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
