Sure, there are days when we want to look sharp and wear a figure-hugging dress or suit and strut stylishly down the streets. But there are also occasions when we just want to cocoon at home or in a café with a good book, wearing pajamas or the next best thing. It is this latter look that is growing in popularity, especially among younger people such as Millennials and Generation Z, collectively known as Generation MZ.
Inspired by the look of young folks burying their heads in books in cafes and libraries, the new look of baggy outfits give the feel of lounging around but can be worn in virtually any situation — even at work or to a party.
Baggy trousers help escape the madness of tight clothes
Post-pandemic, Generation MZ is leading the way in taking casual cafe and library fashion out of the libraries and into workplaces. One Google staffer was recently quoted in a Wall Street Journal article, observing, “Now that we’re back [in the office], I’ve seen people in flip-flops, cargo shorts and tank tops.” The same article reports that 7 percent of white-collar workers reported seeing more pajamas at work (admittedly, the sample size is small, but it is still noteworthy).
The most comfortable positions when reading or doing office work for long periods of time is sitting or lounging semi-supine. The part of you that spends most time in with the surface of the chair or lounge upon which you rest – your lower body – should therefore be comfortable.
Sweatpants, tracksuit pants, jogger pants or any other baggy fit bottom serves the best purpose, allowing air to circulate around your legs as well as ease of movement.
Colors are welcome too, if the fit is comfortable. While pants can often be unisex, often those especially designed for women are bolder in tone and hue. Denim jeans can be comfortable too, again–as long as they are baggy.
You need to find a style of waistband that feels most relaxing on you. Belts feel right to some, while others would rather have elastic or a drawstring. There is a wide range of possible permutations and combinations.
Loose tops are hard to beat
During periods of lockdown, social isolation and working from home, many members of Generation MZ got used to throwing casual, baggy, and over-fit clothes on in the morning and staying dressed that way even after work hours. Even when people began meeting in person again, work-from-home wear morphed into one-mile wear with some adjustments, and now even that has expanded in range and baggy comfort garments can be worn almost anywhere.
In the summer months, a baggy t-shirt or half-sleeve polo shirt is comfortable and relaxing for anyone while also keeping cool. But don’t forget that coffee shops, libraries, and most workplaces are air conditioned, so you might need a hooded sweater or a zip-up sweatshirt as an optional layer to put on or take off depending on the air temperature.
Hoodies and sweater the perfect baggy fit items, since they suit almost any frame and body type, and can be worn over almost anything underneath. In case you are thinking that they all look basically the same, there is much to choose from in terms of color, logo, and cut. The right combination of baggy hoodie with T-shirt and pants can make the ideal ensemble for a study session in a library or café, going out to watch a movie with friends, or even a comfortable shift at work.
However, remember the concept that too much of a good thing can be really too much. Baggy garments come in sizes, so choose the fit right for you. As Peter Nguyen, a New York-based personal stylist to men who work in tech and finance industries, said in the Wall Street Journal, “You can wear a T-shirt and jeans and look put-together, but if it’s too baggy, you look like you rolled out of bed.”
To find more baggy and loose-fit cafe and library fashion items, visit Samsung C&T’s SSF Shop.
