Hello and welcome back ❤️
Can you believe Valentine’s Day has already come and gone?? I swear, time is legit flying… These last five years have passed at light speed, to the point where it feels like it should only be 2022 now, and I honestly can’t grasp it. I’ve heard many people feel this way due to the lockdowns during the pandemic, but even so, it still blows my mind. How can our sense of time be so out of whack?? It’s truly incredible.
With that tangent aside, today, I’m bringing you a little post delving into some slightly more stylish ways of wearing sweats than just throwing on some fuzzy pants and a hoodie. Originally, I created these outfits as part of a Valentine’s Day lookbook, but I unfortunately really missed the deadline for that. Huge thanks to my crazy job and the ridiculous hours I’ve been working, and an even bigger thanks to being on-call. You really are the man, On-Call.
🥲
Anyway, I tried with all my might to get my V-Day looks up before Valentine’s Day arrived, but alas, I still ended up not having enough time. So now, I’m splitting that huge lookbook into a bunch of smaller posts that discuss a few different styling topics. I simply put too much effort into the Valentine’s content to scrap it, so I’m going with the flow and adapting 😊
As previously stated, the first of these V-Day-gone-wrong posts is a dive into some slightly unique ways of styling sweats, since I know sweatpants and sweatshirts have been and still are key wardrobe pieces for many folks this winter season. If you’re in the northern hemisphere and are somewhere far enough from the equator, then you’ve probably also been living in sweats and sweaters since the start of November—potentially even October—and after four or five months of wearing the same baggy clothes over and over and over…a lot of us are getting bored. Myself included.
However, despite our desperate desire to break free and wear outfits that are much more creative and cute than boxy and bulky, it’s so darn difficult to stay warm in anything else that most of us scrap the cute fits and stick to sweats, anyway, no matter how sick we are of them. But with this post, I hope to show you some slightly different ways of styling sweats that’ll refresh your end-of-winter wardrobe just enough to help you push through these last few weeks until spring warmth finally arrives. (I just pray the Valentine’s colors in each look are’t too egregious 😅)
So now, I present a little breakdown of simple ways to elevate your over-worn and underwhelming sweats. There’s one outfit featured for every main personal style category, which I’m hoping will provide inspiration to as many people as possible, and since I crafted each of these looks using only basic, staple garments that I already own, I’m also hoping this will enable you to take whatever pieces you happen to have and turn them into an enviably fresh yet cozy look.
Now, without further ado, let’s begin 😊
Types of Personal Styles
Before we dive into the outfits, I wanted to mention all the personal style categories that I chose to craft looks for, as well as briefly explain what each style category technically is. That way, you can more easily identify which outfits in this post will best suit your personal tastes.
– CLASSIC: Clean, tailored, neat, and neutral looks that invoke the feeling of women’s clothing in the 20th century
– PREPPY: Reminiscent of the uniforms worn by prep school kids (or by people wealthy enough to play polo, ride horses, and go boating)
– ROMANTIC: FKA, girlie (I think). Frilly, flowy garments with lots of florals and pastels
– SPORTY: AKA, athleisure. A mix of athletic wear and other, non-athletic clothing that creates a casual look with an active twist
– EDGY/ALTERNATIVE: All of the different “grunge,” “goth,” and “punk” aesthetics morphed into one category comprised of pieces that are darker in color and potentially a bit more fashion-forward or daring.
Okay! Now that we’re clear on the different styles, let’s get into the actual styling.
Look 1: Classic
That’s right! Even if you have a more classic style, you can still get comfy in sweats!
The key to livening up a typical sweatsuit when you have a classic style (and the key in general throughout this whole post) is by breaking up the sweatsuit pieces. Instead of wearing both sweatpants and a sweatshirt, choose just one of those garments, then pair it with other sophisticated, polished, and elegant items that are typical of a classic wardrobe, like a nice shirt and cardigan (as seen above); straight-leg jeans and loafers; wide-leg trousers and a blazer; etc. By doing this, you still get the coziness and warmth of sweats, but the contrasting combination of casual and formal pieces dresses up the outfit enough to make you look put-together (and to keep it in the classic style realm).
Another key to successfully styling sweats in a classic way is to stick to tailored/proportionate cuts, neutral colors, luxurious-looking details, simple patterns, and a somewhat monochrome palette when picking each of your garments. Those are all traits of a typically classic wardrobe, so throwing on a nice-looking, somewhat structured or tailored pair of sweatpants (most likely wide-leg), or wearing a logo-free, neutral-colored, well-made sweatshirt, with other well-made garments in similar colors that have elegant, chic details will instantly turn the activewear piece you chose from boring and overdone to chic and classy.
