Welcome bedbugs – it’s time to reignite the debate about “indoor” versus “outdoor” clothing

Forget the Myers-Briggs personality test: if you really want to find out what someone is really like, there's only one question to ask yourself: do you have loungewear only?

It's a divisive prompt, and the results tend to leave people in two wardrobe camps. There are those who come home from work and immediately change into “house clothes,” and those who are happy to collapse on their couch in the same outfit they wore to work. If that last sentence made you shudder, you know where your allegiance lies.

The debate last erupted on social media in 2020, when it There were increased concerns about the cleanliness of clothing and the spread of Covid-19. Now, with the looming threat of a bedbug infestation, the talk is poised to return to our lives.

Earlier this week, a TikTok video from What appeared to be a bedbug crawling up a passenger's leg on the London Underground has gone viral. On Tuesday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said bedbugs were a “real cause for concern”. Blood-sucking insects have been reported on public transport in Manchester and Liverpool.

So, is it time for the in-and-out wardrobe to be taken seriously? serious ? “I always recommend wearing indoor and outdoor clothing,” says Jason Tetro, microbiologist and author of The Germ Files. “I know that when I go out in public, my clothes will come into contact with germs. So I go in, change my clothes and no longer have to worry about potential pathogens. The same approach applies to reducing the risk of bed bugs. .pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class=" dcr-173mewl">< p class="dcr-1jv7e0x">Online, loungewear advocates point out that they are different from pajamas. For those unfamiliar, think of them as the equivalent of an amuse-bouche in your wardrobe, presented between work and bedtime. These could be leggings or lounge pants worn with a t-shirt or hoodie. Or silk pants and a cashmere sweater The main difference is that they have not been soiled by public transport seats, dragged to a local cafe or dragged to a supermarket.

In many cultures, household clothing is common practice. On Refinery29 in 2020, writer Connie Wang wrote about how the tradition was instilled in her by her Chinese parents: "I grew up learning to leave my shoes in the garage, put on slippers in the locker room, and go straight in my locker room. bedroom – no detours...