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Walking through an art gallery, you may see paintings of people wearing a variety of petticoats, pantaloons and even some houppelandes. As beautiful as these classic fashion styles are, they don’t look nearly as comfy as the modern-day sweatpant.
There’s nothing better than someone walking into their home and changing from tight jeans, a suit or a dress into wonderfully loose cotton sweats. Sweatpants are there for us every day, which is why it sometimes calls for a refresh when they start to get a little ratty. We’ve been “researching” (lounging) throughout the year to put together this unscientific list of the best sweats.
Summary of the best sweatpants
Best overall: Roots Organic Original Sweatpant – Women’s | Men’s
Best slim cut: Roots Organic Original Slim Cuff Sweatpant – Women’s | Men’s
Most affordable: Fruit of the Loom Eversoft Fleece Sweatpants (Listed as “men’s”, we say non-gendered)
Best to wear out and about: lululemon Softstreme High-Rise Pant (Women’s) | lululemon City Sweat Jogger (Men’s)
Best for workouts: Nike Women’s One Dri-FIT Jogger Pants (Women’s) | Nike Dri-FIT (Men’s)
Best designer: Acne Studios Cotton Sweatpants (Non-gendered)
Best sweatpants explained
Roots Organic Original Sweatpant – Best overall
Why we love them: There’s no real reason to look beyond Roots for sweatpants. Roots is Canada’s best-kept semi-secret. Whenever I travel out of the country and want to bring a host a gift, it’s Roots sweatpants. Though Roots started as a leather brand, it evolved into leading the sweatpant industry. Best known for its salt & pepper grey colour, Roots sweatpants are the most comfortable and they last a long time. I’ve consistently worn a rotation of three Roots sweatpants for the past five years. I’ve also tried new styles throughout the years but ultimately come back to these classics.
Where to buy: Roots (Women’s, $84) | Roots (Men’s, $84)
Roots Organic Original Slim Cuff Sweatpant – Best slim cut
Why we love them: The Roots Organic Original Sweatpant is great for lounging around the house and maybe running to do some errands, but they are quite baggy and have a visual commitment to comfort. The Organic Park Slim Sweatpant is a more tapered and neat version of the classics. They’re a comfy option that are a bit more acceptable to wear in public. Also, if you’re comfortable in public in sweatpants like I am, all the power to us.
Where to buy: Roots (Women’s, $84) | Roots (Men’s, $88)
Fruit of the Loom Eversoft Fleece Sweatpants – Most affordable
Why we love them: Fruit of the Loom is warm and cozy because it’s comfy and nostalgic. And if it seems nostalgic for everyone who is reading this, that’s because it dates back to 1851. The company is now owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, but since 2006 he has donated US$34.5 billion of his stock to charities, so still a warm and fuzzy feeling. Also, the reviews on Amazon support that these sweatpants are still the epitome of value and comfort.
Where to buy: Amazon, $19
lululemon – Best to wear out and about
Why we love them: lululemon is likely the company that made wearing yoga pants in public popular. They’re less well-known for sweatpants, but lululemon puts the same amount of intention into these garments. The company experiments with styles and materials and some of them don’t always land, but the sweatpants are well done. The sweats are made from cotton, polyester and elastane and are pre-shrunk. So they’re soft but they’ll retain their shape.
Where to buy: lululemon (Women’s, $138) | lululemon (Men’s, $128)
Nike – Best for workouts
Why we love them: There’s something special about Nike. I feel like as soon as I put on a pair of Nike pants, I’m supposed to perform as an athlete. Aside from the psychology of the Just Do It brand, these sweatpants are made from Dri-FIT material which has sweat-wicking technology. So even though they’re made from soft French terry fabric, they still have that technical performance quality too.
Where to buy: Nike (Women’s, $75) | Nike (Men’s, $80)
Acne Studios – Best designer
Why we love them: These designer sweats are made from 100 per cent organic cotton. They could not appear more classic and comfy and will always remain as the quintessential sweatpant. And that’s their charm. They look like an unassuming basic pair of sweats but they have the small details of the Acne face patch, a back pocket and an off-white drawstring.
Where to buy: Acne Studios, $510 | SSENSE, $510
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