Wednesday, December 30, 2015

"Athleisure" -- it's a thing, kids.

I'll admit it, I stumbled onto this fashion trend totally by accident. It all started when a young MD that I work with, showed up wearing a great looking pair of gray knit pants. They looked amazing (anything would look good on him). I felt uncomfortable asking him about them. Maybe I'm alone in this, but there's something a little creepy about letting a coworker know that you're checking out his pants. So I ran home and Googled "mens knit pants". BOOM...the entire world of athleisure opened up for me!

Trendy men can now move effortlessly from their health club to their hip jobs without skipping a beat. Or, with the right pair of sweats, one can create the illusion of fitness and skip the gym all together! But be warned, these are not your father's sweatpants. We've entered an era where a pair of sweats can cost hundreds of dollars.


Don't believe me? Follow the link for sweatpant sticker shock on this pair of very ordinary looking cotton pants. We're living in crazy times.


Here are some examples that are showing up on the runways for Spring. This group is from Greg Lauren, nephew of Ralph. The influence is pretty clear IMO.

Bottega Veneta with a fake fly front. Seriously??? I'm sorry, that's so cheesy. (No comment on the socks and sandals).


I'm not sure what to make of this, but I couldn't help but share it.


The Italians are clearly the kings of the look. This group is Emporio Armani. I'm loving it, especially the brown ensemble on the right.


Somehow this look reminds me of vintage skiwear from the 50's and early 60's. (Can stirrup pants be far behind?).

Canali. Yes, please! But getting back to reality......

I had the chance to try on a pair of these fancy sweats at an Armani A/X outlet store a few weeks ago. They had a zipper fly, a waistband that buttoned and one welt pocket in the back. The fabric was a creamy gray knit with a super loopy reverse. Very nice. The original price was $189 and they were marked down to around $80 I think.

They were a bit slimmer than Thread Theory's Jedediah Pant, but otherwise very similar. Suddenly I'm saying, "I can do this". If I fail, I can always wear them to snowblow the driveway! Now to find the right fabric.

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15 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 30, 2015 at 11:10 AM

    I am LOVING this roundup! Everything you make is fabulous-- excited to see your interpretation of this trend!

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  2. mrsmoleDecember 30, 2015 at 11:29 AM

    The Canali wins hands down! Comfort and style...win win!

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  3. MIchaelCDecember 30, 2015 at 1:02 PM

    Wow. I like the styling on the Lauren pants. I think we will be seeing a pair on you soon.

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  4. Peter LappinDecember 30, 2015 at 1:26 PM

    My partner Michael has recently adopted this look with a pair of fancy sweatpants from Uniqlo. To me they look like pajama bottoms (albeit with cuffs) but he wears them all the time. Happy New Year, Duane!

    ReplyDelete
  5. KyleDecember 30, 2015 at 1:27 PM

    Yay! You're back!!! And I laughed SO MUCH reading this post. You are awesome!

    $590 for those sweatpants?? Go for it with making your own!!! You are right, you can always use them for shoveling (or sleeping).

    Have you heard of betabrand? I started following them when Shams (from the Communing with Fabric blog) wrote about them one day because her coworker was wearing corduroys with funky pockets and she asked him where he got them. Anyhoo, they have men's dress pants made from french terry (so dress sweat pants) with a full on fly, welt pockets, etc. Check 'em out: https://www.betabrand.com/mens/pants/gray-dress-pant-sweatpants.html

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    Replies
    1. MainelydadDecember 31, 2015 at 8:39 AM

      Oh,wow! That's totally the look I'm shooting for.

      Delete
  6. ElleDecember 30, 2015 at 1:58 PM

    The brown is beautiful, especially with the jacket. Stay away from the standard sweatpants grey.

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  7. NoelleDecember 30, 2015 at 4:46 PM

    Happen to love this trend! I made several pairs of True Bias Hudson pants earlier this year and don't know how I lived without. There's a men's version too: shop.truebias.com/product/men-s-hudson-pant

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  8. MouseDecember 30, 2015 at 10:18 PM

    Not a fan. At all. My problem is the cut, not the fabric. The tight cuffs above the ankle, then the huge shoes. So unattractive.

    But I'm curious to see how you interpret it. You may win me over!

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    Replies
    1. MainelydadDecember 31, 2015 at 8:46 AM

      I hear you about the cuffs. It's a little too trendy for me. I need clothes with more "staying power", so I'll be omitting them.

      Delete
  9. Grumpy Without CoffeeDecember 30, 2015 at 10:32 PM

    Huh. I haven't heard of this trend, but it's fascinating to see what's being done with it. Great collection! The hairdryer made me giggle. Hee!!

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  10. AnonymousDecember 31, 2015 at 12:23 AM

    Yes, you must do this!

    I'm mad for the Emporio Armani set, especially the grey on the left. Sadly, I'm pretty sure that I won't convince the males in my life that they need to embrace the look.

    I have no words for the hair dryer, but I'd love to encounter it in the wild!

    Discovered your blog this year and I love it - keep up the good work and Happy New Year!

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  11. LDecember 31, 2015 at 8:47 AM

    Athleisure...hmm. I didn't know this was a thing. Thanks for sharing!

    Socks and sandals will NEVER be a thing, so I wish people would stop trying. =)

    Happy new year!

    Oh and "hair-blower crotch" is...um...interes...no. Just no. LOL

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  12. UnknownFebruary 6, 2016 at 1:10 PM

    wow i got your blog by google for something ales and you are amazing sewer. this also my world and I'm so happy I'm not alone and u do amazing work.

    ReplyDelete

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