Top tips for dressing up your loungewear
The loungewear revolution is far from over, but wearing your coziest clothes around town still requires a little strategy and tact. While you can’t just slip some loafers on and show up to a meeting wearing your favorite Henley and joggers, you can pull off business casual (or just plain casual) with the right styling and attitude.
Not sure how to work your favorite lounge attire outside of the house? Don’t worry - we’ve got your back. This loungewear guide can help you elevate your outfit from underdressed to dressed-to-impress without giving up an inch of comfort.
Sizing is crucial
Pulling off a classy loungewear look begins with smart, accurate sizing. After all, if your clothing isn’t well-tailored to your body, it will draw the wrong kind of attention. We’re not going for a ‘just rolled out of bed and still wearing your pajamas’ look here.
So how do you find the right fit? Think like Goldilocks and nail that happy medium. If your clothes are too tight, you’ll look (and feel) uncomfortable and restricted. Too loose, and you’ll look puffy and sloppy. This holds true for every body type. So find the size that fits you best without being too loose or too tight, and it will streamline your physique and accentuate your best assets.
Take some time to try out different sizes and see what feels right. You should be able to lift your arms in a shirt without creating big fabric loops around the collar, and it shouldn’t show off your belly either. The seams should line up with your shoulders, and the sleeves shouldn’t come all the way down to your elbow or sit too close to your shoulders.
Pants, of course, should stay well above your crack, and they should have plenty of give in the knees or you’ll wear them out quickly. They should also pass the pinch test on the outside of your thighs - you should be able to easily pinch about an inch of fabric in your fingers, and less than two inches.
Skip the sweatpants
Sweatpants are fine for the gym or lounging around the house. However, they aren’t a good look for everyday wear. They are shapeless, and people with shorter legs might find them dragging under their shoes or collecting street gunk.
Lounge joggers are where the action is. They offer plenty of space in the crotch to let you move, yet have a tapered leg to keep them from sagging at the knees and elastic cuffs to help them stay at your ankle. Joggers also have functional pockets to keep your wallet, phone, and keys stowed away. They can help you stay zipper-free without looking like you gave up on your appearance or are late to your spin class.
Elevate your look with the right layers
The lounge crew neck has a modern fit that avoids the boxy appearance of standard t-shirts. Wearing it with a sport coat for a relaxed look helps set an easygoing but respectable tone, whether you’re on a first date or meeting up with friends at a trendy bar or artsy event. Of course, a t-shirt on its own is fine for most casual get togethers, but you probably don’t want to show up to the office in one.
Dealing with cooler weather or slightly more formal occasions? Try a lounge Henley. It’s perfect for pairing with suit pants and a blazer (on those days you really do have to wear pants) while helping you maintain as much comfort as possible. Dark joggers can wear like trousers paired with a blazer and can help you get the most out of your casual Friday without drawing your boss’s ire.
But when the only thing on your docket is a backyard hang or other casual affairs, you don’t need to do anything extravagant to pull off a stylish loungewear look. You can keep warm on brisk days with a cozy hoodie, or stick to the basics in the summer while showing off a little leg in some lounge shorts.
The bottom line
While you won’t see loungewear at formal events outside of Zoom weddings, the right styling can help you stay in the socially acceptable dress code for some workplaces and plenty of evenings out. So here’s the real question: if you can dress comfortably and look truly stylish, why wouldn’t you? Quality loungewear really is the key to relaxing in and out of the house.
Expanding your loungewear wardrobe can help you stay cozy throughout the day without dominating your morning routine, and so long as you put some effort into grooming and utilize smart leisurewear with the right fit, you’ll never look out of place. Once the workday is over, there’s rarely a reason to wear anything else. Sorry, jeans.
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