Sweatpants Are Going High-Style At Paris Fashion Week

These days, it's not uncommon to spot a fashion girl wearing straight-up pajamas to a nice dinner one day, and a sequin midi skirt on her iced coffee run the next. Now, it seems designers at Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2024 are offering us a happy medium between the two extremes: the elevated sweatpants trend. A well-employed use of both luxe fabrics and polished styling, the look proves there’s no reason you can’t make your lounge bottoms apt for work and play.

At Ester Manas’ show, the Brussels-based brand took a surprising approach to athleisure by styling a pair of gray drawstring straight-leg bottoms with black ruffled briefs peeking out from underneath — a fresh, flirty take on the exposed underwear trend — and a tie-dye crop top. And if you’re partial to an outfit that’s polished yet still slightly sporty? Take a page out of Undercover’s playbook. The luxury brand showed an understated gray sweatsuit (essentially a chic groufit) alongside green pointy-toe pumps and a khaki-colored baseball hat. Oh, and the model carried a yoga mat as well — because you never know when you might need a quick mid-day stretch.

Ahead, find more genius sweatpants styling ideas courtesy of the Paris Fashion Week runways. Next fall is going to be cozier than ever.

Undercover

Undercover sent the chicest aspirational yoga-goer down the runway, wearing a cohesive gray sweatsuit look and green pointy pumps. But if an early-morning sweat session isn’t your thing, not to worry; this outfit can easily translate to whatever is on your weekend agenda, like a leisurely stroll through the park (no yoga mat required).

Dries Van Noten

Leave it to Dries Van Noten to create high-style fleece sweatpants. The brand presented the slouchy silhouette in feel-good shades, including sunny yellow, burnt orange, and sage green. The latter, however, immediately captured TZR’s attention as it was teamed with an equally toasty turtleneck sweater in a rich royal blue shade. Finally, the glossy square-toe heels and roomy leather bag were the ultimate finishing touches.

Ester Manas

Sweats with the same cut and tailoring as your go-to office trousers? That exists now, thanks to Ester Manas. And as the brand shows here, the bottoms can make for an unexpected work look when paired with a sleek suede-heeled boot (leather loafers would be just fine, too). If you’re hitting the local bar with your coworkers later on, throw a lightweight printed tee, like the tie-dye style above, into your tote.