Please Recommend: Pajama-Like Pants I Can Wear in Daytime/Public

44 Replies

Okay. Okay. I call uncle: I need some pajama-like pants that I can wear in the daytime, in public.

Even back in December/January with knee surgery and physical therapy looming, I thought I could get by with my patterned flannel pajama pants: it’s short-term! no sense buying special/new clothes when my Christmas Dogs pj pants will do just fine! I can tolerate looking a little silly in a medical situation!

But it’s been three and a half months, and today I had an MRI for my knee (because it’s been over three weeks since I fell on it, and it is still swollen/stiff/sore), and they wanted me to wear soft pants with no zipper, and apparently I have hit my own personal limit for Christmas Dogs pj pants in public. I mean, I did wear the Christmas Dogs pj pants. BUT I WISHED FOR SOMETHING BETTER.

I have a pair of pants a friend gave me, stretchy and black and perfect with pockets, as a surgery-recovery gift—but they were originally one size below what I normally wear (though, bless them, they still worked at the time), and I have gained about 15 pounds since then (she remarked with absolute neutrality, and with no moral value assigned), so now they are a literal and figurative stretch. I looked into buying the same ones in a bigger size—but as seems to be the case with all such quests, the pants have been discontinued.

I don’t even know what I’m looking for. I’d thought I would look All Wrong in basic tight-all-the-way-down stretch pants, so I bought some boot-cut yoga pants, and I felt as if I would FAR rather wear the Christmas Dogs. Specifically they looked wrong with my SHOES, which are either Converse or Skechers. But I didn’t know what kind of shoes WOULD look right with those pants. They made me feel as if I looked ridiculous, so I sent them back to hell where they belonged.

So I guess I am asking: what comfy stretchy non-jeans no-zipper pants OF ANY TYPE (BUT THEY MUST MUST MUST HAVE GOOD POCKETS OR THEY ARE USELESS AS DAYTIME PANTS) do you feel okay wearing in public? And then I will go look at all your suggestions and see if anything resonates. Love you byeeeeeeee!

44 thoughts on “Please Recommend: Pajama-Like Pants I Can Wear in Daytime/Public”

  2. Jeanne

    I have inexpensive Old Navy recs! I have these and while I think sleektech is a dumb name, they are comfy.
    https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=569718012&vid=1&autosuggest=true&searchText=Sleektech&position=3&results=6#pdp-page-content

    I also have these which are basically pajama pants in linen.
    https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=683290002&cid=3030841&pcid=3030841&vid=1&nav=hamnav%3AWomen%3ANew+%26+Now%3AThe+Linen+Shop&cpos=6&cexp=2926&kcid=CategoryIDs%3D3030841&cvar=26330&ctype=Listing&cpid=res25041719556671380790263#pdp-page-content

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  4. KP

    There are only three comments and people have already covered literally everything I was going to suggest! So I will only co-sign Old Navy wide leg elastic waist pants (linen, sleektech, really any of them) and universal Standard pants (I’m wearing Stephanies right now, which are a wide-legged ponte knit with racing stripes down the sides, and I feel very chic and also like I’m in my pajamas).

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    1. Sandra

      +1 for scrubs! I wear soft pants pretty much 24/7, and felt like a genius when I eventually realized this was an option. There are lots of brands …. I like Figs because they have a ton of variety, so I can get the exact rise, cut, and most of all the *inseam* I want. Good luck, and I hope the knee feels better soon <3

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  6. Jaida

    big apologies if i missed that you said no joggers, but i love joggers. specifically i love my vuori ones which are expensive but seriously i wear them every week and they wash perfectly with no pulling whatsoever. i did see that costco has a dupe for them now that is likely very good!

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      1. Missy

        I bought 2 pair of vuori joggers when we were all home during 2020 and i wear them everyday still. They are my favorite pants to sleep in. i wear them out and about. They are comfy around the house. They get washed multiple times a week and still look great after 5 years. I have picked up a few more pairs on Marketplace.

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  7. E

    I came here to say Old Navy linen wide leg pants. I have 5 pair and wear them to work every day April-October and feel like I am getting away with wearing pajamas.

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  9. S

    I like the old navy cargo sweatpants. The pockets make me feel like I’m wearing real pants and just enough put together that I’m not embarrassed being seen in public. I also second the loose linen blend pants!

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  11. Meera

    I like the Encircled joggers – they have a cute little ruching on the ankle, and come in a bunch of dark colours. They aren’t cheap, but I have worn some pairs for like 8 years. They’re a bamboo blend fabric and are very comfy. Great travel pants too.

