NYLON - March 2009 - (Page 102) observer: no sweat these gym staples are ready to g come out of th l t f the locker room and onto the street. photographed by carin backoff IT HAPPENED SEVERAL years ago. I’m not exactly sure when the lightning bolt hit—maybe sometime between the epiphany that vintage class rings would make cool statement jewelry, or perhaps when I became obsessed with the idea that stodgy boat shoes would make the perfect summer slip-ons. But at some point, it occurred to me that traditional sweatpants (not to be confused with the Juicy Couture variations)—long relegated to the back of your dresser drawer as either “fat pants” to be broken out before inhaling a huge Thanksgiving meal or standard-issue bottoms for the occasional trip to the gym—could be sexy. As in, wear-them-out-of-the-house-on-purpose sexy, complete with a dressy top, heels, and maybe a tiny chainstrapped bag worn across your body for good measure. And so the search began for a perfect heather gray, dropwaisted, cropped-at-the-ankle pair of sweats. Many trips to thrift stores produced good results: Although the size may not have always been exact, the light material was far more superior to the bulky cotton available from most athletic brands. Next came the versions from American Apparel, which basically got the concept spot-on, save for a bit of improvement to be had in the silhouette—less slim-fit throughout the top and slouchier, please. But now Alexander Wang has truly nailed it: His incarnation of the work-out staple is flawless in every way, meant to be worn with the attitude that you just don’t care, but tailored and made of the thinnest jersey so that they look so good with a pair of black platforms, a gauzy tank, and a boyfriend blazer. And, of course, let’s not neglect the idea of sweat shorts, another great option from Mr. Wang’s spring collection, ideal for warm summer nights. It’s finally time to take these under-appreciated bottoms out for a night on the town. Baggy enough to release body heat while you’re dancing, yet conveniently providing leg coverage to keep warm during pub crawls, sweatpants are ready for a different kind of obstacle course. And ever-functional, you can still pass out in them comfortably, should you be too tired (or tipsy) to change before going to bed. STEPHANIE TRONG 102 stylist: kate erwin. hair and makeup: min min ma for workgroup using nars cosmetics. model: natalia k at next. shirt, pants, and shoes all by alexander wang, blazer by rag & bone.
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