Parade of Yoga Pants Stretches Blocks in 'Healthy Protest' Against Body Shaming

BARRINGTON, RI — Hadn't you heard? Women over 20 should not wear yoga pants unless they are yoga-ing.

Apparently that message was not received by the hundreds of women marching past the Rhode Island man's house who criticized the casual use of yoga apparel.

It was "only good vibes" at Sunday's yoga pants parade, according to dozens who participated.

Jamie Patrice, of Barrington, organized the event -- benefiting Sojourner House, which helps domestic violence victims.

She and other women were riled over a letter published in The Barrington Times, a weekly newspaper. In his fashion statement, Alan Sorrentino advised women over 20 their yoga garb should not be seen outside the yoga studio.

It's tough to include everything offensive in Sorrentino's letter into one story, but here's some of it:

• "Not since the mini-skirt has there been something worn by so many women that should never have it on in the first place."
• "Like the mini-skirt, yoga pants can be adorable on children and young woman who have the benefit of nature's blessing of youth."
• "What’s next? Wearing a ‘‘Speedo’’ to the supermarket? Imagine if men did that. Yuck!"

So, women donned their yoga pants and marched past his house.

"Let's take a leisurely walk down Knapton Street wearing our most comfortable pair of yoga pants," Patrice wrote on the Facebook event page. "This is not a hateful protest against Alan. This a wonderful group of people celebrating our bodies and our right to cover them however we see fit. And while yoga pants seem to be a silly thing to fight for, they are representative of something much bigger - Misogyny and the history of men policing womens bodies," she continued.

Sorrentino didn't find the protest of exceedingly comfortable women all too comforting. He told The Boston Globe he felt bullied by the parade and said the parade's offer to have him join in a pair of yoga pants was humiliating. He also said he has received death threats.

The women who strolled down Knapton Street were greeted with a "FREE SPEECH" sign when they passed his house.

Several men commented on the event's Facebook page to offer the women moral support, including Steve StAngelo.

"Yoga pants matter," he wrote.

Photo from Facebook Event public page

Mike Carraggi, Patch staff, contributed to this article.