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  12. Rosen

    I love the Duluth trading Women’s NoGA Naturale Cotton Bootcut Pants. They have a couple of styles and also a synthetic fabric selection (I like the pathetic too but prefer the cotton ones) they are comfy, have pockets and look like pants more than pajamas. If you are lucky and they have the right size you might even be able to find some cheep sale ones. Good luck!

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  14. Nicole MacPherson

    Oh darn, I was going to say boot cut yoga pants! What about a wide leg pant? They are similar in feel to pajama pants, and in a neutral colour you could mix and match tops to go with them?

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  18. Kay

    I never have ideas about clothes, but now I finally do! MeUndies! So comfortable, cute designs, sustainable labor practices and environmentally sound, realistically-sized models, blah, blah, blah, not over priced (and with frequent discount codes):

    for example

    https://www.meundies.com/products/womens-modal-wide-leg-pant-kiss-my-peach

    The only drawback is that once they make a certain number of a design, they don’t make it again, so somethings they are out of something cute in my size, and that’s just bad luck.

    Hope this helps!

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  21. Alice

    I pretty much live in Baleaf boot cut yoga pants in the winter and in their skorts in the summer. The dress pant style long pants do have pockets, but you see the lump of whatever you put in them. The skorts have thigh pockets under the skirt, which is fine for carrying things around, but I don’t love looking like I’m lifting my skirt to access my phone in public. Even if the long shorts are of course immediately very visible I have one skort from them that’s meant to be more of a dress-skort look with exterior pockets, but I wear it rarely. It generates and holds onto static in a way that the others don’t, plus my phone falls out of the back pockets more easily than I’d like.

    FWIW: I do often wear skintight all the way down yoga pants with dresses or tunic-length tops. If the top part is casual enough (I have a collared sweatshirt dress, for example, but it’s still sweatshirt material), I feel that it looks fine with the running shoes I wear everywhere.

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  22. Ariana

    Joggers, joggers, joggers. I buy mine on Amazon for about $35 (Canadian), they’re black and have deep pockets, and I wear them all day every day everywhere (I have several).

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  23. Katie

    I got these joggers for my teenage son for post-op comfort last year and have since co-opted them for myself. They’re buttery soft and they have huge pockets because they’re for men. The black ones are especially good for going out and about because they’re just a pair of black pants. They look sporty with sneakers and also totally fine with ballet flats. I cannot recommend enough.

    https://a.co/d/g4hfukc

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  25. Kim

    Since the pandemic I have almost exclusively worn pants that fit this description! I am somewhat surprised to find out that other people went back to normal pants (or maybe never stopped wearing them?!) My favorites are the Vuori joggers mentioned above, they are expensive but worth it in my opinion. I usually wear them with tennis shoes or slip on canvas shoes or Birks. If you want a cheaper option to see if you like the style before committing to an expensive version Amazon has a lot, although none of the ones I have bought there before seem to be in stock right now. Here’s an example though that is currently unavailable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FKZJTPL?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_5 I am sure Walmart, Target, Kohls, etc. also carry similar joggers. I do also wear boot cut yoga pants, but they do not have pockets so they are less ideal.

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  26. Sarah

    I like these. they feel like pj’s but look kind of dressy
    https://www.amazon.ca/EVALESS-Drawstring-Elastic-Waisted-Trousers/dp/B0B8NNQT5B/ref=pd_aw_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0_image?pd_rd_w=GxXVE&content-id=amzn1.sym.5d40da72-b39c-41b3-ba40-9c69e35fbc24%3Aamzn1.symc.cb15e6ef-dda0-4490-a93d-da66403ab544&pf_rd_p=5d40da72-b39c-41b3-ba40-9c69e35fbc24&pf_rd_r=Z3FXMN0TM75X5TBP0582&pd_rd_wg=f2baH&pd_rd_r=40f2e52b-9d0e-4e06-985c-ea1ee9764b84&pd_rd_i=B0B8NNQT5B

    And

    https://www.amazon.ca/Women-2024-Drawstring-Straight-Trousers/dp/B0D5CGW7N5/ref=pd_aw_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_ba_1_image?pd_rd_w=GxXVE&content-id=amzn1.sym.5d40da72-b39c-41b3-ba40-9c69e35fbc24%3Aamzn1.symc.cb15e6ef-dda0-4490-a93d-da66403ab544&pf_rd_p=5d40da72-b39c-41b3-ba40-9c69e35fbc24&pf_rd_r=Z3FXMN0TM75X5TBP0582&pd_rd_wg=f2baH&pd_rd_r=40f2e52b-9d0e-4e06-985c-ea1ee9764b84&pd_rd_i=B0D5CGW7N5

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  27. EAB

    I really like the Quince ultra-stretch ponte pants, which come in straight-leg, wide-leg, flare, and bootcut styles. However, they only go up to an XL and I find they run a bit small.

