How Loungewear Got Luxury

Millenials have been hailed as the first generation to be more boring than their predecessors, which means much less partying and much more Netflix and (optional) chilling. According to market research company Mintel, a staggering 28% of young millennials (aged 24-31) can’t be bothered to even leave the house to go for drinks: they’d rather do it at home.

If you’re wondering what the hell that has to do with your wardrobe, it means a lot. More time indoors means that what you’re wearing during your downtime is more important than ever. “The growth in luxury loungewear as a category coincides with the increasing value people are putting into their homes, says Molly Goddard, one half of the brains behind luxury British loungewear brand Desmond & Dempsey. “As we are investing more time and money in our homes, we want quality loungewear to enjoy our space in.”

In a world of smart TVs and speakers that can crack (crap) jokes, lacklustre loungewear no longer cuts the mustard. So, gone are bobbly nylon-mix tracksuits and T-shirts you don’t remember coming in your possession. In their place sits loungewear 2.0. It’s not just comfortable, it’s covetable. Call it the chill-luxe trend: your sweatpants got sumptuous. Hoodies are designer gear. Pyjamas are now so opulent there are some who wear them instead of shirts.

How Designer Loungewear Became A Thing

In line with the general trend in menswear away from the strictures of formal dressing, the rise of luxury loungewear taps into a desire for comfort above all else. “Everyone needs their down-time and there’s nothing better than relaxing in a pair of supersoft lounge shorts after a long day in suit trousers or stiff jeans,” says Sacha Rose, CEO of high-end British loungewear brand Derek Rose.

It’s not only a collective consensus on the importance of comfort that’s driven this trend though, there’s been a step change in the way loungewear itself is designed. “For men, pyjamas have become the part of the getting home routine that signifies relax time,” says Goddard. “Pyjamas need to match their wearer’s needs; styles should be smart enough to wear in front of the family, with deep button close pockets that can hold a phone.”

And, if anything good has come of the painful realisation that we’re all addicted to our screens, it’s that loungewear is now seen as an integral part of the switching-off process. Good loungewear is good for the soul. “As a society, we are beginning to understand and value the importance of sleep on health, comprehension and creativity: proper pyjamas make you feel like you really have your shit together,” says Goddard.

Modern loungewear is so wearable and easy on the eye now that it refuses to stay in the house. Just as we’ve seen with high-end sportswear, savvy owners of luxury loungewear have realised that their heather grey cashmere hoodie sets are too pretty to stay trapped behind drawn curtains. For a generation of men who want healthy cost-per-wear calculations and don’t want to spend the lion’s share of their week strapped up in a suit, investing in loungewear is a stupidly sensible move.

4 Modern Ways To Wear Luxury Loungewear

At Home

In a shock to approximately nobody, the natural bedfellow for loungewear is the bedroom. Not only will being sheathed head-to-toe in a cashmere lounge set or matching supima cotton pyjamas feel far superior to an old T-shirt and moth-bitten joggers, going high-end in your home comes with the added benefit of absolving internal guilt about binging on boxsets.

David Gandy For M&S Autograph

On The Weekend

Wearing anything deemed loungewear in public was once frankly unthinkable, but now as a by-product of the reappraisal of strict dress codes, loungewear’s been let out of the house. And, who was to know that a grey hoodie and tailored sweatpants would make such a rock-solid match for luxe white sneakers and a charcoal overcoat? The game has been changed for the better.

River Island

At The Gym

Whereas once the mere act of heading down to the gym to move some metal was deemed admirable, what you wear to get all red-faced now speaks volumes too. Take for example the combination of a slim unbranded pair of black joggers and a well-cut white T-shirt and compare it to the far inferior a mish mash of colours, shapes and brand affiliations which formerly constituted gym ‘style’.

CALIDA

Dressed Up

Leaving the house in your pyjamas sounds like the kind of thing that no self-respecting man should do, but under certain circumstances, it’s pretty sound advice. For a visual reference think Ryan Gosling, who’s been known to team a piped navy pyjama shirt with classic sand chinos. A printed pyjama shirt can also work wonders when worn with an otherwise staid suit by adding a louche feel into the mix.

Richard Biedul