One Month of Sweatpants, One Year Later
Like them or not, sweatpants — also known as tracksuit bottoms, track pants, trackies, jogging bottoms, joggers, or joggies — are comfortable, sporty, and utilitarian, not to mention fashionable.
Leading up to the one year anniversary of his own personal sweatpants odyssey, a fashion-conscious husband and father of two, talks about rekindling his relationship with sweatpants, and looks back on the experience of wearing them every day for a month.
It’s been nearly a year since you wore sweatpants every day from December 12, 2014 to January 12, 2015. What’s changed?
My original light gray pair got a hole near one of the pockets. So, I branched out, and got a pair of Nike Dri-FIT stretch running pants, that are basically sweatpants with some reflective material and zipper pockets. Wearing them around the house, out for errands, or to the gym is amazing. They’re so lightweight and sheer, it’s like I have bare legs!
In addition to the Nike ones, have you gotten anything else?
Not yet, but I am shopping around.
Before we get to the new styles you’re considering, let’s talk about morale. Near the conclusion of your record-breaking run last year, you seemed to be on a downward spiral, questioning your fashion choices. Questioning yourself. But you seem to have taken a turn for the better.
It’s definitely for the better. Granted, I did hit a low point, around New Year’s Eve last year, but I’ve gotten over the initial sweatpants high that — in some ways — made me overly dependent on sweatpants. Now it’s less about the sweatpants themselves.
When it comes to the damaged pair you mentioned earlier, with the hole near a pocket, are you still wearing them?
Absolutely. They’re fine, except for the hole. I just don’t wear them in public — at least, I don’t think I have. Maybe I have.
Have you broken the record you set for yourself last winter, going over your personal best of one month?
It’s not a numbers game anymore, so I haven’t kept track. I might have already doubled, or tripled that one-month span, but even if I did, it doesn’t matter to me. It’s not about quantity, or records.
What about that matching sweatshirt you were going to get? Did that happen?
No. Although I do have a brown hoodie and a dark blue one. I never got matching sweatshirts, because part of me felt like that would be trying too hard. But when spring arrived, I found T-shirts that matched my sweatpants perfectly: two light gray shirts to match my light gray sweatpants, and three dark gray ones to match my dark gray sweatpants. Total coincidence, but totally awesome.
You sound like you were excited. How did you celebrate?
I began wearing the matching shirt and sweats immediately.
When would you wear the matching outfit?
As soon as I found the T-shirts, during the late winter, and then in the spring. There were even cool summer nights I’d wear the outfit. And in the autumn, especially while raking leaves. The sweatpants kept my legs warm, and the short-sleeved shirt allowed me to cool off from repetitive raking movements made with my upper body.
Sounds very functional.
I know. All I needed to match from top to bottom was a pair of shoes in the same gray as my sweatpants, and I’d have had a completely coordinated outfit. But again, that’d be trying too hard.
What about the plans to expand your sweatpants collection?
The Hanes pair I got last year worked great except for the hole near my pocket, but I blame my keys for that since I sometimes miss my pocket and poke nearby. The Nike pair proved that it’s time for me to branch out, so I’ve looked at Banana Republic, Gap, H&M, Kenneth Cole, and Calvin Klein.
I’m most curious about Kenneth Cole’s Black Label Leather Front Sweatpant that retails for $398. Just stunning! The hole in the pocket of the Hanes got me thinking about something tougher, and this might suffice.
Do you worry that it’s too much?
Too expensive? No, not at all.
Not too expensive, but too much sweatpant?
Is there such a thing? Honestly, because if there is “too much sweatpant” then I want that.
Since you don’t seem intimidated by the $398 price tag on the Kenneth Cole pair, how far would you go?
I found a $702.33 pair of Vivienne Westwood Men’s Jogger Pants made in Italy that would be great for winter, but unfortunately, they’ve been selling well this year, and they don’t have my size.
So I shopped around, and found the Balmain Men’s Ribbed Panel Jogger Pants for $2,034.09 (on Amazon with free shipping): zipper and patch pockets, tapered fit, and a nifty texture.
And Saks Fifth Avenue has Balmain’s Quilted Leather Jogger Pants for a mere $3,160.00, with draw strings.
Doesn’t that seem over the top, too expensive?
Not really. If they fit — and look great! — a couple of thousand dollars seems like a small price to pay. But since you mention price, I shopped around, and found the Ribbed Panel Jogger Pants for $1,684 to as low as $820. I also found Balmain’s Striped Jersey Moto Jogger Pants. Something else!
“Something else” seems like an understatement.
Yeah. They make a statement, and it’s definitely an overstatement. If I get them, I’ll make sure I don’t make the same mistake that I made last year, spilling coffee on my sweatpants.
Given the variety of choices that you’ve found, and the luxurious brands you’re considering, where do you go from here?
The real question is “Where can’t I go?” because when it comes to sweatpants, there are no limits.
