Chic styles for lounging at home

By Manja Gress Dec 1, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - Slipping into comfortable clothes after getting home from work can be one of the most pleasant moments of the day, but the clothes needn't be a smelly sweatsuit or old jogging pants because there is plenty to choose from and most of it is designed exclusively for wearing at home.

Two-piece velour suits, pajamas and a large sweater over leggings are examples of comfortable and stylish clothes ideal for lounging on the sofa inside one's own four walls. The category of clothing is called house wear and it follows current fashion trends.

When it comes to house wear there are so many ways to feel comfortably dressed, while not giving up on chic - no-one has to let themselves go completely, said Simone Piskol, a shopping consultant in Germany. Choosing nice clothing to wear at home also shows one's partner a bit of respect.

'Any woman who dresses chic for work every morning and then runs around at home looking dumpy shouldn't be surprised if her partner keeps his distance,' Piskol said.

A lot of the styles currently popular in home wear have been inspired by street clothes. The lingerie maker Princesse tam tam, which has boutiques in Germany, France and Belgium as well as an online shop, has harem pants in its home wear line. To keep it from looking too casual, it should be combined with a snugly fitting top, said Berlin-based fashion consultant Dagmar Dobrofsky.

Freya, a UK-based lingerie maker with hundreds of stores worldwide, also combines wide lounger pants with slim-fitting tops and vests. A combination that young women in particular like to wear is leggings and a T-shirt, as shown in the catalog of Vienna-based Palmers.

'During the cold months of the year it is comfortable to wear leg warmers over the leggings,' said style consultant Birgit Getter. Piskol said tops long enough to cover the bottom look well on larger-size women. Combining it with leggings also works well.

There are also home wear pants for men this season, and it should surprise no-one that they are baggy and designed to droop in the back just like the style seen on the street. Undercolors of Benetton, a division of the Italian clothing maker, has plaid home wear pants in its line. Generally, home wear suits should 'exude comfort,' Getter said. Materials like jersey are especially comfortable to wear.

The style of the classic home wear suit has changed dramatically in recent years and now they can be compared with warmup or track suits. The cut of women's home wear suits are the best example, said Getter. The top is very tailored, while the pants have a modern boot cut, meaning the pant leg flares out at the bottom, which makes the legs look thinner.

Piskol said, however, that people should think of their home wear suits as the type of clothing to wear when they don't have to worry about spontaneously answering the door. 'The suit looks a bit too private,' Piskol said. 'A long pullover combined with leggings and cozy leg warmers or socks is a better choice for such encounters.'