Every year around this time, I make the seasonal switch, packing up my warm-weather clothes and pulling out the cold-weather ones. The number of fall pants, specifically, that I own always surprises me, but I've realized the bottoms I'm most intrigued by aren't the chicest. Instead, I'm drawn to the so-called "shlubby" pants—the sweatpants most of us bought with the intention of wearing for dog walks, quick errands, or “I’ll change later” mornings.
What I find interesting about them is how sharply they contrast with the pieces I’m most excited to wear in cooler weather, like jackets, cashmere sweaters, and closed-toe shoes (maybe a kitten heel here or there). When you play with juxtaposition in an outfit, you create an entry point—a conversation-starter, an outlier that personalizes everything else. These styles do precisely that.
Pair them with classic fall staples or with more formal pieces, and they instantly break the mold. That’s what keeps personal style interesting: the interplay of elements that creates a more layered and intentional sartorial story. To prove my point, I styled some of my favorite "shlub-wear" for fall, from the highest to lowest relaxed factor.
Track Pants
My personal favorite form of loungewear is the track pant (which I wrote about at length last holiday season on my Substack, The Corner Booth). They already have personality—there’s an inherent sporty ease to them—so they’re a bit of a cheat code when it comes to making comfort feel more stylized. Because they lean athletic, I like swinging in the opposite direction with shirting, tailored blazers, fancy tops, or an unexpected heel. And as I’ve written before, track pants make a surprisingly great bottom-half option for holiday dressing.
Recently, I took a mid-afternoon walk to break up my work-from-home schedule. I’d been wearing these track pants and a cardigan, but I added a fringed leather jacket to make them feel special for my Upper East Side jaunt. The western-feeling fringe contrasted the pants' sporty energy, and I added a polka-dot neck scarf and glove flats to round out the look. It turned out to be a genuine example of taking the loungewear I’d worn all day at home and styling it just enough to feel put-together again.
These are my favorite track pants, mainly because they’re essentially sweatpants disguised as something more refined. They’re fleece-lined, so they’re incredibly cozy, yet they hold their shape thanks to the heavier weight. I styled them with contrasting elements—a striped button-down layered over a polo (left open to create an entry point into the outfit)—plus printed kitten heels and a long strand of pearls to make the look feel more elevated but still easy.
Swap the top, add a little extra care to my hair, and suddenly the track pants are party pants fit for the holidays. Because this pair has structure from their weight, thickness, and width, and comes in bright red, a slim top creates a nice contrast.
Layering denim is an easy way to add texture and depth, creating enough visual interest to balance a pair of multicolored track pants without overwhelming them. I rigged a brooch onto a chain necklace to craft a kind of lariat, leaning into the denim's western flair. With a sporty base and a menswear-inspired top, I chose strappy heels with a feminine feel to add lightness and balance.
Warm-Up Pants
Similar to the now-resurgent harem styles, the ankle detail of warm-up pants—often made from nylon—tweaks the proportions just enough to keep the silhouette interesting. What makes them different from harem pants (also called “genie” or “balloon” pants) is the fabric’s form and drape, which give them a casual ease that feels more effortless.
These bottoms are literally warm-up pants for dance class, so I’d suggest wearing tights or a base layer underneath, since they’re super thin. I leaned into their roots with mesh ballet flats and a leotard-tight knit top, keeping the upper half intentionally lean to balance the volume of the pants. The “shrug” on the left is actually a long, narrow scarf I wrapped around my shoulders and tied in the back.
This is the exact sort of outfit that reminds me how much I love getting dressed. I repurposed the chain from the previous look as a necklace and the scarf as a belt-cummerbund hybrid. I love the silhouette here: the slight flare of the jacket, the way the scarf’s ends point downward toward the poofy pants and heels. The casualness of the pants is what grounds the outfit and keeps it feeling fresh.
The heels I’m wearing have a high vamp, which gives them more substance and makes them a natural pairing with the nylon pants. The lightness of the poplin shirt and the pop of white in the pearl strand-turned-lariat (secured with a brooch) keep the look from feeling too heavy.
Joggers
Joggers, according to Google, are pants with a relaxed thigh and a tapered leg that narrows into a fitted cuff at the ankle. I’m defining them as more “pajama-adjacent” styles, differentiated mainly by material.
The narrower-leg versions—think slim-fit knitted, thermal, waffle, or ribbed—make for incredible footwear pairings. Thanks to the elastic hem, they tuck neatly into tall boots. And a flat shoe—or even a heel for contrast—flows seamlessly from the cinched ankle.
An easy way to elevate joggers is by pairing them with a contrasting genre. Here, I went preppy with a blazer, double-layered polos, and Belgian loafers. Because joggers tend to be on the narrower side, I chose something boxy up top for balance.
Matching my socks to the outer-layer polo created some color bounce, or when color play draws the eye across the outfit's silhouette. Joggers are also a great excuse to choose a fun pair of shoes; the ankle band really puts them on display.
They also look great with boots! Even better, rain boots. The slim fit of joggers allows them to slip seamlessly inside. I could have easily worn leggings here, but the more relaxed look of joggers contrasts with elements—sporty bottoms paired with layered satin and silk tops—that feel intentional rather than lazy.
Fleece-Lined Sweatpants
The best news I can offer—especially during travel season—is that we can simply rework the sweats we wore to bed or on long travel days for daytime wear. Even for dinner! The comfort is just a bonus; you’re wearing them for their style. You’re being a thoughtful dresser. Because they’re the most straightforward of the "shlubby" styles listed here, I find them the most fun to pair with complex tops or layered proportions, always keeping silhouette balance in mind.
The main thing that sets sweatpants apart from joggers is the fleece lining's puffiness. They create a little volume when tucked into boots, as I did here. I styled my sweatpants as I would a pair of trousers, but they bring a more creative, personal energy to the outfit—far more interesting with the contrasting genres than if I’d gone head-to-toe suiting.
Next up, I belted the jacket so the hem would flare slightly, highlighting the puff of the sweatpants. I went sporty on the bottom (sweats and black flats) and more refined on top (a car coat and patterned knit). The inspiration: an Upper East Side woman meets an East Village student running errands. That’s kind of the point of shlubwear, no?
So slip on your favorite comfy pants (or keep them on past your dog walk at dawn) and style them with purpose. Let their shlub-factor guide the rest of your outfit, because ’tis the season for shlubby pants.
