TikTok user Yasmine, known as @yasminesays, took to TikTok to explain the cultural practice of wearing separate clothes at home after an influencer faced backlash for saying she has specific outfits she only wears around the house.
Yasmine, who has Arabic and Iranian backgrounds, explained that some cultures have what are commonly referred to as “house dresses” or “house clothes.” She said people may have specific outfits for wearing at home and others for going out, with pajamas generally reserved for the bedroom.
In a video that received more than 55,000 likes and 1,400 comments, Yasmine explained that having separate clothing for home and going out is a normal practice in many cultures.
She suggested that the influencer may have received less criticism if she had referred to the outfits as “loungewear,” since Western audiences are generally familiar with the concept of having clothes specifically for relaxing at home. “Cultures differ. It’s an actual thing,” Yasmine said while explaining why she didn’t understand the backlash surrounding the influencer’s clothing choices.
@yasminesays But if she referred to it as ‘loungewear’ it’s more Westernly acceptable? ? #housedress #comfyclothes #loungewear
♬ original sound - Yasmine Shaban
Yasmine’s explanation sparked a broader conversation about whether people wear separate clothes at home and outside. Several commenters said the practice is common in their own cultures and families.
“My mom wears house dresses everyday and we are Caribbean. It’s normal,” one person commented.
“I’m a Black American. Every mother in my neighborhood wore a house dress. We used to call them ‘housecoats,’” another wrote.
A commenter also said the practice is common in Chinese culture.
“Chinese culture is the same, you don’t put your outside clothes on the bed AT ALL. You might have breakfast in your pyjamas but you then dress in home clothes,” they wrote.
Another commenter suggested that more people should embrace the concept of having separate clothes for home and going out. “We have ‘home clothes’ and ‘outside clothes,’ which is so normal. Who is this influencer? Because ppl should be influenced!” they wrote.
Commenters Debate Wearing ‘Outside Clothes’ at Home
The discussion also turned to what people consider appropriate clothing to wear inside their homes, with several commenters questioning why anyone would continue wearing jeans or other outside clothes after coming home.
“I’m so confused like people wear jeans in the house? Isn’t that uncomfortable?” one commenter asked.
Another person said their fiancé regularly wears jeans or work clothes at home, which they found unusual.
“I tried to explain this to my fiancé. He literally will sleep in jeans or his work clothes and that grosses me out. I always tell him you don’t wear outside clothes at home let alone in the bed. So now when he gets home, he changes to lounging clothes. Maybe I should get some dresses,” they wrote.
While the specific clothing traditions differ between cultures and families, the comments showed that having designated clothes for home is not unique to one cultural background.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the cultural practices described in Yasmine’s video or the circumstances surrounding the influencer’s original backlash. The discussion is based on @yasminesays’ explanation and comments from TikTok users.
