As the weather gets increasingly colder, the urge to slip into something soft and warm becomes stronger.  Every year, I see dozens of students roaming the hallways dressed in sweatpants. Girls can cheat the system by wearing leggings under long tunics or dresses, but guys just look downright lazy when they show up in sweatpants to school.

And no, it doesn’t improve your look if your sweatpants have a college logo ironed on the side of a pant leg.

Dictionary.com describes sweatpants as “loose-fitting pants of soft, absorbent fabric, as cotton jersey, usually with a drawstring at the waist and close-fitting or elastic cuffs at the ankles” and says that they are “commonly worn during athletic activity for warmth or to induce sweating.”

Sweatpants are strictly meant to be worn to athletic events or at home on a lazy Sunday.  But when students wear sweatpants to school, they portray themselves as unmotivated and sleepy.  Students may even begin to feel lethargic because baggy sweatpants are perfect for a relaxed environment, like home.

Sweatpants also make weight-gain more likely.  Because of the stretchy waist-band, you may gain weight and not realize it.  Eventually sweatpants will be the only item that fits you because you cannot squeeze into anything else.

Instead of wearing sweatpants, students should buy three pairs of pants that fit them well.  For guys this means buying jeans that don’t fall off or buying a belt.  For girls, this means being able to pull on pants without having to suck in the tummy or lie down on the bed.  Beware that some pants may shrink in the wash.

If the weather is a problem, find jeans insulated with fleece.

Sweatpants will never be flattering on anyone, so don’t try to find fashionable sweatpants; they don’t exist.  Instead, go shopping and buy jeans, corduroys or even linen pants.

Anything will look better than sweatpants.