Lounge wear: Finding its way in fashion

Introduction:

Loungewear is such a common section in any man’s wardrobe. It is casual than jeans but more structured than underwear, loungewear provides a comfortable, cozy look and feel for incredibly relaxed days in the house. This loungewear hasn’t always existed in men’s fashion. It basically emerged in the east, where for many centuries many eastern people maintained their high quality by only wearing them outdoors. Especially in the Indian subcontinent, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs cultural and religious practices dominated in the simple. loose, lightweight trouser irrespective of their gender and class. It could be worn underneath other clothing, but it was always worn at home as a comfortwear. 

Europeans started having greater contact with the East from 1600’s onwards, where the practice of wearing pyjamas (originated from the Indian word Pajama) briefly caught on in Britain, but it wasn’t until 1700 that the loungewear became a long lasting trend in the west. In the 18th century, Europeans started wearing dressing gowns, which they called banyans. They were unstructured jackets, worn by men and women around home in the periods between sleep and dressing in more formal, public-facing attire. 

In the 19th century, the dressing gown morphed into a garment called a smoking jacket. During the 1800’s smoking tobacco became a popular pastime in the West, specially amongst the upper class. To protect their clothing from harsh smoke and maintain comfort during the typically all male activity, most gentlemen wore specialized jackets, which were looser, unstructured, and made from luxury materials like silk and velvet. The smoking jacket was the very first example of acceptable loungewear which was worn outside the home. 

Though smoking jackets rose to popularity, no comparable loungewear was developed for women, until the 20th century. As women began fighting more fervently for equal rights, female fashion trends shifted to accommodate women’s shifting social interests. In particular, French fashion icon Coco Chanel began introducing loose, silky pajama style clothing for women to lounge in during social gatherings, much like men’s smoking jackets. In the 1930’s, women of almost every social strata owned loungewear garments, likely encouraged by celebrities like Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford modeling loungewear in public. Though World War 2 put a halt on the developing fashion trends, the post war period saw a fashion renaissance where loungewear diversified in a major way. The growing middle class suddenly enjoyed greater wealth to spend on clothing, and the fashion industry delivered many types of loungewear, including casual clothing, athletic wear and more. And the wealthy, famous people were first seen to be sporting the new loungewear looks in public. 

After the pandemic hit in 2020, people literally got accustomed to wearing loungewear everyday. Because a lot of gatherings have been on the restriction radar, few have bothered to don the uncomfortable clothing typically suitable for public display, instead, lounging at home and running minor errands in loungewear became a norm, as a result many retailers went out of their stock in the early 2021. 

How to style a loungewear:

Keeping neutral is one of the most important part of styling loungewear. Keeping the loungewear neutral will allow you to play up the other elements of your outfit and will make you look less like you accidentally left the house in pajamas. While you can definitely create a pulled look together with a sweatshirt and joggers set, it may be easier to style loungewear pieces individually. A sweatshirt looks nice with leather leggings or skinny jeans and joggers or leggings pair well with a structured knit turtleneck. Accessories are another way to make it clear that you intentionally left your house in the loungewear, and didn’t just need to walk your dog or to pick up groceries. Add a structured bag, bold gold jewelry and  a sophisticated pair of sunglasses will make your outfit look deliberate and put together. 

Skip the slippers and trainers you would normally wear with sweats and definitely skip the Uggs. A good way to dress your loungewear is by adding an unexpected pair of shoes. Try chic white leather sneakers with joggers and a pair of heeled sandals or booties with knit dresses and skirts. A plaid blazer is an amazing pick but a dark colored solid blazer also works amazing. If you’re styling in the months of fall then a camel coat can be layered in the top.

A pair of sweatshorts look seriously chic when paired with an oversized blazer. You can opt for the neutral hues to keep the look extremely sophisticated and streamlined. When you wish to exude high end appeal in a head to toe tonal look, then you can perfectly strike a balance with knitted joggers along with heels and sharp blazer. If you wish to sport an oversized look, then the oversized t-shirt in the wardrobe would be perfect to rock you noon and the night. But a fun way to jazz up the entire look will be is to create a cropped effect by tucking t-shirts hem into the band of the sports bra. 

There has been an amazing alternative to the loungewear by the designers in recent times, which has been named as nap dress where it’s a long loose dress that can laze around in and comfortably nap in. Brands like Sleeper Hill and Hill House started in the year 2020 where they served as the perfect solution for cottagecore lovers. You can easily step out in your comfortable nap dress, by accessorizing it simply, to be more specific in terms of footwear throw a pair of strappy sandals or other heels.

If you are the one who repeats outfit pretty often and wants to make every look a stand alone one, then correctly accessorizing could never go wrong. It has the superior power of transforming the outfit. A crop top and pair of lounger shorts on their way may scream “yoga time” but with the correct add-ons, like oversized sunglasses, edgy combat boots, golden finish jewelry you can make this athleisure look go casually chic. 

If you want to add the dash of sophistication in the attire yet keeping it comfortable and straight out from the bed, then always opt for a monochromatic look. Whether it be a sleek all-black ensemble or bright hue, matching sets of any type will never fail to look stylish, where the same goes for a sweatshirt and a sweatpant. A cropped sweatshirt and tapered leg pants for a comfortable outfit pretty much makes you look put together. To add the sleekness and gorgeousness in the attire, wearing a pajama style cloth with heels are absolutely killer. If made out of glamorous silk and featuring fun details like feather trim, you can’t stop other than to rock them in the town all over. If you finish the look with some chandelier earring then you can make the heads around you turn for sure.

If you are the one who wants to keep the loungewear style continuing till the fall then a coat could never be less than a best friend. Coat gives the necessary classiness in the attire making you look effortlessly stylish as well making you slay the look in the fall. With perfect accessories like matching earrings, pendants, sunglasses and classy footwear you can easily make the look go a notch higher.

When you want to look powerful yet stylish and comfy then ugly chic sandals and shoes can turn into a rage. In the world where everyone is comfort obsessed this look is a complete show stealer. While everyone might not latch into this look but they do look extremely fun when paired with stylish dresses. As the motto we strive by is, the fancier, the better. 

Conclusion:

Over the last century there have been manifestations regarding comfortable loungewear. From the elegant peignoirs of the early 20th century, to the silken co-ord sets of the 70’s to the penchant for underwears as outerwears in the 90’s. But in the post-pandemic world, lounge wear styling has taken a whole new dimension overall, and this time stylists and designers have made a whole hearted effort to make it look more high-end, classy and sophisticated. Fashion in today’s world is clearly in love with loungewear, from luxe-looking knit pants to elevated hoodies and sumptuous fabrics, there is something that’s undeniably chic and stepping out in this ultra comfy pieces makes you step in the realm of sleek from the realm of sloppiness. We have given a clear insight where you can make your loungewear go high-end, fashionable, street smart, comfortable. Take cues from our ideas and step out in style all round the clock where you can make head of the people around you go turn and you become the talk of the town.

References:

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