and boots most days. "In college, everybody's a lot more mature," she says. "Also, you never know who you are going to see."

Catherine Moellering, head of trend-spotting firm Tobe, traces the roots of the pajama look back more than a decade, to a time when Juicy Couture velour tracksuits were the rage. More recently, adult women have taken to wearing yoga pants for all kinds of non-yogic activities, such as running errands around town.

Designers like Michael Kors and Dolce & Gabbana have shown pajama-influenced styles on the runway. Last fall, the designer Rachel Roy wore a striped pajama set -- with stilettos -- to a movie premiere. Read more:WSJ