As a young girl, I used to daydream about waking up in a classy Breakfast at Tiffany’s tuxedo sleep shirt, envisioning myself leisurely flipping through the morning paper in my New York City apartment. In these fantasies, the fridge would only contain martini olives and a frosty bottle of vodka— symbols of my elegant solitude.
In these fantasies, if a man were present, he'd be depicted as a missing person, subtly indicating his absence was a result of my actions. There I'd stand, draped in an iconic feathery "I killed my husband" robe, with a cigarette lightly resting between my lips, projecting an aura of innocence.
Fast forward to now, and looking back, I can see I've definitely tackled some daddy issues. But here I am, rocking mustard stains and a hole near the crotch of my 10 year old sweatpants, happily chilling at home. The cards life dealt me have me closer to Adam Sandler chic than looking like I murdered my husband, and what of it?
On a recent trip to Japan, where I was greeted with slippers and a yukata at my homestay, my eyes were opened to the diverse cultural norms surrounding lounge attire. I’m reminded of my family in Spain, where they have a distinct practice of rigorously changing from their formal "ropa de domingo" (Sunday best) to more relaxed clothes after church. I always had friends in my hometown who were averse to wearing outdoor clothes inside, but it took me over 20 years to fully appreciate this practice. Now, the thought of sitting on my clean couch in the jeans I wore on public transport feels unsettling, and wearing my nicer clothes while cooking is definitely out of the question.
Reflecting on the disparity between what I envision wearing at home and what I actually wear sparked some questions: What does my behind-the-scenes attire say about me and my priorities? Is it fine to settle for mustard-stained pants when I'm by myself? Should I elevate my loungewear to show self-appreciation? And generally, do more women lean towards a relaxed Adam Sandler vibe or a more polished, starlet look in their home attire?
So, I delved into the research. What loungewear is actually popular among women? Is there a real benefit to luxury loungewear over the classic, comfy favorites? I decided to start with the basics: sweatpants. After all, there's no rush to change everything at once.
I'm creating a go-to loungewear guide (sweats, sweaters, pjs, robes) and value your recommendations. Share your favorite sweatpants and loungewear picks in the comments. This guide will be a handy resource with everything in one place for informed choices, with no rush to buy. I'll be sharing it with my subscribers.
I'm totally swamped with spreadsheets and digging into data from real buyers and here’s the rub so far:
Interestingly, many women prefer men's sweatpants. Men’s sweatpants generally have bigger pockets (holding back an income disparity remark), are a thicker material and can be cheaper, thanks to the pink tax. Most loved men’s brands are: Mack Weldon’s Ace Sweatpant and Reigning Champ sweats. But it seems a classic Gildan Fleece or Champion jogger will do too.
Now (early spring) is a great time to shop for sweatpants, with many sales available. It’s shoulder season, everyone is thinking about bathing suits and flip flops (guys, i'm still freezing) but now through summer will be a good time to buy if you’re in the market.
Mack Weldon Ace Men’s Sweatpants are $53.99 down from $78 here.
Le Bon Shoppe Balloon Pants are marked down from $110 to $89 here: and here:
REI has some coveted Vuori pants on sale here and here.
There’s only a couple of these $60 marked down from $198 Tibi Calder Sweats here. (heads up, apparently they run quite large!) and there’s some sculpted sweatshirts on the site for sale here.
Many women aren’t exactly lounging in their loungewear. They're busy doing all sorts of things - cooking, cleaning, getting barfed on - you know, the works. So, wearing super expensive clothes that could get ruined? Not really an option for the daily grind at home. That doesn't mean they don't think about sprucing up their wardrobe now and then. But buying silk pajamas can be a wake-up call when you realize wearing them doesn't transform you into the relaxed, elegant person you envisioned. It helps distinguish between "the person I aspire to be," "the person I am willing to be," and "the person I can afford to be." When it comes down to it, a lot of women look for clothes that can handle a bit of a beating the majority of the time, not so much the fancy silk shirts or sexy negligees, especially when there's so much going on.
Merino > Cashmere. When luxury comes to mind, I instantly think of cashmere pants. However, after delving into 700 cashmere pant reviews, it seems cashmere pants might be overrated? Especially for pants, a quality technical fabric proves to be far more comfortable and low-maintenance. But if you have a close relationship with a fabric shaver, and you’re set on springing for cashmere pants, Naadam's 100% Pure Cashmere Lounge Pants are lauded as the best overall. Also, maybe I couldn't deal with a shaver for a Cashmere pant, but for a Cashmere Jumpsuit like this, now, I might be able to make an exception?
Apparently Everlane, Naked Cashmere, and Quince provide noteworthy alternatives in the cashmere segment.
Old Navy and Costco are looking like leaders. Old Navy and Costco are emerging as front-runners in the loungewear game—yes, you heard that right. While I'm delving into acclaimed favorites like Leset's Rio Wide Leg, Aritzia's TNA, Uniqlo, and the much-loved Vuori, it's the Old Navy , Costco (<—the link here is for Men’s, Women’s restocking in spring) and even Stars Above Target selections that are surprisingly stealing the show. I'd love to be the one introducing you to an exquisite Loewe track pant or a niche, up and coming label. However, the truth is, according to thorough feedback, Old Navy and Costco are offering loungewear that can hold its own against high-end brands, as confirmed by many women who've experienced the spectrum of options.
Is this newsletter now covertly endorsed by Old Navy? Absolutely not. Even though it may seem that way, after dedicating over 25+ hours to data analysis, the evidence is undeniable. It feels bizarre to recommend loungewear from a retailer famous for its $1.50 hot dog combo, yet here we are! Embrace the unexpected! Live love lounge!
Now tell me, who out there is secretly reading this in a pair of Old Navy or Costco sweatpants and loving life? What else are we wearing? What have you tried? What do you love? Drop it in the comments.
Til next time,
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I feel so out of sync with the times and this is probably something I shouldn’t reveal, but I have started to wear Betty Draper house coats and dresses. I cringe a little at turning into my mother and grandmother but I will admit they are comfortable and easy. I don’t know where they fall in terms of a fashion statement but I figured they are no more or less elevated than sweats.
What an amazing topic - as chic and luxurious as silk pajamas and robes are, there is no world in which I'll purchase a set as I have a dog with very sharp claws and I absolutely refuse to dry clean something that will need to be cleaned weekly.
I can't wait to read the rest of this series! My favorite sweatpants are any pair of Lululemon joggers in the 7/8 length as they fit perfectly on my shorter frame. Lulu can be pricy, but I try to make good use of the sale section, although I sometimes end up with weird patterns. I used to not care as much about the weird patterns since I was just wearing these clothes by myself at home, but since getting a dog, I find it a bit awkward to wear clashing patterns on walks 😂. I don't need any new sweatpants at the moment but have made a personal pact to only buy plain colored sweatpants in the future, even if I have to spend a little more per item.