Sweatpants at the Office

I work in a place with zero dress code. When your CEO has been called “king of hoodies” and the campus resembles downtown Disneyland, you know it’s not going to be your typical business casual. Still, I try to look dressed-down but put-together, especially on days when I have a lot of meetings, which usually means some combo of skinny jeans and a casual top. However, I’ve reached a stage (16-weeks pregnant!) where my jeans fit in the morning but feel quite snug after lunch. When I spotted these fitted sweatpants, I was sold at elastic waistband. But then I wondered if I could really make them look office-appropriate—because even in a super casual work environment, sweatpants could come off as a bit too George Costanza.

You can definitely dress them up with heels, but in my opinion, that kind of defeats the purpose of wearing sweats in the first place. Instead, I went for flat, strappy sandals, which look cute without sacrificing comfort. A chambray shirt pairs easily with everything, and sweats are no exception. I wore variations of this combo to the office last week (a white tee and leather jacket make for another good look) and was so completely comfortable, I almost forgot I was pregnant. Also, I got no horrified, are-those-sweatpants? looks from coworkers and more than a few compliments.

 Madewell chambray shirt. H&M sweatpants. Kendra Scott tassel pendant necklace.

I’m now on a mission to find more fitted sweatpants and joggers—as some of these comfy things are called—in every color and style imaginable. Although this probably means I’m going to be hearing more Seinfeld references from my husband. “Again with the sweatpants?”

Here are more sweatpants and joggers that are worth trying on. If your office is more traditional, don’t worry—there are some pretty silk styles that could work for your workday: