by Amani (Contributer)
As I walked onto the terrace in search of UFV’s style stars, I became constantly distracted by extremely baggy, cloak-like pants. If you’re not quite sure what this means, this would be the eye’s description of the sweat pant. This may have been why they became one’s first choice when waking up in the morning: because you were awake all night studying and are too tired to care that you’re wearing sweatpants 5 sizes to big, or you just did 2 hours in the gym and no one cares what you look like anyway, thus making it ok. I’m here to tell you that it’s not, because that’s what change rooms are for.
Enclosed is a short history of the sweat pant:
Originally designed for leisure and worn by athletes, there was a short trend in the 80’s popularizing cutoff sweat tops. In the early 2000’s, Juicy Couture began writing “JUICY” on the rear of their velour sweatpants, creating a phenomenon that resulted in other logos like CATS, DANCE and ALOHA prominently displayed on female rear-ends around the world. This also can be seen as advertising’s freshest take on getting our attention. Oxford dictionary definition of sweat pants: loose, warm trousers with an elasticized or drawstring waist, worn when exercising or as leisurewear.
Already it seems as though we have a recurring theme: sweat pants are designed for leisure. And yes, there have been days when I thought I should wear sweat pants to school. Then I drank a coffee and woke up…just a suggestion.
I know there are some of you who have a challenging time constantly throwing together an outfit. This is understandable – looking fabulous takes some practice.
So here are some casual pant suggestions that might replace your lowly sweat pants, in case you forgot about them:
Now, I understand that if you want to wear sweat pants, a tight pair of jeans is not going to be your first choice for an alternative. Instead, try meeting fashion in the middle by wearing your boyfriend’s jeans, a loose and stylish way to stay comfy. And to boyfriends, skinny jeans aren’t the only existing jean cut out there.
Getting more lady specific now: let’s talk leggings. As we all should know, leggings are not pants. Leggings have been around for years, so this option doesn’t need much explaining. They are fashionable, lightweight, come in different textures, etc. Leggings not for you? How about no pants at all? Skirts and maxi dresses are effortless choices.
Lastly – and I’m extremely hesitant when I mention this one – come yoga pants. Though they could be classified as a sweat pant in my mind, they aren’t, because they are form-fitting. This, of course, has benefits, like making your butt look like a ripe little melon. Also, it helps you to not look like a slob, because you do when you’re in sweat pants.
So use your imagination and get creative before choosing to bolt out the door in the same things you sleep in. Imitation can be original: maybe you’re nicking color combos, but there are endless possibilities for dressing more smartly.
And to the first student who wore their matching two-piece sweat suit to class: how dare you, you should have stayed home.
