By: Heather Bien
Not to be confused with sustainable athleisure or sleepwear, loungewear is casual, comfortable clothing meant to be worn at home.
This doesn't mean that loungewear cannot be worn to bed or in public, of course. In fact, most loungewear brands are producing such stylish pieces, like bamboo joggers for women, that you’ll likely end up wearing some part of your loungewear wardrobe out on the town, whether you intend to or not.
Loungewear has gotten increasingly popular since 2020—you know, when a global pandemic reared its ugly head and trapped everyone in their houses—and more and more people have realized that investing in clothes that feel good will help them feel good, too.
In this brief guide, we’ll explore how to choose the best loungewear and why it's important, now more than ever, to purchase versatile, durable, and comfortable clothing. Read on.
How to Choose the Best Loungewear
A July MarketWatch report found that many workers who have been telecommuting since the start of the pandemic will return to work this fall.1 But that doesn’t mean that working from home will disappear.
In fact, many companies will likely still allow their employees to work from the comfort of their homes for at least a few days a week. As MarketWatch writes:
“What companies discovered during the pandemic, economists say, is that many workers
are just as productive at home as they are at the office or other job sites. And many
Employees, in turn, don’t want to give up the luxury of working from home.”
So what does this mean for your wardrobe? More loungewear pieces! Here, we’ve divided the broad category of loungewear into four distinct subsets:
- Jumpsuits and rompers
- Pajamas
- House dresses
- Sweats, leggings, and joggers
Read on to find out which of these cute, comfortable essentials are right for you.
Jumpsuits and Rompers
One-piece jumpsuits and rompers are the ideal loungewear staple for working—and lounging—from home.
Brands like Aerie, Summersalt, and Smash and Tess make these sleek staples that you will likely find yourself wearing out of the house.2
The beauty of women’s loungewear is that, like its athleisure cousin, it can be dressed up or dressed down. For example, Summersalt’s 24-Hour Jumpsuit is meant to be lived in. Toss a blazer over the machine-washable vegan silk piece, add some wedges, and you’re ready to meet your co-worker at a coffee shop or in a Zoom chat room. By the way, if you’re wondering, “what is athleisure,” we’ve written about this topic in detail as well!
PJ Sets
Matching pajama sets are not just for family holiday cards. If you are interested in learning how to relax before bed or before a big day at the (home) office, a great pair of PJ’s can do the trick.
From upscale brands like Net-a-Porter to affordable Amazon brands, there are a variety of classy PJ sets available on the market.
If you take your lounging seriously, consider investing in a wool blend sweater set for an outfit that can seamlessly transition from bed to brunch. You’ll never feel chicer while working from home.2
PJ sets are one kind of loungewear outfit that you likely will not wear to your corner bodega, but hey, there’s nothing stopping you from showing off your silk getup to the rest of the world.
House Dresses
Some people are simply more comfortable in a flowy dress than any other kind of clothing. Luckily, the loungewear trend extends beyond leggings and T-shirts.
Stylish loungewear dresses can be short or long, made with cotton or jersey material.3 They can feature fun patterns that beg to be worn in public, or they can veer more toward a nightgown look, like Boody Eco Wear’s Goodnight Night Dress.4
Available in a light blue-gray, dusty pink, and slate gray, the Night Dress is a bamboo nightgown made with our signature viscose derived from a bamboo blend. This piece of bamboo clothing is soft and pretty, with a wide neckband and curved hemline. You’ll feel just as comfortable sitting back and participating in a conference call in your Night Dress as you will hopping into bed with a good book as the sun sets.
Loungewear Pants: Joggers, Yoga Pants, Sweats
Most people probably associate loungewear with the ultimate in comfort: sweatpants.
The Millennial version of sweatpants is the sleek, high-waisted, tapered at the ankle jogger. While joggers typically fall under the athleisure category, they can also be loungewear staples.
Boody Eco Wear makes smooth-as-silk joggers, and if you’re wondering how to style joggers, we recommend pairing our a pair with casual T-shirts, track jackets, or your favorite hoodie for ultimate lounging.