For my own outfit, I paired soft and comfy yet somewhat structured and well-fitted wide-leg, navy sweatpants that give off a trouser vibe with a pinkish-magenta turtleneck and a tailored, navy cardigan that has big, gold buttons all over it. Wearing trouser-esque sweatpants with something a little more elegant (yet still incredibly warm and comfortable) suddenly turns the most casual daywear into an effortless outfit that could even be sported at the snootiest of country clubs.
No? Is that too far of a stretch? Regardless, this is definitely not your typical sweatsuit!
And while I normally wouldn’t wear a pink turtleneck here, simply due to personal taste (and the fact that classic looks tend to rely on neutrals only), incorporating a pop of color actually elevates the style of this fit even more by adding some eye-catching interest, and to make your color pop seem purposeful and planned, tie it into the rest of your outfit by accessorizing with jewelry, makeup, shoes, etc. in similar tones.
Finally, elevate this look’s sophistication even more while still retaining its wintertime coziness by throwing on some streamlined sneakers; a long, tailored trench coat; and a polished, structured purse. I personally recommend a different color than beige for the coat, but since this is the only neutral trench that I own, this is all I can provide for this post.
(Excuse how filthy my shoes are 😳)
Look 2: Preppy
Yet again, I have to say: That’s right! Even folks with a preppy style can successfully pull off cute yet cozy sweats!
The rules of preppy style are very similar to the rules of classic style, with many preppy garments being well-tailored and structured, plus worn in a way that creates a proportionate silhouette in a fairly monochrome palette. However, despite these similarities, preppy style actually differs from classic style in that it has far more patterns and colors that are considered “acceptable,” with plaid, stripes, houndstooth, argyle, gingham, and tweed being the most recognizable of the preppy patterns. (Although, tweed is a fabric, not a pattern…) Regarding colors, virtually any hue is on the table, especially if it’s super saturated and primary. (Think classic Ralph Lauren.)
For my outfit, I chose this zip-up sweater with a sailor collar (is this really a sailor collar??) in light, pastel colors, then paired it with some beige, knit, wide-leg sweatpants. What’s great about a preppy style is that, despite being known for structured, tailored, and pleated garments, none of those pieces actually have to be form-fitting or form-skimming. There are plenty of oversized preppy looks thanks to the style replicating clothing worn by students, who may not always fill out their uniforms, and that oversized, comfy-yet-preppy vibe is what I’m going for here.
The sailor neck is a classic amongst preppy looks, and while I know not everyone has a garment with this neckline in their closet—let alone a garment with this neckline in this color palette—this sort of sweater can easily be swapped out for any other preppy sweater you happen to own. For example: a V-neck sweater vest, an argyle sweater, or a letterman cardigan—any of those with a turtleneck or button-down beneath. Bonus points if you have a letterman jacket to throw on top, and if none of your sweaters are colored or preppily patterned, then choose a neutral upper layer and wear a pop of color or pattern beneath it instead.
Regarding the pants, any sort of wide-leg, classic-cut, somewhat-tailored sweatpants will work, for the same reasons as the previous look, and while you’re certainly allowed to play with colors with preppy style, I personally prefer a neutral base in my outfits to tie everything together. So, I suggest keeping the pants some sort of neutral hue that compliments whatever you’re wearing on top, but if you’d rather go a different route, that choice is yours 😊
And just like with the last outfit, accessorizing with some chic jewelry, some sort of preppy jacket (I tried both a trench and a quilted coat), and some sleek sneakers will continue the outfit’s sophistication while amping up its overall style even more.
Look 3: Romantic
There’s not too much to explain here, so I’ll keep the description short. Romantic style is characterized by flowy fabrics, lots of florals, and very light and bright colors, so it’s actually pretty easy to pull off an elevated, romantic sweats look if you have some light-colored, flowy, wide-leg sweatpants and a comfy, floral sweater or cardigan (or one with hearts, polka dots, or stripes). You could also swap sweatpants for a comfy, flowy, light-colored jumpsuit (or trousers) layered beneath the same sort of sweater, cardigan, or sweatshirt previously mentioned. The key here is the same as the other outfits: Refresh your typical sweats look by breaking up your sweats pieces and styling them with other, non-sweats garments that fit the romantic style category.
The swap options are almost endless if you have lots of frilly, floral clothing, so use your imagination and choose the prettiest pieces that keep you warm. Here, I paired the same sweatpants as the last look with a pink turtleneck and a cropped cardigan that has floral details stitched in around the neckline, then added a frilly, floral ascot and a bow claw-clip to my hair. The pink and floral accents perfectly showcase a romantic style, and pairing a dressy cardigan and scarf with sweatpants adds a ton more flair than if a sweatshirt had been thrown on instead.
