My college wardrobe isn’t lazy.

Don’t get me wrong — it isn’t haute couture, or anything that I would wear to meet the president, but it isn’t lazy.

Every day, as I’m walking from class to class (or library to class, dining hall to library, etc.) I hear people say things to the effect of, “yeah, I really went for the whole ‘lazy college student look today,” while wearing workout gear, leggings, sweatpants, or something else of that nature. I’m not going to lie, I’m a big fan of this look. I spend the winter switching off pairs of black leggings, and only occasionally wearing jeans.

I do have to ask: What about this look makes wearers lazy? It’s not unique, it doesn’t take much thought, and it’s comfortable. But is this enough to make us lazy for wearing it? I don’t think so.

As students, we have to balance sports, clubs, mealtimes and, of course, schoolwork. Naturally, being able to do all of these things at once is a balancing act that often forces us to sacrifice some sleep, and to treasure every moment that we’re not busy. At the time that I’m writing this, I’m finishing up the first week of the school year, and I’m absolutely exhausted. I know that I will be walking around in a constant state of exhaustion for the next few months.

If I’m sleep-deprived, trying to get good grades, and having to schedule out every moment of every day, why the hell wouldn’t I at least want to be comfortable too? Does it make me lazy to want to wear leggings instead of jeans while spending hours studying, or while walking across campus in the freezing New England winter?

Here’s the thing — I’ve never heard anyone describe someone else as lazy for dressing this way. I’ve only heard the adjective being used by someone to describe himself or herself. This is probably because, for the most part, in college, no one cares how you dress. Sure, if you’re listening to a prominent guest lecturer, it’s probably a good idea to dress a little nicer. But for day-to-day classes? I prefer comfort.

Of course, there’s also nothing wrong with preferring to dress nicely every day. I just prefer to spend the extra minutes that would be spent coordinating an outfit sleeping and to throw on leggings with a flannel shirt or a sweater and boots in the morning.