Women’s cropped leggings, yoga pants and traditional, open-bottom sweatpants (yes, these still exist!) can also be loungewear staples, worn with a cute blouse for Zoom calls or a crop top for popping out to your local coffee shop for a midday pick-me-up.
Why Dressing the Part Matters—Even at Home
Purchasing a variety of comfortable, stylish pieces that you know you’ll primarily wear around the house may feel like a silly investment. If no one sees you in your $300 PJ set, did you even wear your $300 PJ set?
Investing in cute loungewear isn’t some silly impulse buy, though. As more and more workers divide their time between the office and home, transitional loungewear will become increasingly more appealing.
You likely don’t want to don a full pantsuit to wear at your home office desk, but staying in your stained, oversized T-shirt all day may not incentivize you to sit down and get to work, either. This is where loungewear comes in.
Boody Eco Wear—Loungewear for Everywhere
What does loungewear mean? Loungewear can be classified as any cute, comfortable piece of clothing that you wear around your house that can also transition to become a part of your worthy-of-public-viewing outfit.
Boody Eco Wear specializes in all things cozy and stylish, from house dresses to lounge tops to joggers. Made with sustainable, durable materials like an organic cotton blend and bamboo viscose, all Boody Eco Wear clothing is sustainably made, breathable, and anti-static.
It’s the kind of loungewear you’ll put on in the morning, and may never take off.
About the Author:
Heather Bien is a copywriter and writer based in Washington, DC. She works with retail, ecommerce, and creative brands on their website copy and digital presence, and her freelance writing has appeared on MyDomaine, Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl, and more. When she's not with laptop and coffee in hand, you'll find her planning her next weekend getaway, working on her budding green thumb, or scouting for her next great vintage find.
Sources:
- Market Watch. Millions of Americans are going back to work where they actually work. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/millions-of-americans-are-going-back-to-work-where-they-actually-work-11625245427
- Cosmopolitan. 33 Cute Loungewear Brands That’ll Have You Feeling Oh-So Cozy. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/g31817208/best-loungewear-brands/
- Bustle. The 18 Best Loungewear Dresses. https://www.bustle.com/fashion/the-10-best-loungewear-dresses-22931728
- Boody Eco Wear. Women’s Bamboo Loungewear. https://boodywear.com/collections/lounge
- CNN. The comfiest pants for lounging around the house. https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/23/cnn-underscored/best-lounge-pants/index.html
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By: Heather Bien We’re all trying to be better stewards of Mother Earth. From recycling to upcycling and eating conscientiously to dressing mindfully, our choices affect the planet. So choosing organic cotton clothing seems like an easy decision, right? Not so fast! As with all sustainable choices, it’s important to take a moment to learn a bit more about why organic cotton might win over conventional cotton—and what makes these two materials different in the first place. Read on if you’re interested in learning about organic cotton and whether it’s the best choice for you and the environment. Conventional cotton Before we get into debating modern cotton farming techniques, let’s get familiar with the plant we’re talking about: cotton. It’s soft, durable, and probably on your body right now. But what else do you really know about cotton? Here are the basics: Cotton comes from the cotton plant – The cotton plant is a warm-season woody perennial shrub from the genus Gossypium and the family Malvaceae. Cotton fabric is made from the plant’s fibrous seed-hair (which is also called a cotton boll). Cotton is one of the top agricultural crops – Traditional cotton is the most widespread and profitable non-food crop in the world. Although the plant is capable of growing in any warm-weather climate, India and China are now the top producers of cotton globally. Cotton is thirsty – A normal cotton plant requires 10 gallons of water to reach peak potential. That doesn’t sound so bad, but multiplying it outward, that means it takes about 5,000 gallons of water to produce just 2.2 pounds of cotton fabric. Pests think it’s delicious – Not only is cotton thirsty, but it’s prone to pest infestations from bollworms, weevils, aphids, stink bugs, thrips, and spider mites. In order to combat these common pests, conventional cotton is routinely sprayed with a veritable salad-dressing of pesticides, many of which can remain in the soil and water supply for years afterward. Cotton harvesting requires defoliation – In order to quickly and efficiently harvest cotton, many commercial growers use chemical defoliants to strip the leaves from the cotton plant prior to harvesting the bolls. Like pesticides, these chemicals remain