Update: Since former Grub Street senior editor Sierra Tishgart wrote about these sweatpants in 2016, she’s left New York Media to start her company Great Jones. We were curious, though, whether she still loved these pants, so we sent her an email, and here’s what she said.
I wear these sweatpants more than ever, and I now own them in another color (gray). They’ve remained as soft as the day I purchased them. When we stayed late at the office the night before launching Great Jones, I brought in my spare pair for my co-worker, Gaby, and now she owns them, too. I also just wore them on a ten-hour flight; I love that the fabric breathes but isn’t so light that you get cold (I get cold easily). And even better, I didn’t feel like a sloppy mess at the airport when I arrived in them.
As someone who often writes from home, I have a strict policy: put on pants. Not jeggings or joggers or pajamas — real pants! Wearing workout gear all day long makes me feel sloppy and lazy, and I’m convinced it actually makes me less productive. My outlook totally changed once I purchased these Outdoor Voices sweatpants.
Outdoor Voices, a five-year-old lifestyle brand founded by Tyler Haney, is known for its cool-girl, color-blocked leggings (you know, these) — what I was actually looking to buy when I visited the New York flagship store. But then my hand grazed these sweatpants, and I felt the jersey fabric: soft, smooth, light, and just the right amount of stretchy (thanks to a mix of polyester and spandex). I didn’t even care how they’d fit; I just wanted to feel that fabric on my body. I’d buy sheets made in that fabric if I could.
But, somehow, the pants are as flattering as they are comfortable. The slim fit, drawstring waist, and tapered ankle makes the sweatpants look sleek and tailored, and not bulky in the slightest (even on my 5’2” frame). To be blunt, my booty pops, and I’m convinced my legs appear longer and slimmer. They’re the kind of pants you feel so good in that you want to actually go outside into the real world, just so you can strut. Once, I felt so outrageously confident in them that I put on a sports bra and walked around the West Village half-naked, like Sporty Spice.
Now, here’s the downside: At $88, these aren’t cheap. It’s hard to justify spending almost $100 on freaking sweatpants. But if, like me, you’ve only ever worn college sweatpants with ketchup stains, they’re a revelation. They’re the perfect gift for the lady of (ath)leisure in your life.
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