There’s an expression going round that “staying in is the new going out”. While this may not be strictly true for everyone, there is definitely a growing trend for lots of us to spend more time at home, replacing the traditional FOMO with the new JAMO (joy at missing out).
This transformation hasn’t just affected our leisure options, replacing trips to the movies with streaming at home for example, it’s also seen a change in the clothes that many of us choose to wear.
In fact, it’s given birth to a whole new category – loungewear. And you know it’s thing when even the legendary Anna Wintour is seen sporting track pants in an edition of the Italian Vogue.
Before loungewear there was athleisure – in fact, many kinds of athleisurewear fit very neatly into the new category, providing that they meet a few criteria. But loungewear has an altogether more laid-back vibe to it so you’re not going to be heading out on a run or to the gym in your carefully chosen trousers and tops, it is more likely to be a matching set.
Like the name suggests, it’s all about wearing the right clothes to lounge around in, but with one other consideration. It also has to be smart enough to be seen out on the street, or at the store, wearing it.
Softly does it
Because comfort is the number one priority when it comes to loungewear, it all starts with the fabric. This needs to be soft to the touch, warm and practical too. So first and foremost, this means a focus on natural fibres like cotton and wool. Where manufactured fabrics are used this is generally for more practical purposes such as stretchability and moisture wicking for those times when you do need to exert yourself a little.
For times like these, when you might want to break off from your Netflix watching to shoot a few hoops on a local court instead, there’s always the choice of a two piece shirt and short set. This is also where you may be able to indulge your love of bright colours in the loungewear arena, something not generally associated with the style, as we’re about to see.
Muted and subtle
After all, loungewear is all about relaxation. So, for the most part you want the colours that you’re wearing to be gentle and relaxing.
Tones of gray and beige are the quintessential palette for the style along with blue and black too. That way they will also blend in effortlessly with plenty of other items in your wardrobe.
A winning combination
So those are the basic principles. But how are you going to put them into practice? The great thing about loungewear is that it’s almost endlessly interchangeable. Starting with your top half, the essential go-to item has to be a classic cotton sweatshirt worn over the t-shirt of your choice. For extra warmth and comfort, swap this for a hoodie and move on up to a wool mix. So big a hit is the loungewear style that these are now even starting to appear in cashmere and merino wool. Investing in cashmere might seem extravagant at first, but it really is a year-round material so you could well get double the wear from it.
Then just pair any of these tops with a super-soft and comfortable pair of track pants or jogging bottoms. These don’t have to be the shapeless ones that we see everywhere these days. Just as premium fabrics are now being used for loungewear, an element of tailoring is going into these too.
So, look for ones with tapered legs and more precise detailing and you’ll be on to a winning look and style.
Good for in, or out.
It all adds to the fact that the best loungewear is more than good enough to wear in the outside world, within reason of course.
So, make that investment now and get ready to relax.