in the environment and on the cotton itself. Is organic cotton better? All of those cotton factoids point pretty compellingly to buying and wearing organic cotton fabric. But first, it’s important to understand what sets this organic alternative apart. Why exactly is “organic” cotton anyway? You might associate the word organic with your healthy fruits and veggies, but it’s not always clear what this term means when it comes to cotton. For many years, there was not a standard definition, but today, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) require that any cotton product labeled “organic” meet the following criteria: Made with fibers from USDA-certified organic crops Third-party certified (ie., through the Global Organic Textile Standard) under the National Organic Program standards Has a specific percentage of organic material (depending on the crop) But this definition is a little circular, so we need also to define USDA-certified organic crops. According to the USDA, organic crop standards are defined as follows: Land must have had no prohibited substances applied to it for at least three years before the harvest of an organic crop. Soil fertility and crop nutrients will be managed through tillage and cultivation practices, crop rotations, and cover crops. These can be supplemented with animal and crop waste materials and allowed synthetic materials. Crop pests, weeds, and diseases will be controlled primarily through management practices, including physical, mechanical, and biological controls. When these practices are not sufficient, a biological, botanical, or synthetic substance approved for use on the National List may be used. Operations must use organic seeds and other planting stock when available. The use of genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, and sewage sludge is prohibited. What is organic cotton? In short, it’s cotton that is farmed according to these practices and certified organic by the USDA. Why should you choose organic cotton? With fewer pesticides, fewer synthetic chemicals, and more thoughtful cultivation practices, organic cotton can certainly offer a more environmentally friendly choice when compared to regular cotton. Is organic cotton sustainable? Here are a few other reasons why organic cotton can be a better alternative for you and the earth: It’s better for our water resources – According to an analysis by the Textile Exchange, producing an organic cotton T-shirt requires 1,982 fewer gallons of water compared to a regular cotton T-shirt. Because organic cotton uses less chemicals, its production also releases fewer toxins into our aquatic ecosystems. It’s good for the soil (and our carbon footprint) – According to the Soil Association, the more natural cultivation practices and fewer pesticides used by organic cotton farmers can support healthier soil. That soil, in turn, can absorb more carbon from our atmosphere and help keep the planet healthy. It encourages biodiversity – Multiple studies have shown that organic farming practices can encourage more diversity among the animal species of our planet. Sustainability is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. But when it comes to plant-derived textiles, the ones which help us create a healthier world are always a better alternative. Explore the benefits of bamboo with Boody Whether you choose to purchase conventional or organic cotton clothing, the fact that you are shopping mindfully for yourself is a win for the environment. At Boody, we believe in bringing you quality, comfy, sustainable clothing basics that keep you feeling good about yourself and your personal impact on Mother Earth. From our sleepwear to our loungewear, women’s bamboo shirts to our underwear, sustainable and ethical are our touchstones. Our clothing is made of bamboo viscose, requiring less water than cotton while putting precious oxygen back into the environment. That just feels good, doesn’t it? Explore the bamboo benefits today, with Boody. Sources: Britannica. Cotton. https://www.britannica.com/topic/cotton-fibre-and-plant Cotton. The Story of Cotton - Where Cotton Grows. https://www.cotton.org/pubs/cottoncounts/story/where.cfm World Wildlife Federation. Cotton. https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton Textile Exchange. Quick Guide to Organic Cotton. https://textileexchange.org/quick-guide-to-organic-cotton Soil Association. What is organic cotton? https://www.soilassociation.org/take-action/organic-living/fashion-textiles/organic-cotton/ USDA. Conservation and Biological Diversity in Organic Production. https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/02/29/conservation-and-biological-diversity-organic-production About the Author: Heather Bien is a copywriter and writer based in Washington, DC. She works with retail, ecommerce, and creative brands on their website copy and digital presence, and her freelance writing has appeared on MyDomaine, Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl, and more. 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