Where and When Is It Acceptable to Wear Sweatpants?

[View on the web] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Instagram] Is It Okay to Wear Sweatpants Outside the House? If there's ever been a time to gird yourself against the outside world, it's now. It's understandable, for example, that you'd want to leave the house in a full sweatsuit, bringing the comforts of home with you wherever you go. But does that make it okay? So this week, for our latest [roundtable], we gathered to discuss the politics of sweats outside the home. Can this be done with dignity? Is it okay to wear them to a bar? Below, Racked editor-in-chief [Britt Aboutaleb], menswear editor [Cam Wolf], and shopping editor [Cory {NAME}] hash it out, moderated by senior editor [Meredith Haggerty]. Who do you agree with? [Tell us!] [Insert alt text here] Meredith: Welcome to Racked's discussion of: Are sweatpants acceptable? We're going to start with our pro argument from Cory {NAME}. Cory, would you like to give us an opening statement about why sweatpants are or are not acceptable? Cory: What we're talking about here is, are sweatpants acceptable outside of the home? I think there's a time and a place. I'm not wearing sweatpants to a job interview. I generally don't wear them to the office. I have before, sorry Britt. Britt: Inappropriate. Cam: Objection. Cory: I wear them to the grocery store, running errands. Wearing them on the subway, I feel worse about that. But I'm generally “live and let live” with your sweatpants. I do think the new trend of fancy sweatpants is a little lame, but It's trickled down to some affordable versions that are pretty decent-looking and I find them acceptable. Meredith: Cory, I'd like to follow up with two questions for you. The first question is, you listed a number of places that would be unacceptable. How would you feel about wearing them to a bar? Cory: Is this like an alone time, sad bar visit, where I'm drinking by myself? Or am I on the prowl? Meredith: This is like a hangout, cool girl, going-to-meet-a-person bar visit. Cory: Would I wear sweatpants on a first date? Absolutely not. Cam: But to a bar with your friends? Cory: Yes, maybe, depending on how I felt during that day. Meredith: Is there a difference there with fancy and non-fancy sweatpants? Cory: I'm not wearing my college-branded-down-the-leg XXXL sweatpants that I stole from a boy I hooked up with in college. I'm probably wearing skinny-fit black joggers — is that what they're called? Cam: Okay, no. Cory: Maybe with a sweater. Meredith: Cam, be moderated. Next is our con, Britt. Britt, would you like to give us your opening statement about sweatpants? Sweatpants in public. Britt: I'd love to. I'm going to preface this by saying wear whatever you want, be happy, be comfortable, but also don't wear sweatpants at the office. It's inappropriate. I think leisure wear, whether we're talking track pants or sweatpants or leggings, should be worn for the activity for which they were manufactured. I didn't even realize that people wore sweatpants out of the home until I went to college and everyone was wearing Juicy Couture sweatpants with "Juicy" bedazzled across the butt. I just think it shows a general sense of laziness. Meredith: Okay Cameron Wolf, menswear editor, you're undecided. Britt: Wait, can I say just one other thing really quickly? I wear a lot of big, loose, baggy pants that are arguably more comfortable than sweatpants. You can still have that level of comfort without actually wearing Champion sweatpants! Although those are really cool, just not in the office. Cam: Really strong point. I'm in the middle on this because I feel like, on the whole, there's this huge thing in menswear right now where tailored sweatpants are supposed to be cool and acceptable. I've [written stories] about cool tailored sweatpants, and you see [all] [those] [posts] that are like, "Look at how you can style them so you can wear them to the office and to the bar!" But also, I just think I would never wear them, and you look like a schmuck if you do it. Meredith: Cam, would you like to fall into this trap I just set up for you, in saying that sweatpants are acceptable for men and not for women? Britt: Oh. Cory: Don't do it. Cam: I don't think they're acceptable for either. Meredith: Good job. [Read the rest of the discussion here >>] Shopping [I Still Care About Three Quarter-Sleeve Shirts] [A catalog spread featuring three quarter-sleeve shirts.] When was the last time you saw a three quarter-sleeve shirt? Not a long-sleeved shirt pushed up to the elbows, not a T-shirt that runs a little long — a legit three quarter-sleeve shirt. I’ll tell you when: probably not since 2001. Which begs two important questions: Where did they go? And why does no one care about what was arguably the most practical shirt style to have ever been invented? (Think about it: When was the last time you wore a long-sleeved shirt that you didn’t push up to at least the mid-forearm?) I grew up in suburban New Jersey, and there were no shortage of three quarter-sleeve shirts in my mall. We had [Delia’s], of course, and a [Wet Seal], [Contempo Casuals] (where I also bought my first thong...), the [junior’s department of Macy’s], and G+G. At roughly $15 a pop, I had an entire arsenal of fitted, ribbed (very important) three quarter-sleeve tops, as well as lots of two-sets: the camis with matching shrugs that were also three quarter-sleeve in length. Between 1997 and 2002, I owned no real long-sleeved shirts. [Keep reading >>] Ad from our sponsor Just One Thing The Bra That Makes Me Forget I’m Wearing a Bra [Insert alt text here] ThirdLove [24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra], $68 When I walk in the door of my apartment, the first — okay, maybe second — thing I do after turning on the lights is take off my bra. The feeling of a bra isn’t something I think about at all during the day, but the second I get home, being constricted by lace and straps and underwire and hooks feels almost unbearable. Which is why this past week I was straight-up dumbfounded when I somehow forgot to take mine off before bed. I had a deskside — which is literally the best part of my job; people come to talk to me at my desk and I don’t even have to go anywhere — with the brand [ThirdLove] before Christmas, and tried the [24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra] ($68). I was promised it would be the most comfortable bra I’ve ever worn, and it was. So much so that when I realized I hadn’t taken it off yet at home, I kept it on out of laziness. The cups are memory foam, so they mold to you. I’ve never even thought about this before, but the result is a look that’s really natural: my boobs still look like my boobs in this bra, instead of some ramped-up cartoon version of breasts that sit underneath your neck. The best part is that this style comes in half cup sizes, which is something I wish every brand would do. —[Tiffany Yannetta], shopping director [More good stuff to read today] - [Trump Tells Fans to Buy L.L.Bean, After Call for Trump-Related Boycott of the Brand] - [Is This Petco Dog Collar a ‘New Wardrobe Essential?’] - [Watch][: How a Red Carpet Gown Gets Dry Cleaned] - [How an Ex-Computer Scientist Programmed His Way Into the Modeling World] - [Finally, a Bag With an Adequate Amount of Pockets] Ad from our sponsor From around the web A selection from the editors at Racked [A very organized bedroom.] [Everything You Need to Actually Organize Your Closet] The best hangers, storage boxes, shelf dividers, and more. [Read more] [Lauren Conrad.] [The Trends That Will Blow Up in 2017, According to Lauren Conrad] On the hunt for the coolest new trends to try in 2017? Lauren Conrad shares her top picks right here. 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