My Lululemon ‘Pants’ (Beloved by Wall Streeters) Are Really Sweats in Disguise
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This month, I found myself shopping forpantswith a moreforgiving waistlineto deal with the aftereffects of my winter diet. Hopeful that I’d quickly shedan inch or two, I didn’t want to spend money on more than one new pair, which meant that I needed something I could pass off at work in addition to everywhere else. After browsing a few stores in the mall near our office, I settled onLululemon’s ABC Pant, impressed by how much they look like suit trousers — thereby making themoffice- and event-appropriate — but feel far more comfortable, thanks to their roomy cut and stretchy material. They may have cost more than I planned to spend, but given how versatile the pants seemed and how durable other Lululemon pieces I own have proved to be, the price felt justifiable.
I’ve worn them to work practically every day since — though not yet to my actual office, because we were asked towork from homeindefinitely shortly after I bought the pants. Comfier thanjeansandchinosyet far more formal thansweatpants, they allow me todress forworking from homewithout feeling like I’m stuffed into actual trousers. Made of a proprietary fabric called Warpstreme (which Lululemon claims can stretch in four directions as opposed to two), the pants feel good whether I’m sprawled out on thecouchor sitting upright at mydining table. (In my experience, you’ll hit the limits ofyour own flexibilitybefore you find out just how much the pants can stretch.) Because that stretch fabric is also on the waistband, the pants don’t fight against me on days when I skip myat-home workout.And their tongue-in-cheek name (ABC stands for Anti-Ball-Crushing) needs no more explaining, other than to say: It’s not wrong.
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Sure, these may not be the most fashionable. Their synthetic material means the pants stand out when paired with natural fabrics like denim, cotton, or linen. But unlike most othermen’s loungewear, thesecouldbe paired with abutton-down shirtin a pinch — and that’s not just me hypothesizing. When I bought them, a Lululemon associate told me that since the ABC Pant launched in 2015, it has become a bit of a status item amongfinance guys, who say they will wear the pants with ashirtandtieand their colleagues have no clue that they’re basically wearingpajamasto work. Skeptical of whether this was just a sales pitch, I mentioned her claim to my cousin who works in private equity while FaceTiming, and he quickly broke into a smile. “All the associates in banking wear them,” he said. “Even though they’re basicallyyoga pants.”
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