By Juliana Pires Johnson
2020 saw more sweatpants in my closet than the first 20 years of the 2000s combined. Given my new love and skill of spotting the perfect sweats for every occasion (grocery run, looking cute but not trying too hard, just being comfy at home, sporty style, looking effortless at home with my new Bottega, zoom up top, comfy bottoms) I had to round up the year’s MVPs.
As I hope many of you can relate, where our clothes come from, who makes them and where, how the pieces are made, and its environmental impact are all important questions, and I am happy to report that most of my favorite sweats are also on a mission to creating a better tomorrow. I will gladly send some extra dollars towards that than in fast fashion contributing to waste, environmental dumps and minimum wage dilemmas.
And the sweetest sweat awards go to…
1 – Les Tien – If you are a fashion lover and have not heard of Les Tien, you are living under a rock. Worn by J.Lo, Gigi Hadid and Rosie Huntington Whiteley, these crazy comfy and stylish sweats have Hollywood buzzing. We own a gorgeous grey and brown set and feel weirdly dressed up and put together when we have then on and leave the house pairing with our favorite APL or Nike sneakers.
The Classic Sweatpant – $146
2 – Frank & Eileen – Bests known for their perfect button-downs, few people know that Frank & Eileen also makes some of the best, most polished sweats out there. My favorite is their fleece trouser sweat called the Tulip Ankle Sweatpants. You can wear it out and they look like pants, feel like sweats. Basically 2020’s prayer delivered in 2021. When we return to working at the office, these pants will be our go-to.
The Tulip Ankle Sweatpant – $188
3 -Pangaia – Another Hollywood favorite, Pangaia is the true definition of sustainable fashion doing its part to save the climate and environment one garment at a time. Pangaia sweats are also incredibly cute and flattering, btw. Their vibrant color offerings made with environmentally friendly dyes and named after nature sell out quickly (flamingo pink is our go-to!). With Pangaia, you’ll look crazy cute, in the know, and help the environment with every purchase – really, one tree planted, protected or restored with each piece purchased.
Organic Cotton Mother Earth Track Pants – $125
4 – Madhappy – We are madly in love with Madhappy. Madhappy speaks our language and is on a mission to make the world a happier, more optimistic place and we will always stand behind that. In addition to their super stylish, colorful and fun pieces (many limited editions that sell out), Madhappy provides plenty of free mental health tools under “The Local Optimist” inclusive of playlists, articles, interviews. Building a community that is open, supportive and striving for a better tomorrow. We will happily spend our dollars to look cute and stand behind such a great cause.
Classics Universal Sweatpant – $125
5 – Everlane – Producing some of the cutest, most affordable pieces at some of the world’s most ethical and respected factories, Everlane commits to being transparent with the consumer of how the clothes are made and offer top quality at affordable costs. The implication is that the same factories producing designer name $200 pants are the ones also producing Everlane’s $58 and it sure feels that way.
The Track Jogger – $58
6 – Aarmy – We’ve already shared out streaming workout obsession – Aarmy. What some of you don’t yet know is that their gear is sick. Forget the poor-quality logo printed gym clothes on bad sweats… I LIVE in my Aarmy Deuce sweatpants.
They make me feel athletic, strong and are the perfect fit. Super soft and luxe. I feel like I should be putting them on after a workout in New York City, running from studio to street in style for the day. Did we also mention they have previously collaborated with Fear of God?
Deuce Sweatpant – $145
7 – AYR – “The Cool Pant” described by AYR as “street-legal pajamas” are just that. I literally did a happy dance when I first got mine. Pair it with the matching top and a jean jacket + sneakers and you’re literally the cool girl leaving the house. The absolute perfect travel outfit for when we get back on a plane. Meanwhile, we have it as the cute stay at home not in your pajamas but kind of, pant.
The Cool Pant – $125