I’ve been putting off speaking about this trend for quite some time, but I fear it can no longer be ignored. Sweatpants, or “Joggers” as they’re also being called perhaps to justify a higher price point, are currently available in practically every store these days. Initially the trend was written off as fluke for those looking to capitalize on the ever-growing trend of “dressing down” at work, but once slimmer cuts and more high-end materials started being used, the game done changed.

The whole Sweat/Jogger phenomenon was really started by sneaker heads who wanted to show off their shoes. People started tight rolling their jeans again but this lead to the denim bleeding onto the shoes. The elastic cuffs of training pants like the ones Nike produces were a great alternative, and soon companies began following suit with higher-end materials like twill, leather and other luxurious fabrics.

I resisted getting a pair as long as possible, but with Dandy Jr. at home I found myself needing a slimmer cut sweatpant. With all the running and crawling we were doing, the standard issue baggy college sweats just weren’t cutting it. Once I saw J.Crew was on board with a slimmer sweat, I had to at least try them. Naturally I was hooked. They were as comfortable as everyone says and it felt kind of bad-ass wearing $70 sweatpants. Now, let’s be clear. Buffalo Dandy does not endorse wearing sweat pants in the office. Joggers, which can be comprised of denim, twills, etc I think are ok, but it doesn’t really work with a shirt and tie. That being said, fellow blogger Jace Lipstein shows how it can work and look pretty good when paired with a blazer and the perfect shoes. Check out his look below from a recent article in HighSnobiety with Jace showing off his very own Citizen Cotton x Grungy Gentleman sweatpants. The key, he states, to pulling off the look is mixing the high and low; thus the blazer with the sweats. It goes without saying that a certain amount of sprezzatura is necessary to pull it off correctly, but I can’t help but be reminded of this quote from Seinfeld.

However, as we are prone to say here at Buffalo Dandy: “Wear what you dig“. So perhaps you think you want to give this sweatpants thing a try either just for at home, out on the town or if you have an uber lax dress code at work. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our favorite styles at varying price points for you to get your comfort on. Until they make a pair of Harris Tweed joggers, for now we’ll be sticking with regular pants in the office.

 H&M $30 | Abercrombie $40
J.Crew $70 | Todd Snyder $118 | Nike $100
Citizen Cotton x Grungy Gentleman $265
Band of Outsiders $595 | Thom Brown $380

More from Western New York's own Buffalo Dandy.