    I also have a couple pairs of patterned pull-on wide-leg pants from Loft and Abercrombie, which look dressy enough for work but are comfortable enough for airport wear. I love that the wide-leg style is so popular right now because they’re just so easy to wear and still look polished.

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  29. MB

    I second the people suggesting linen pants, but if that’s not your thing, try pull-on ponte knit pants. They are not athleisure but they are as comfortable as athleisure. I am a teacher and they’re what I wear 99% of the time. Old Navy does them for straight sizes and some plus sizes. Lane Bryant does them for plus sizes. I’ve seen them other places, too.

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  30. Cass

    I really like these … more “yoga-pants-ish” than pj pants but really so comfy. Also Aerie carries a lot of cozy suddenly sweats that I love!

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  32. Jessica

    These are comfy and look almost professional. I wear them with a nice sweater. https://www.amazon.com/CRZ-YOGA-Womens-4-Way-Stretch/dp/B0CBBV5VHW?pd_rd_w=Y8xM0&content-id=amzn1.sym.528bfdfa-ea96-478b-a7d9-043e650836af&pf_rd_p=528bfdfa-ea96-478b-a7d9-043e650836af&pf_rd_r=1FP1R54W9TTKXW0801AA&pd_rd_wg=VukNV&pd_rd_r=ac1bcac2-6b87-4c99-9d20-f46edbf133c1&pd_rd_i=B0CBBV5VHW&ref_=pd_basp_d_rpt_ba_s_4_t&th=1&psc=1

    Also these for a much more casual look.
    https://www.amazon.com/SPECIALMAGIC-Sweatpants-Cropped-Running-Drawstring/dp/B07SSXC8MJ?pd_rd_w=Y8xM0&content-id=amzn1.sym.528bfdfa-ea96-478b-a7d9-043e650836af&pf_rd_p=528bfdfa-ea96-478b-a7d9-043e650836af&pf_rd_r=1FP1R54W9TTKXW0801AA&pd_rd_wg=VukNV&pd_rd_r=ac1bcac2-6b87-4c99-9d20-f46edbf133c1&pd_rd_i=B07SSXC8MJ&psc=1&ref_=pd_basp_d_rpt_ba_s_5_pr_t

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  33. Linda

    I have 2 pairs of these and wish they made more colors because I loooove them.

    https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=583458022&cid=3028158&pcid=3028158&vid=1&nav=meganav%3AActivewear%3A%3A&cpos=5&kcid=CategoryIDs%3D3028158&ctype=Listing&cpid=res638806084150220669#pdp-page-content

    In case that link doesn’t work, they’re Old Navy High-Waisted Bounce Fleece Wide-Leg Pants. They come in cream, black and taupe and are conveniently on sale this weekend. Seriously: they are so comfy and wide-legged! My coworker said I looked like a “hot pilates mom, but cozy.”

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  37. April

    Not inexpensive but Gap has lots of sales- they send me 40% off texts all the time. These are roomy and SO lightweight, I think they will be great for summer (I don’t really care for shorts). And they are theoretically “on trend” if you care at all about that sort of thing. https://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=713952022&vid=3&tid=gppl000085&kwid=1&ap=7&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_AT8uwGJm5RgT0U5w0ljLoctLxS&gclid=CjwKCAjw8IfABhBXEiwAxRHlsP23H_VZADtV3cnOxbk4hKOJ_2NORH8QnvUpIkjRQbesthjUiRP7XxoCgWcQAvD_BwE

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  38. April

    Not inexpensive but Gap has lots of sales- they send me 40% off texts all the time. These are roomy and SO lightweight, I think they will be great for summer (I don’t really care for shorts). And they are theoretically “on trend” if you care at all about that sort of thing. https://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=713952022&vid=3&tid=gppl000085&kwid=1&ap=7&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_AT8uwGJm5RgT0U5w0ljLoctLxS&gclid=CjwKCAjw8IfABhBXEiwAxRHlsP23H_VZADtV3cnOxbk4hKOJ_2NORH8QnvUpIkjRQbesthjUiRP7XxoCgWcQAvD_BwE

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  40. Nine

    Tek Gear sweatpants – joggers or straight leg or bootcut. I’m not a leggings person anymore, I can’t stand anything tight against my skin now.

    I wear the bootcuts at work as office pants because i usually WFH and have forsaken actual office pants since COVID.

    I couldn’t find the bootcuts at kohls.com, all the bootcuts have too many adjectives to be the ones i bought: ultra-stretch, shapewear, essential, blah blah blah

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