And as I mentioned before, if you choose to add color to your look, try tying it into the rest of the outfit with jewelry or your purse. Finally, wear whatever cute, romantic coat you happen to own, plus your cutest pair of sneakers. Mine here have glitter.
Look 4: Sporty
(Excuse the wrinkles, please 🤭)
Athleisure is obviously what most people think of first when they hear “stylish sweats look,” and what I’m delivering to you today is probably one of the more stereotypically athletic outfits. Because of that, some people may not think this is elevated sweats and is rather just sweats, and I somewhat agree. But I also don’t think that’s a problem here because having a sporty style most likely means you don’t get too tired of wearing sweats on both your top and bottom and thus would be most comfortable in an elevated sweats look that still involves two sweats garments.
Because of that, instead of mixing and matching sweats and non-sweats, in this look, we’re taking some tapered, charcoal sweatpants and pairing them with a brightly colored crewneck that’s been layered over a turtleneck.
I chose charcoal here because most people have some sort of black or gray sweatpants, especially tapered ones, and in my opinion, the tapered look gives even more of a sporty, athletic vibe than the wide-leg cuts that are so popular now. Why? Well, I guess it seems much more likely for athletic individuals to wear an aerodynamic cut, which is exactly what the tapered leg is, and since a tapered leg is no longer as expected as the wide-legs that are so trendy now, choosing this cut actually adds a bit of unexpected flair that elevates the outfit in a very subtle way.
To further spice up this look, I chose this bright-lavender crewneck for the top, as I find that many sporty/athleisure looks tend to gravitate toward neutrals and that tons of popular athletic-wear outfits usually are fairly monochrome. Sporty looks also tend to utilize hoodies far more than crewnecks, so throwing on a punchy-colored crewneck with lots of loud text on the front and back turns this fit from just another day of sweats to a personality-rich, stylish outfit that also happens to be super comfy and warm.
Layering a crewneck with a turtleneck not only adds further warmth but also adds some interest, texture, and contrast that helps draw the eye up to your face.
Finish the look with some simple, sleek jewelry; colorful, high socks; a thick, long puffer; and a cute, coordinating baseball cap. Choosing accessories like these will keep the outfit’s sportiness alive but will also make you look purposefully dressed and put-together. As for shoes, try a chunky pair of sneakers in a matching color palette, but at the same time, if you don’t have a pair of those, feel free to choose whatever shoe like best.
Look 5: Edgy/Alternative
This outfit certainly doesn’t look like comfy sweats, now does it??
Black and red are a classic punk combo, which made them irresistible for this look, and with baggy clothing being so on trend right now (as I’ve mentioned), and big, loose clothing having been a staple of alternative styles for most of the last 30 years—save the skinny-jean, emo era of the late 2000’s/early 2010’s—I just had to choose something loose and baggy for this.
We’ll start by discussing the black culottes. Yes, my friends, the pants in this look are not sweats but are instead wide, soft, comfy trousers. Surprise, surprise, I didn’t choose sweatpants for this look but instead made the “sweats” component the top: a knitted, hooded sweater that’s been belted at the waist to create a shorter, more defined silhouette. This was a bold choice for me since I hate having cold legs and thus always wear sweatpants on my bottom half in the winter, but since wearing and belting long, baggy tops is another huge trend right now (hello again, middle school), I just had to try to do that here.
Belting the sweater in this outfit adds just the right amount of shape, edge, and style to what would otherwise be, well, a very frumpy and bland box, and while you certainly could ditch the belt and wear everything loose and flowing if you don’t like this look, in my opinion, doing so wouldn’t be quite as unique and elevated.
I also went for another vibrant color here, as the bright red felt much edgier to me than a darker, muted tone. However, as always, feel free to put your own spin on this look by choosing whatever colors you happen to have/whatever colors you actually want to wear.
To finish this off, I recommend jewelry that is also black and red, but I unfortunately couldn’t find all the items that I have in those colors and thus wore whatever I had close by. I also chose a black vest for the outerwear and some tall, black wedges for the shoes, but if you’d rather wear boots or sneakers, please feel free. And if you need a legit coat (like I would), please opt for that instead of a vest. (I recommend something grungy and distressed if you have it.)
And that is all! Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this, and I hope it helped inspire you to finally break free from your winter sweats rut. But if not, I hope at the very least that it was entertaining 😁
Stay warm, stay well, stay happy, and remember: They need us overconsuming to keep us broke 😊 (They also need us divided to keep us controlled 🫢)
Until next time ❤️
ireallyhateconverse 