Last week brought the two-year anniversary of the tragedy that took place at Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza, the home of a handful of fast fashion garment factories, which collapsed on April 24, 2013. The details that emerged shortly after the tragedy were harrowing: over three thousand people were in the building at the time of the collapse, over two thousand were injured by the collapse, and over one thousand lost their lives.
Sometimes Amy Mains wears black yoga pants to work. She adds a scarf, accessories, and a shirt long enough to cover her backside. “Just making sure everything is as crisp as it can be when you’re wearing tights,” she said.
Like many office workers, Mains, 31, wants three things from her workwear: comfort, convenience, and a professional look. Her go-to Lululemons meet two out of three, allowing her to switch from her San Francisco communications job to a studio without need of a gym bag: “It’s primarily for comfort, but I do a lot of yoga,” she said.
On the style front, though, a few bangles and a long shirt can’t distract from the fact she’s wearing clothing made for sweating, not working. Her yoga pants may be a welcome escape from the restrictive tyranny of shift dresses, but they still aren’t entirely office-appropriate. Mains knows this, reserving the stretch pants for days when she won’t see many other humans.
