Sweatpants Are for Losers?
Karl Lagerfeld, the German fashion designer and former creative director of Chanel, said, “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life, so you bought some sweatpants.” This quote appears in his 2013 book, The World According to Karl.
Lagerfeld insists that fashion is not just what you’re wearing, but also a reflection of the state of your life and mentality. This is one of my favorite fashion related quotations because I love being comfortable, but I also find it important to look good. Also, It’s one thing to buy a pair of sweatpants and wear them around the house, but it’s another issue entirely if you’re going to wear them outside and let the world know that you’ve accepted defeat and you’re willing to advertise it. According to Lagerfeld, you’re wearing the uniform of a loser in life.
I used to have a similar opinion about any outerwear that had an elastic waistband. Specifically this memory is connected to the image of a pair of elastic waistband jeans that I remember seeing in my parents’ closet as a child. I swore to myself that I would never wear jeans like that when I was older and I’ve had an aversion towards that style waistband for a long time.
However, as I have gotten older and have survived quarantining during COVID , my appreciation for comfort has increased exponentially. I was ecstatic to find that some designers have sought to prove Lagerfeld wrong and have created for their brands, “fancy joggers.” These are sweatpants that look stylish and nice like slacks or chinos, but have an elastic waistband that makes them super comfortable to wear. I have bought heavier and lighter fabric ones for all seasons from my favorite retailer, H&M, and more recently, a pair of forest green corduroy ones from Old Navy, which I have worn with a sportscoat with a pocket square and collared shirt that looked right out of the pages of a Ralph Lauren advertisement.
Pants: Old Navy, Straight Corduroy Pants, Forest Green
Shirt: H&M, Regular Fit Felted Overshirt, Gray
Sports Coat: Banana Republic Tailored Fit
The spirit of the classic sweatpants is laziness. The image that Lagerfeld is criticizing is that of the fat, lazy, person who has holes in their t-shirts and stains on their sweatpants and has decided that comfort is the ultimate goal for fashion. Many people nowadays have made their entire wardrobe out of upgraded versions of these comfort products and refer to this style as “athletic leisure.” These are people who go to the gym and want to look like they are either always on their way there or on their way back from there. I guess because I’m not that guy, I don’t really like that style very much. However, I believe that a person can wear an elastic waistband and sweatpants and still look, feel, and project being a stylish, winner.