No sweat(s)

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A notion I've been avoiding for ten months: sweat pants. Some women say they now wear only this fleece pant, having ditched their jeans and trousers. Others would rather wear a mask dropped on the sidewalk.

Sweat pants: Entireworld

I'm the latter group; this post's title is my choice, not an imperative.  The elastic-waist trouser—the kind with the wide waistband and that when on looks flat and smooth—is my outside limit.

One reason is psychological: if one day I have to deal with various infirmities, I may need a hand getting dressed. That's when  pull-on styles are useful— but while I can do up a button and zipper, I will maintain my vanity. I think affectionately of Mom's friend June, who despite severe arthritis, insisted that she button her crisp blouse or cardigan herself, but used her allotment of caregivers' time to have her eyebrows filled in and lipstick precisely applied twice a day.

In today's windows, trousers that have some tailoring but still offer ease.  I challenged myself to find neutrals other than black or grey, and in washable fabrics.  The idea is not that you'd necessarily buy these, but to show alternatives to the ubiquitous drawstring-waisted sweat.

Left to right:

Everlane Put-together pleat pants 

Kind of says it all. I would have ordered these if the inseam were longer. Pleats, darts, pockets, cuffs—all the little details. Lyocell (Tencel) a washable, drapey fabric is maybe a touch light for our winters but I'd add silk long underwear. Price, $US 100, in clay (shown) and black.

Lolë Romina tech pants

Only a few sizes are left on the site; I'm hoping they restock, because these are very good for the price. I am showing the back for the view of the back darts and welt pockets; they also have a sharp side-panel detail and a fly front. Cut wide enough in the thigh for comfort on an average build, plus of course washable. Price, $CDN 88; shown in green.

Toast UK ginger cords

A pair of proper cords with an inverted pleat; a slight balloon shape and a tapered ankle. A reviewer called them "Stylish and warm"; I feel the chime of desire and am equally attracted to the other colour, called "brown slate". Price, $US 205.

Good trousers in an amaaazing size range

A special mention to Universal Standard, who make a popular sweat pant (aka jogger) but also more structured styles, in an extensive size range (for some pieces, 00-40), and petite. (Often, when I find a good-looking item, I'm annoyed to find the size range is ridiculously narrow.)

I like this sleek pair of cigarette pants, in rayon/nylon with a good shot of stretch, in a rich, deep plum. Price, $US 120; other colours on sale.

What about knits?

Supple knits, from ponte to wool jersey, are a star more polished than cotton fleece. How 'relaxed' they feel depends on the cut, and you do have to watch the snag factor.  Black ones are everywhere from LL Bean to Balenciaga, but this subtly-patterned grey check in a handwashable viscose/nylon/poly blend from Uuchuu are unexpected.

(So if you're not wearing sweats...): What I wore

On New Year's Eve, I dressed up a little: a pair of 'vegan leather' trousers (this season's by Madewell, mine are five years old), a cashmere v-neck (Eric Bompard), vintage bee earrings (Tiffany), Caron's "En Avion" perfume and lipstick, which made me feel like a functioning adult. 

When the tsunami of sweats hit last spring, I understood the relief they provided as the world hunkered down. In tart colours, sweats have a place, and, I suspect, a time. ( In grey or navy, all I see is the locker room.) 

They are marketed as the ultimate carefree dressing, but as the late Olivia Goldsmith and her co-author Amy Fine Colins famously observed in their book of the same title, "simple isn't easy". For me,  sweat pants are not that pleasing to wear, despite their promise of comfort and ease.