Why it’s time to luxe up your lazy loungewear
WELL, if the past four months have taught us anything, it’s that you never know what’s around the corner. At the start of the year I predicted we’d had enough of tailored fashion track pants.
All those toggle-waisted, zipbottomed, contrasting-stripe-downthe-outside-leg trousers felt as tired as Ugg boots. Then lockdown happened and my old Me+Em trousers with the red stripe down the leg were exactly what was required.
A comfy track pant with added pedigree has been the standout hero of lockdown. It has made us appreciSaint ate that hard-to-achieve balance of maximum comfort and figure-flattering style.
And now we’re coming out of lockdown, the luxury exercise pant is coming out with us.
We’re not wearing them all the time — it’s summer, so we’ll put them away if the temperature rises — but they are back on the list of clothes we like to keep close by all year because they work for our lives.
They are the clothing equivalent of white Veja trainers: smartish but not smart; sporty but upgraded sporty. And the ones we want now — because we do need a bit of a change — are luxury joggers.
THE advantage of joggers, which are gathered at the ankle, over track pants is that you wear them cropped, so they have the edge in summer. They are like the longer, softer, more modern version of pedal pushers and they feel right for cloudy British summer days.
It helps that, even before March, fashion bloggers had elevated luxe hoodies, worn with a loose tailored blazer and trousers, to the top of the modern smart casual chart. This is just the next step on and it chimes perfectly with our mood: less fuss, more comfort — clothes to take us anywhere in all weathers.
Adidas joggers will not do the job. These joggers must be sleek, tailored and ideally made of something more expensive than grey marl (though Zara has a neat marl pair if you’re looking for something just a bit superior to your usual trackie bottoms, €19.99, zara.com).
Show-off details such as press-stud bottoms, so you can adjust the fit, and contrasting trims are a bonus. These are truly posh joggers. You’re wearing them with a blazer and a sleeveless top or a slinky silk blouse and sandals with a hint of a heel.
When I say posh joggers I’m not joking. It is possible to spend on these five-star joggers the sort of money you’d expect to splash on a sheepskin jacket. Top of the luxury wish-list is Chinti & Parker’s cream cashmere track trousers with a gold leg stripe (£450, chintiandparker.com).
Yes, it’s summer but there are still days when you have to force yourself not to turn the heating on — and you’ll still be wearing them in autumn.
Otherwise, Serena Bute is the queen of the high-end jogger — and happily there is a sale on, though we’re still talking €265 for the classic silk jogger in silver with a pink leg stripe. Unfortunately, the ones in emerald green and white silk with the gathered bottoms (they come in two styles) remain at full price (€381, serenabutelondon.com).
Me+Em, not surprisingly, do a good-looking satin jogger in navy (down to €138, meandem.com) with press studs on the cuff bottoms. Jigsaw has sleek black joggers with a split at the front of the foot — a nod to Laurent’s black leggings, which were top of the fashion crowd’s most-wanted list back in the early spring (€87, jigsaw-online.com).
And Reiss’s slinky stone zipper-cuff joggers (above left) (now €120, reiss.com) would look smart with a cropped leather jacket and sneakers.
AT THE more casual end of the scale are NRBY’s Lila joggers (€87,
nrbyclothing.com) in supersoft jersey with a tonal tape trim and deep ankle cuffs. Hush do a pair of pintuck joggers in classic navy (€65,
hush-uk.com). Yes, they’re cotton, but so neat you somehow forget. Or they have a cropped, wide-legged style in stone (€54, hush-uk.com).
The best way to wear these is a little bit dressed up with something monochrome on top, nothing fussy or overtly sporty; if you want to, wear a zip-up sweatshirt or a T-shirt, then put a blazer on top.
Smart trainers work with this look but flatform sandals or a strappy pair with a bit of a heel will add elegance points. These posh joggers are undeniably posh — but how posh depends on how you want to wear them.