Andra Mart: A Sweats Issue

No, literally I have issues with sweatpants

I am at this very moment waiting on for a drop of sweatpants in colors I “need” for summer. I was almost willing to have something shipped from another country but decided against the inconvenience. Needless to say my demand for products like this is insatiable. I am now willing to pay up to $100 US American dollars on sweatpants in premium cotton or with a unique cut. I’ve found so many basics brands lately and I’ve been trying as many as I can afford. For me the perfect hoodie and sweatpant does not exist; I would need something that could morph into different shapes for different occasions. But I do think that because every cut serves a purpose there is infinite room for basics sweats brands. This is in the same way that there are so many denim brands and 100’s of silhouettes.

Sweatpants have existed since the 1920’s and over the past 100 years there hasn’t been much innovation. I get it, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. But it is broke.

I’d be excited to see more variety and creativity in the styles of sweats overall without the price going through the roof. I just ordered a pair of Wakaru sweat shorts and they are basically wide capris in sweatpant fabric. I noticed they don’t have a drawstring which is something I love on a sweatpant so I am hoping the waistband cinches enough. I’ll report back on my findings in the comments on this letter.

Another brand I purchased sweats from is Elwood, the French Terry cotton is exactly the material I want except my one most worn pair did not hold up well in the wash. They recently stated that they have updated their fabrication quality and design but they also brought their price up to $90 per pair of sweats. I’m not really willing to risk another near $100 on a pair that doesn’t last longer than 6 months. So they kinda lost me. These also aren’t pre-shrunk and can’t really go in the dryer which is a pain in the ass.

I tried Blanks by Thirteen, these were my least favorite, the cut was too straight and not nearly baggy enough, the waistband was shoddy and the elastic didn’t cinch at my waist so they are always falling down. The fabric is a combed cotton so it’s fairly heavy and not breathable.

My favorite pair to date has been the most budget conscious pair from Shaka Wear, they are just baggy/wide enough but not exaggerated and my only real note is that the inseam is a bit short but these have held up better than the more expensive pairs I’ve bought. They only come in neutral colors however.

It seems like the options for sweatpants should be endless. Endless price assortments, endless color options and I think there is more of this coming. Still though there have not been nearly enough colors available in my opinion. Not nearly enough differentiation in width, shape and silhouette.

So what am I asking for? I’m asking for innovation in the way we approach essential garments in general but specifically sweats. I myself want to have weeks supply of soft pants and hoodies for every environment and occasion. And more women’s and unisex sweats brands as well. I want to see wide shapes at different lengths, flared cuts and options for both elastic and open hems. I’d like to see stripes and ringer sweatshirts and contrast hoods on hoodies. I want the non-matching sweatsuit and the monochrome situation.

The main issue I’m having is that some of these hoodies and sweats photograph well but don’t actually deliver. The marketing is speaking to me but the sweatpants are not. Where I think the next brands can thrive is at pop-ups and trunk shows. If you can get people to try on the clothes and give feedback in real time you can make improvements and rinse and repeat that process. Every time building on the value and quality of the product and building rapport with customers.

These are my fashion notes as of late and I will be back with another Andra Mart soon. in the meantime follow my account on Instagram for fashion inspiration and style appetizers more regularly. It’s not my personal page but a catalog of products I find, runway photos and fit pics from creators online.

Lastly, I am launching my first product this June! The project is titled “Rebels” and I want you to stay tuned for this very limited drop.

Big Love,

Ra