My Ideal Outfit Formula to Replace Loungewear

For all those who want to look put together but feel cozy at the same time!

I have a few confessions about dressing comfortably.

I don’t like leggings.

I don’t like sweats.

And I don’t really even like pajamas.

This is hard for me as a person who works from home. Why would I wear anything else? And so, you’ll find me schlubbing around my apartment in stretchy pants, in whatever form they come, and big sweaters—most of the time, no bra. This is not embarrassing on the surface; I hardly think I’m alone in this constant cycle of taking off pajamas in the morning only to change into something that resembles pajamas for the rest of the work day.

I’ve written before about wearing at least one item, or getting slightly ready, so leaving the house can feel like less of a chore. Inertia is a thing!! But today I want to go a little deeper, and write about some ways I mix comfort and style. And no, I’m not talking about athleisure, though if you like that style, that’s great. I wish I liked it on me; that would make my life a lot easier.

Instead, I think back to the days when I went to church. I know, this seems random. But I remember friends talking about how nice it felt to go home from church, change out of their church clothes, and then lounge all day in pajamas. While I followed suit most of the time, I remember many Sundays where I wouldn’t change at all.

See, for a freak like me, I actually legitimately feel most comfortable in dresses and/or tights. I remember a few Sundays just throwing on a huge T-shirt over tights and feeling great about myself. The “outfit” probably looked really dumb. But so do sweats, sometimes. Some other Sundays, I’d just keep on my dress or skirt because I felt cute and comfortable all at once.

I remembered this about myself as I stood in front of my closet the other day, trying to figure out what type of stretchy pants I could wear to keep comfy and not squeeze my bulging pregnant stomach. I turned away from the pants and towards the dresses. Perhaps trusting my own preferences could be one hack to feeling cute and comfy all at once.

With the holidays coming up, I wanted to try to put together some outfits that are comfortable for me without giving up style. Especially since I travel to Utah for a large part of December, I’m living out of my suitcase and often struggle to put together anything that looks even remotely similar to what I would wear if I were still in DC with access to my full closet. So, I’m guessing this will double as a packing list.

What I’m about to show you has become a very common style of dressing for me, especially while pregnant. I’m trying hard not to buy many new items of clothing—and especially things I won’t be able to wear after this pregnancy is over—and so that means getting creative with the few items that are able to fit my ever-changing body. Meaning: you’ll see a few repeat items here! (Which is kind of like, duh? That’s my wardrobe. But still, crazy how “outfit repeating” can feel like a sin.)

Also, I will acknowledge I will probably lose all sense of style and live in leggings, sweats, and pajamas after I give birth in February. I’m not trying to pretend these clothing items are not a huge part of my daily life; they’re basically the bedrock of my daily life. I just don’t….like that for myself.

I’m happy to report this experiment has largely paid off. I have been layering flowy clothing, working with my new shape, and coming up with a few ideas that I hope can work for anyone who feels the same about the comfy clothes conundrum. I hope there are a few freaks like me reading this newsletter, who might also feel comfortable in items that others might not classify as loungewear. But I can only speak my truth: flowy things forever, amen.

I wore this for a little Friendsgiving I hosted, and it was a great choice. No one could even tell I’m wearing my version of pajamas! This dress is amazing—so light and airy. And then the dark sweater makes it transition from a spring dress to a winter one, and keeps me cozy at the same time. I didn’t wear the loafers around my house, but I did have little socks on.

Same dress, different sweater, whole new look. This sweater is SO warm, and it’s usually a bit longer than this. I just tied it up in the back and then tucked the tie underneath to make the sweater look more cropped. I thought the brown Oxfords fit, as they're the type of vibrant brown that kind of balances the bright red of the sweater. Again, I felt totally cozy and basically like I was swaddled all night long.

I’ve worn a version of this outfit before (the skirt, shirt, and some sandals), but I wanted to try winterizing it. So I added the turtleneck underneath the oversized shirt, and some mid-calf boots to keep my legs covered. Maxi skirts (like a true, loooooong maxi skirt) are blankets. There’s no way around it. Add a cozy sweater or a big shirt up top, and you may as well go take a nap. I wore this out to watch a Christmas boat show, and despite freezing temperatures, I felt content. I’ll be bringing the skirt and shirt to Utah for Christmas for sure.

Same skirt, totally different look! I found this wool sweater vest at a vintage market with my friend this past weekend, and I’ve worn it…almost every day since. I wanted to experiment with even more layering on this look, so I did a long-sleeve shirt and a T-shirt underneath the vest and I dig the contrast. To give that contrast more weight, I basically color-blocked everything else. I wore this out to get some work done at a little coffee shop in my neighborhood, and I felt extremely cozy (and super pregnant) the entire time.

What do you do to stay cozy without just straight-up wearing loungewear all day? I’d love more ideas. But for now, this will be my formula!

Happy holidays! I’ll most likely be back in January.

Abi