An Australian man has revealed an odd habit he has slowly noticed Melburnians adopting, and it’s left him wondering when the once-unusual act became normalised.
The man says he has been living in Melbourne for decades, and has begun to notice an increasing number of people wearing pyjamas and dressing gowns out of the house.
He made a post on Reddit asking when the habit shifted from being viewed as unusual to completely normal.
“I’m in Melbourne. When did it become normal to wear pyjamas and dressing gowns when going out of the house?” he asked.
“Like going to the shops or something. I think I’ve seen it happening up to ten or twenty years or longer.”
Commenters weighed in on the keen observation, with the majority rationalising the act.
“Life is hard. Let me be comfy. If my hygiene isn’t a problem, mind your business,” one person wrote.
“If you’re just ducking out to grab a snack, why get changed first? And yes, PJs are always more comfortable,” wrote another.
Another commenter said they used to dress for people’s approval, whereas now they prioritise comfort.
“When I was younger, I used to dress for others’ approval and don’t get me wrong, I liked my outfits, but I was never truly comfortable,” they wrote.
They added the COVID pandemic likely contributed to people changing their perceptions of what was “acceptable to wear outside”.
“When the pandemic happened, specifically in Melbourne, everyone’s perception of what was acceptable to wear outside shifted, with people being inside for so long,” they added.
“As long as your clothing isn’t filthy and your private parts aren’t on display … who cares? Let people be comfortable,” another commenter wrote.
Another person mentioned it was a reprieve from the daily effort people put into looking presentable for work.
“We spend our days dressed up for work – the last thing we feel like doing is getting dolled up to go to the shops too,” they wrote.
Another said the habit wasn’t unique to Melbourne and had spread to all other parts of Australia.
“This is a thing in literally every city in the country,” they wrote.