The Only Thing I Want to Put on My Body Right Now
The timing for this post could not be more perfect. Because temps are in the 20’s for the fifth day in a row (it actually was 11 degrees yesterday), I am bringing you a blog post about the coziness, comfiest and warmest (hallelujah) clothes on the planet: the good ol’ reliable sweat set. I mean, why the heck would you want to wear anything else right now?
I wasn’t exactly planning to write an entire post about sweats. Haven't we moved on from that since 2020? But no. Absolutely not. There is a reason I referred to sweats as reliable. Because they freaking are. You are never going to feel uncomfortable when you pull those warm sweatpants up over your waist. You are always going to feel safe when you can shrink into an oversized hoodie. So far in 2024, when I get out of bed… come home from the gym… get out of the shower… or have to put on more presentable clothes like (gasp) jeans, all I want to put on my body is the yummiest sweat set. And since sweats are so damn good now, I decided to upgrade my couch wardrobe and bring you all along with me. But here’s the kicker. These sets are actually stylish and flattering that they are no longer just made for curling up on the couch. The sweats I am about to show you are totally acceptable to be worn out and about when paired with a cute sneaker, an oversized coat and an adorable crossbody bag or tote. Whether you just crawled out of bed or not, in sweats these cute, nobody’s gonna know.
Dreaming of warmer days at the outdoor furniture store.
So here are my favorite sweat sets on the market. Yes, they are a little pricey, but I promise you will get your money’s worth, and then some, when you find yourself constantly reaching for these.
After that whole nip bra thing, I was over Kim K. and her attention-getting tactics. But I have to admit that she does a really, really good sweat set with this one from her brand, Skims. It might just be my favorite of the bunch.
Pluses: This Skims set is one of the softest of the group that I am sharing with you. It’s heavy enough to keep you warm without leaving you overheated indoors. I love the fit of the pants. They are high waisted and long, which is hard for me to find for my 5’10” frame. I crave a really good, oversized hoodie and this one is just that. I ordered two sizes because this was the first time I was trying Skims. I wanted to make sure this set would be oversized enough on me. And the medium (my true to size) was perfectly big enough to check all of the lazy sweatsuit requirements. And as silly as this sounds, I almost feel polished in this set because the fit is so good and the fabric is clean. It’s the perfect blend of slouchy and flattering. So Kim does do a good sweat set.
Minuses: The sweatpants don’t have pockets. While I find myself always going for the pockets when I pose for a selfie, maybe it’s not as big of a deal in real life. I am not sure I love this color. I am all about reds and the trending Oxblood hue this year, but this color is more rusty brown and not what I was going for. I’ll likely exchange this set for a different color.
I love Perfect White Tee for its namesake, the tee. And if you haven’t tried PWT’s tees yet, get with the program! This brand is made in the USA and you can tell by the quality. There are so many styles of sweats on the PWT website (there is even a sweatpant called the Brooke, which I was tempted to get), it can be a little overwhelming. But I knew I wanted to try the inside-out sweats because they are fun and different, and in my opinion, elevated (if that is even a way to describe sweatpants).
Pluses: I love the color, Sugar. It’s a winter version of an off white. But it’s also good for the spring. Which leads me to my next plus- the weight of this set makes it great to transition into warmer temps. So you’ll get even more uses out of this one. I like the look of the inside-out fabric because it’s different. The fabric also feels really well made. But my number one plus with the PWT set— It’s super flattering. Yeah, that’s such a weird thing to say about sweats. But it’s true. The pants elongate my legs. And paired with this shorter (but long enough for full coverage) hoodie, I feel really good wearing this one.
Minuses: There are no pockets on this set. Not on the pants. Not on the hoodie. So where am I going to put my hands when I’m cold… or feeling awkward? But I can get over that because I just love how this set fits. Another minus is the waistband. It’s small and hits lower on the hips so there is not much room to hide a bloated tummy. A sweatpant that you don’t want to hide away in when it’s that time of the month doesn’t seem to make much sense. But, I can justify this set for other purposes. And I will because it’s that cute.
I’m a huge fan of Set Active’s active sets. Proof is here and the fact that I am always wearing them to workout. I wasn't quite sold on the sweats however, even though I had heard good things about them. But I am glad I gave them another look because this one is adorable and perfect for days like the ones we have been having lately.
Pluses: This is the cool girl sweat set. Slouchy like you don’t give a-, when you actually do. These sweats are thick, substantial and very warm. They are the warmest of the group. These are the ones I want to wear right now and every time I have to take my puppy out for a walk in the snow at 6 am. Set Active releases new colors and drops the same silhouettes in the new shades. This half-zip was always sold out when I looked in the past, so I needed a new color to drop to secure it. The colors Set puts out are all great, and I’d be happy with any of them. The fit is very oversized. This style shirt is longer than a crop but still short. Don’t worry, there is no skin showing, nor will there be when you lift your arms. It’s too cold for that!
Minuses: This set will be perfect for the coldest winter months but not much more than that because it’s so heavy. They’re called “heavyweight sweats” for a reason. So you aren’t going to get as many uses from this $266 set. And that’s a lot to spend on something you’ll wear for only a few short months. Also, this set isn’t as flattering as the others. But do you really care? We aren’t trying to win any awards in our sweat sets. Or are we?
ALO.
I have a shopping rule. If I am still thinking about something a few days after leaving it in the store, or in my online cart, then I should get it. And I’ve been thinking about this set since I first had it on when the Alo store opened in the King of Prussia Mall way back in September. So when I decided to do this blog post, this set from Alo was the first one I purchased.
Pluses: This is another super soft set. You’ll want to keep grabbing for this one because it feels so good to wear. I love the fit of the pants. They are long with a perfect slouch. And they have pockets. I almost left with just the pants in September because the store didn’t have the matching gray hoodie. But I wanted a set and I wanted it in gray. I love the look of classic gray sweats.
Minuses: I didn’t leave with the pants in September because I wasn’t sure about the silver Alo logo on the Accolade collection. Alo’s clothes (not their activewear, thank god) always have a prominently featured logo, and I hate that about the brand. In my opinion, it cheapens their clothes. And that’s why I haven’t bought any of their amazing jackets and regretfully this set, until now.
I usually write about looks to take you from the studio to the street, but this frigid January, it’s all about looks to take you from the couch to the street (only if it’s plowed). And any of of these adorable sweat sets will get you there in comfort and style. I love 2024 already!
Click on the pictures in this post for more detailed size information and to shop any of these sets. The links are commissionable, at no cost to you. As always, this post contains my honest opinion, and that will never change!