Sweatpants - A review

The average girl has made them hot, but nobody should ever wear sweatpants to be stylish. (I've only worn them to school while taking an exam. That's it.) Especially not with flip-flops, eurgh.

My point is that even though they're a HUGE no-no, you should have a pair or two anyway for lounging, sick days, exam days, and those days where you go out to the grocery store at 9 pm to get ice cream.

I've tried three different brands of sweatpants, and I'm here to help you make this important decision based on looks, comfort, sizing, and price to quality ratios.

BRAND ONE : Juicy Couture

When I was a freshman I really wanted a pair of Juicy sweats. (Come on, I was young and didn't know better.) So I tried a pair on at Nordstrom and my mom got them for me. I got the black.

Sizing: Juicy traditionally runs a size small. Girls that are exceptionally tiny will most likely be able to fit into the Petite. (They have little girls clothing too!) However, I lost a siginificant amount of weight and only went down a size in the pants. (I have an hourglass figure and that's probably why.) I recommend hemming your pants so you don't step on them if they're too long.

Comfort: SO SO SO SO comfy. The velour that is. I've felt some of the terry and I'm not too wild about it, but that's more of a spring/summer thing. I've never tried the fleece. Every day last year I'd change out of skinnies and into Juicy sweatpants and I would be so relaxed it was insane.

Looks: Unless you get the logo ones, which are usually more tacky than a just plain logo, they're just fancy basics. Plain velour drawstring pants and plain velour hoodies with a cutesy little J-zipper pull. I never wear the sweatpants in public, but I've found that the hoodies are the most fashionable of all the sweatpant hoodies because they're basic and go with a lot.

Price/Quality: I've had my set for 2 years and it looks alright. The sleeves are a bit messed up, but I think I stretched it out or something. I'd buy one set and just keep buying the hoodies if I were really into Juicy, because they're really expensive. $94 for a hoodie and $88 for the pants. (Two years ago I paid $75 for the pants and $88 for the hoodie) I don't know if having one expensive sweatpants set is better than having lots of inexpensive ones, so you'll have to make the judgement on your own.

FINAL VERDICT:

Good: Hoodie is versatile. Pants very comfortable

Bad: Very expensive, non-basics tend to be tacky

BRAND TWO : Victoria's Secret PINK

I used to hate the PINK line because I thought it was all a bunch of Juicy knockoffs. I also thought it was annoying that somebody would be wearing pants that had PINK across the bum, but there was no pink in the actual article of clothing! I eventually bought a pair of sweatpants impulsively after I got into a fight with a/the boy. I must say I like them.

Price/Quality: They're moderately priced. I only bought the pants, and they were $28 or so? Not bad. Probably the 27-36 range depending on style. I think the quality is good for what you pay for - my pair hasn't fallen apart or gotten nasty or anything.

Sizing: They run big. I had to get the small. They do offer XXS however.

Comfort: They're not as comfy as the Juicy ones, but they're very comfy. Because my Juicy pair is so big, I started changing into these because they don't fall off of me or anything. I took my AP exam wearing these (the only time I've ever worn sweats to school!) and the only annoying thing was that they were sort of cropped. Like they weren't super short, they just ended at around my ankles.

Looks: I liked the "True Pink Love" ones, because they were tasteful for sweatpants. They didn't have anything written across the rear - only "True Pink Love" in green across one of the sides, with a smaller logo on top of one of the legs near the waist. However, I'm really not liking the new ones. I honestly haven't seen a pair of Pink sweats that I've liked in about a year.

Verdict: I think the ones they have out now are really ugly, but they're worth the money if you decide you like them.

BRAND THREE: American Eagle

Well, I was at American Eagle and decided I wanted a pair of their sweatpants. I don't know, sweatpants just do that to me. They're addictive. They ended up being on sale, so I bought some. I got the hoodie and the pants.

Price: Well mine were on sale, but I don't think either piece went for more than $30.

Comfort/Quality: The hoodie had this weird button thing so it was almost choking me. I haven't worn the hoodie as much, but I expect to when it gets colder. The pants were very comfortable, but they're these weird cut-off things. They're almost like shorts, actually. A lot of the fleece from inside of the pants kept going everywhere, but it has stayed intact recently. Keep in mind that I did get them at the end of the summer, so I think they were spring/summer sweatpants. I'd have to see what the AE sweats these days are like - they might be like the VS ones.

Looks: The fact that mine are "sweatshorts" is really silly. While I can't do the ridiculous "tucking sweatpants into fuggs" look, if I wore these with fuggs or uggs it would look even worse. Also they're not really practical in the wintertime. But they work three seasons out of the year - they'll keep you comfortable in the fall but you won't overheat in the summer. The actual designs? Even though it has a logo, it's tasteful. There's a small AE symbol, I think some number action is going on. It says "American Eagle" right above the rear, but not directly on it. More like on the top. (I don't know, you wouldn't be wearing these in public anyway)

Verdict: A very nice alternative to Victoria's Secret, even if they are knockoffs of a knockoff.

FINAL VERDICT: So here's my verdict on sweatpants. Love them or hate them, you do need a pair. And if you're going to be stuck with some, why not have some nice ones? If you want to blow a ton of money on some awesome Juicy ones, I feel you. And if you don't, you certainly have a plethora of alternatives.

(Victoria's Secret PINK can be found at Victoria's Secret stores, PINK stores, or on their website. American Eagle sweats can be found at American Eagle stores or on their website. Juicy Couture sweats can be found at Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Shopbop.com, Net-a-porter.com, or at Juicy Couture stores.)

By: Tight